It’s been quite a while since Zeiss released a new cine lens. In fact, the Supreme Primes were the latest addition to the Zeiss cine family. A few focal lengths have been added such as the Supreme 15mm and if we want to really stretch Zeiss portfolio additions, we can also include the Supreme Radiance – Zeiss’ answer to the vintage lens craze. Aside from those, there really hasn’t been a whole lot of buzz out of the German lens manufacturer. That’s about to change!
Let’s jump right into the new Nano Primes from Zeiss. At launch, the Nano Primes will include six focal lengths – 18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm, all with a maximum aperture of T1.5. So what’s the difference between the Nano Primes and the Supreme Primes? The size and mount options are the primary difference. The Nano Primes are true to their name. When you think of “Nano”, you think “small”, and that’s exactly what Zeiss has been able to achieve. The Nano Primes are roughly half the size and weight of the Supreme Primes while maintaining image quality and speed. This was achieved in part by reducing the flange focal distance and tailoring these new lenses to mirrorless camera systems. More on that later! The Nano Primes will feature a 95mm front diameter across the set and as you’d expect, the focus and iris gear position will be consistent across all six focal lengths as well. The 18mm, 75mm, and 100mm will be the lengthiest lenses in the set at mere 4.4 inches while the 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm are an even more compact 3.5 inches long. The weight of the Nano Primes will range between 1.9 lbs. and 2.7 lbs. which is quite an achievement when you consider all the other specs of these lenses.
The Nano Primes, in my opinion, are what the CP.3 should have been! While the CP.3 do fit a specific market segment, they were always nerfed in an effort avoid cannibalizing Zeiss’ other full frame, PL mount cine primes – the Supreme Prime. Because of this, the CP.3 are limited, in some focal lengths, to a T2.1 maximum aperture. The other major difference is that the CP.3 are based on re-purposed still-photo optics. This isn’t a bad thing. Still, it’s worth noting in this comparison since the Nano Primes, as far as I can tell, are brand new optical designs created distinctly for motion picture work. When I first caught wind of these new primes, I immediately assumed this was the result of the proposed re-purposing of the Zeiss Dimension industrial machine vision lenses. Clearly, the Nano Primes are not those! My next assumption was that these could be re-purposed Batis or Loxia primes based on their size and mirrorless design. I’m very pleased to say that once I was granted access to more in-depth design and specification details, I was able to confirm that the Nano Primes are not any flavor of re-purposed optics! This means they’ll have a few benefits such as more consistency from lens to lens, and better control of focus breathing over their recycled step-sibling, the CP.3.
What about other lenses in this market segment? Let’s focus on raw lens specs, focal length, speed, and coverage. If we are comparing to high-speed (T1.5ish), 5+ focal lengths, and 35mm Full Frame sets of lenses, this puts Nano Primes in company with the likes of Sigma Cine Primes, Tokina Vista Primes, Xeen Meister Primes, Angenieux Optimo Primes, Leitz Hugo, DZO Vespid, Irix Cine, Canon CN-E, and even Arri Signature Primes. However, all of these are lenses designed for longer flange distance such as PL, EF, and LPL. Sigma Cine Primes will be the closest comparison due to their size, image quality, and overall specs. Even then, it’s hard to draw a direct comparison since the Nano Primes are designed for mirrorless camera systems. If we open up our comparison to lenses designed for mirrorless, things get interesting since the prices begin to drop significantly. Now we’re looking at lenses like the NiSi Athena Primes, Meike FF Primes, or Cooke SP3. Honestly, the NiSi Athena Primes are going to be among the closest match to the Nano Primes. Even then, the advantage goes to the Nano Primes thanks to the T1.5 aperture compared to the Athena T1.9 aperture. Not a huge difference, but big enough that it shouldn’t be overlooked. The Cooke SP3 will be the quickest comparison that most users will draw at first glance. Let’s explore that a bit more.
