ARRI Ensō Prime Lenses Introduced – Tuneable Lenses Aimed at Mid-Budget Productions

Lens News

by Alexandra ThompsonToday

ARRI has introduced a new set of lenses aimed towards a different market sector: Ensō Prime lenses are designed for content creators in the documentary, corporate, and commercial sectors, as well as owner-operators who might just be starting out on their own. ARRI has taken the name Ensō for these Primes in reference to the circular Zen calligraphy symbol, which means simplicity and staying in the moment – something we can only do when we trust that our equipment is reliable. Yet, even when a user wants the flexibility to modify the look of their shots, this can be done quickly using Ensō Vintage Elements, interchangeable optics that attach to the back of the lenses. So let’s have a look!

Keeping up with ARRI products, we recently looked at the ARRI Operator Set for ALEXA 35 with Touchdown Baseplate, as well as a Hi-5 SX Single-Axis Wireless Hand Unit. And the products keep on coming! With this new set of lenses, ARRI has established their presence in a new sector of the market.

The lens lineup and design

The core set in the Ensō lineup includes six focal lengths (the ones ARRI expects will be used most often) and the Vintage Elements Kit. The full lineup consists of 14 lenses, covering wide-angle options like 10.5mm and 14mm and extending up to 250mm (350/500mm with the Ensō Extenders) for those with more extreme shooting requirements.

ARRI highlights the impressive close focus capabilities of the Ensō lenses, with a 1:4 magnification ratio (equivalent to a 10-inch close focus on the 32mm, only 3.7 inches from the front element, for example). This exceptionally short minimum focus distance, all without noticeable focus breathing, should ensure smooth transitions in focus without distracting shifts in the frame. In addition, all 14 Ensō focal lengths share the same gear ring placement, most of which are T2.1, and they all have a 95mm front diameter for quick swapping. You can get all the individual lens data information here.

Ensō Vintage Elements for a different look

The lenses offer an overall look that’s natural, sharp, and balanced, the “Native Ensō Look.” However, should you want something different, ARRI has added Ensō Vintage Elements to the package. These interchangeable optics attach magnetically to the back of Ensō lenses for quick and easy external lens tuning that “incrementally shifts the look and feel of the images.” There are three positive and three negative Elements with different strengths, i.e., the positive Elements have a soft-edged bokeh with a Petzal-like swirl at the edges of the frame, and the negative Elements have the opposite effect with out-of-focus highlights, etc.

The six included Elements come with an Ensō Creative Adapter, allowing users to design their own unique Element. The Kit also includes three retaining rings that securely hold various thicknesses of glass or other materials in place.

After listening to feedback, ARRI significantly improved Ensō Vintage Elements over their previous Impression Filters, providing sharper images at the center with more pronounced detuning at the edges. They also have encoded chips that transmit metadata on focal length, T-stop, and focus to the camera, aiding both on-set monitoring and postproduction. Any focus scale changes caused by the Elements can be automatically adjusted with the ARRI Hi-5 hand unit, with or without the use of lens shims.

Price and availability

Although considerably less expensive than other ARRI lenses like those in their Signature lineup, for example, these prices are still not for the faint of heart. The core set of ARRI Ensō Prime lenses (18, 24, 32, 47, 75, and 105 mm with the Ensō Vintage Elements Kit) can be ordered now, with shipping expected in November. The price tag is $86,940. It will also be possible to order smaller kits: the 47, 75 & 105mm 3-Lens Set is priced at $42,490, and the 18, 24 & 32mm 3-Lens Set is priced at $40,240.

How important is the ability to customize the look of your footage on the fly for your productions? How often do you use metadata features, like those included with the Vintage Elements, to streamline postproduction workflows? Let us know in the comments!