ARRI/ZEISS Master Prime

arri master prime zeiss master prime arri zeiss variable prime arri master anamorphic

Premium spherical cinema prime lenses by ARRI and Carl Zeiss with constant T1.3 aperture and PL mount for Super 35 cinematography.

Overview

The Master Primes are a series of spherical prime lenses, jointly developed by ARRI and Carl Zeiss and introduced in 2005. For years, they have been among the most widely used high-end lenses in cinema and high-end commercial production. Key features include a consistent aperture of T1.3 across almost the entire focal length range, high contrast, very minimal focus breathing, and a uniform characteristic throughout the series. The lenses are designed for the Super 35 format and are attached to the camera via the standardized PL mount.

Technical Features

Type: Spherical prime lenses for motion pictures
Aperture: T1.3 (consistent across almost the entire focal length range)
Mount: PL mount
Image Circle: Super 35
Diaphragm: Iris with at least nine blades for round, soft bokeh
Coating: ZEISS T*XP coating to reduce reflections and stray light
Construction: Aspherical elements and floating elements for good close-focus performance and minimal breathing
LDS: Integrated ARRI Lens Data System for transmitting lens data (e.g., focus, aperture, focal length) to compatible cameras

Focal Length Set

The set comprises a total of 16 focal lengths, which were added over several years. The original series (2005) consisted of 16, 18, 21, 25, 27, 32, 35, 50, 65, 75, and 100 mm; 14 mm and 150 mm followed in 2007, the 12 mm in 2010, and the 135 mm was introduced in 2011.

Specification	Value
Focal Lengths	12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 25, 27, 32, 35, 40, 50, 65, 75, 100, 135, 150 mm
Maximum Aperture	T1.3
Front Diameter	114 mm standard (Exceptions: 12 mm with 156 mm and 150 mm with 134 mm)

On-Set Usage

The high aperture of T1.3 allows for shooting in low light conditions and achieving very shallow depth of field for precise subject isolation. Due to minimal breathing, the lenses are particularly suitable for focus pulls and pans where a visible change in image size during focusing would be disruptive. The uniform 114 mm front diameter (with the exception of the 12 mm and 150 mm, which have different front diameters) simplifies the attachment of matte boxes, filters, and follow focus units in daily grip and camera work, as lens changes within the standard focal lengths usually do not require re-rigging. Through the LDS, lens data can be directly transferred to compatible ARRI cameras and metadata workflows, which is particularly relevant for VFX pipelines.

From the crafts

Perspectives

Cinematographer

Als Kameramann schätze ich die Master Primes für ihre außergewöhnliche Schärfeleistung und den wunderschön weichen Bokeh-Verlauf, der Gesichter besonders vorteilhaft zeichnet. Die durchgängige T1.3-Blende gibt mir maximale Flexibilität bei schwierigen Lichtverhältnissen, während die präzisen Fokuszüge auch bei offener Blende millimetergenau arbeiten.

Director

Für mich als Regisseur sind Master Primes das perfekte Werkzeug für emotionale Geschichten, da sie durch ihre neutrale, aber dennoch charaktervolle Abbildung die schauspielerischen Nuancen optimal einfangen. Die hohe Lichtstärke ermöglicht mir intimere Beleuchtungskonzepte mit natürlich wirkenden Lichtquellen, ohne auf die gewünschte Bildtiefe verzichten zu müssen.

Producer

Master Primes sind eine erhebliche Investition, die sich jedoch durch ihre Vielseitigkeit und den hohen Wiederverkaufswert rechtfertigt. Ein kompletter Satz kann den Objektivbedarf fast jeder Produktion abdecken, wodurch sich Logistik und Versicherungskosten reduzieren lassen. Ihre Robustheit minimiert Ausfallrisiken und Wartungskosten während der Dreharbeiten.