When we really examine the specifics, there’s not much in common between the Cooke SP3 and the Zeiss Nano Primes. In fact, about the only thing they have in common is that they both come from a well established lens manufacturer with a century of experience. They’re both recently announced. They both cover 35mm full frame. And they’re both designed for mirrorless camera systems. And both brands outsourced the manufacturing. That’s about it! The most significant differences between the Nano Primes and the SP3 Primes are possibly the most important features of both product lines – the character! The Nano Primes are typical Zeiss image quality prioritizing accuracy and precision with a hint of “gentle sharpness”. Whereas the SP3 prioritize the Cooke Look – romance over sterility. These priorities are made clear when looking at the images produced by either option. Both powerful tools in the right hands.
Back to the Nano Primes. The lenses will ship in a native Sony E mount with electronics integrated into the mount to pass lens meta data including Zeiss’ eXtended Data for shading and distortion mapping (CORRECTION The Nano Primes will indeed provide meta data through the mount to the camera, but it will be in Sony’s proprietary format similar to your typical G Master lens. Zeiss’ eXtended data is reserved for their higher end cinema primes such as the CP.3 or Supreme Primes.) – something that still photo lenses have been doing for nearly a decade now. While Zeiss has been a bit loose with details of additional mounts to follow, they have been clear that the Nano Primes feature an interchangeable mount system which will allow users to swap from mount to mount quickly and easily including the electronics for different systems. Some of their marketing material claims that this is a world-first, but that’s not quite accurate. The Canon Flex Zooms achieved this with the ability to swap between PL and EF without losing any of the data communication functionality. I’m sure Zeiss’ next step will be introducing Canon RF mounts for the Nano Primes. While they wage that battle with Canon (no small feat), Duclos Lenses will step up to the plate with a new RF mount option. Price and availability to follow – be sure to join the mailing list for updates. With the Duclos Nano RF mount, the Nano Primes will be a perfect fit for RED Raptor and Komodo cameras with their native RF mount. Until then, the Nano Primes will be a great match with practically the entire Sony lineup all the way from a little A7 up to the Venice and everything E mount in between!
Who are the Nano Primes for? I’m sure Zeiss’ marketing material will say they’re great for A cam or B cam… Well they’re not wrong. There’s really no reason why the Nano Primes couldn’t take the lead on a feature film. The build quality and technical specs are on-par with lenses with much, much higher price tags. Given the price, some of the super low-budget projects may not be a suitable match. Any owner-operator that’s using a Sony still photo lenses, G master, or even entry-level cine lenses, the Nano Primes can be a significant upgrade to their kit. The size, weight, price, and specs of the Nano Primes really does make them a uniquely broad tool for filmmakers. If you’re not locked into PL mount, there’s almost no reason to choose any other Zeiss lens over the Nano Primes. I’m certain that Zeiss wouldn’t want to hear me saying that since it will make it harder and harder to justify the Supreme Primes over the Nano Primes, and yet it’s true when you look at the facts. The Nano Primes are proof that Zeiss is still a powerhouse in the motion picture industry and that they’re capable of producing some of the finest cinema lenses in the world.
You can Pre-Order the Zeiss Nano Primes from Duclos Lenses beginning today! The 6-Lens Set is $25,950 and includes a tailored travel case. The 18mm and 100mm are priced at $4,990 each and the other lenses, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 75mm are priced at $4,490 each. Shipping is expected to begin this June. Take a peek at some of the frame grabs using the new Nano Primes. Scroll down for Nano Prime tech specs, you lens geek!
| Nano Prime | 18mm | 24mm | 35mm | 50mm | 75mm | 100mm |
| Max. Aperture | T1.5 | T1.5 | T1.5 | T1.5 | T1.5 | T1.5 |
| Min. Focus | 9.8″ | 13.8″ | 17.7″ | 19.7″ | 29.5″ | 39.4″ |
| Length | 4.4″ | 3.5″ | 3.5″ | 3.5″ | 4.4″ | 4.4″ |
| Front Dia. | 95mm | 95mm | 95mm | 95mm | 95mm | 95mm |
| Weight | 2.62 lb. | 1.93 lb. | 1.92 lb. | 2.04 lb. | 2.48 lb. | 2.77 lb. |
| Focus Rot. | 280° | 280° | 280° | 280° | 280° | 280° |
| Hor. AoF | 90.3° | 74.2° | 53.8° | 40.4° | 27.7° | 20.7° |
| Coverage | FF35 | FF35 | FF35 | FF35 | FF35 | FF35 |
| Mount | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E |