ZEISS Supreme Prime 15mm T1.8 Announced – Completing the Series

Lens News

by Francesco AndreolaApril 6^th, 2022

The recent release of the ZEISS Supreme Prime 15mm T1.8 marks the completion of this family of high-end cinema glass. This new wide-angle entry features an image circle of 46.3mm, unified focus and iris ring positions, an interchangeable PL/LPL mount, and a sharp, organic feel. The lens is now available for pre-order for $31,625.

Up to this day, the supremacy for the widest glass in ZEISS’ popular Supreme Prime lens set was held by the 18mm T1.5, announced back in 2020. However, the German company recently introduced a new wide-angle king: the ZEISS Supreme Prime 15mm T1.8.

This new release is the cherry on the cake for the completion of this high-end cinema lens series, which now consists of 14 focal lengths ranging from 15 to 200mm. ZEISS promises that this new model will provide a sharp, consistent look with all other lenses in the series. Let’s see what this not-so-cheap 15mm has to offer.

ZEISS Supreme Prime 15mm T1.8: overview

With an image circle of 46.3mm, this new wide-angle rectilinear prime lens can cover Super35, full-frame and even larger than FF sensors. This makes it compatible with many popular prestigious cinema cameras on the market, including the RED V-RAPTOR, ARRI ALEXA LF and Mini LF, as well as Sony VENICE 1 and 2.

According to the manufacturer, this addition sports the same sharp, organic, color-matched look that the Supreme Prime series is already known for. The lens offers a FOV of 98.9° and 77.9° on full-frame and Super35 sensors respectively. Moreover, it comes with an interchangeable PL/LPL mount system.

While most lenses in the series boast an extremely wide iris of T1.5, the maximum aperture of the new 15mm is “only” T1.8. This should still ensure great transmission in low light situations as well as a warm, soft bokeh. Moreover, ZEISS claims its optical design will result in a soft transition between in and out-of-focus areas.

Consistent design

In order to save time on set when switching lenses, the new 15mm shares unified focus and iris ring positions with its siblings. The focus gear has a long throw of 300° which should enable soft and precise focusing operations.

The lens features an internal focus design that helps keep focus breathing and size to a minimum. Considering this is a sharp, light-starving beast, it has a compact and lightweight design overall. The lens measures 149mm/4.9” in length and weighs 2.24kg/4.94lbs. Additional support can be provided via a removable 3/8”-16 foot at the bottom.

Two engraved, calibrated scales on the lens barrel clearly display aperture values and focus distance. The new 15mm has a front diameter of 114mm, which is larger than the 95mm value shared by most Supreme Prime lenses.

Support for lens metadata

A LEMO port on the lens body ensures support for ZEISS eXtended Data technology. This provides detailed lens metadata that can come in handy for advanced post-production workflows. Indeed, the glass can communicate critical information such as focal length, focus distance, aperture, distortion, and shading lens data for each recorded frame.

Key features

• 15mm wide rectilinear lens
• Image circle: 46.3mm
• T1.8-22
• Minimum focus distance: 0.35m/14”
• Interchangeable PL/LPL Mount
• Sharp, organic, color-matched look
• Unified focus and iris rings positions
• ZEISS eXtended Data technology
• Length: 149mm/4.9”
• Front diameter: 114mm/4.5”
• Weight: 2.24kg/4.94lbs

Price and availability

The new ZEISS Supreme Prime 15mm T1.8 wide-angle lens is now available for pre-order from B&H and is expected to start shipping in June. The official retail price of this high-end glass is $31,625.00.

Furthermore, if you’d like to get your hands on this lens, you can do so at a few upcoming events. In fact, the 15mm will be on display at BSC Expo in London this week and at Micro Salon AFC in Paris as well as at NAB Show in Las Vegas later this month.

How often do you find yourself shooting on the ZEISS Supreme Prime lenses? How do you like the look of this high-end cinema glass? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section down below.