Zeiss has announced the new Aatma Primes, a nine-lens full frame T1.5 cinema set that places the company squarely back into the conversation around vintage inspired optics. Covering focal lengths from 18mm through 135mm, Aatma is positioned as a more character forward option within Zeiss’ modern cinema lineup while retaining contemporary mechanics and workflow compatibility. In a market already dense with lenses aimed at nostalgia, Aatma presents an important consideration. Is this a meaningful refinement of Zeiss’ recent direction, or simply another option competing for attention?
Context Matters When Defining Vintage
After spending a career maintaining, repairing, and restoring true vintage cinema lenses, I tend to be careful with how the term vintage is applied. There is a meaningful difference between optics that are genuinely vintage, shaped by the materials and manufacturing limits of their time, and modern lenses that are inspired by historical behavior. Despite a Zeiss rep acknowledging the Contax C/Y primes as inspiration during development, the Aatma are not positioned as recreations of any specific legacy Zeiss designs. Instead, they appear to draw selectively from qualities that have remained appealing across decades of use.
That distinction is not a criticism. Modern lens design lives at the intersection of art and science, and achieving a successful balance between the two is difficult. When that balance is missed, character can become superficial. Reduced contrast or altered coatings may suggest age, but they rarely deliver the deeper spatial behavior that gives classic lenses their lasting appeal.
Zeiss has historically demonstrated a strong understanding of this balance. From their collaborations with ARRI on Super Speeds, Ultra Primes, and Master Primes, through to more recent designs like Otus and Supreme Primes, their optics have consistently reflected disciplined intent rather than aesthetic shortcuts. Aatma appears to be grounded in that same philosophy.
Zeiss produced a short showcase film with cinematographer Pascale Marin, AFC, and directed by Hélène de Roux. You can watch “Welcoming Grace” here.
Design Continuity and Familiar Handling
At first glance, Aatma will look familiar to anyone who has worked with the Supreme Prime family. The housing language appears consistent with Zeiss’ current high end cinema lineup, which is a practical advantage rather than a limitation. Familiar ergonomics reduce friction on set and allow crews to focus on the work rather than the tools.
It is also worth acknowledging that external similarity does not necessarily define what is happening optically. The exterior can remain consistent while the image behavior evolves in a meaningful way. Ultimately, what matters is how the lens renders an image, not how closely it resembles another product on the outside. The lenses will come equipped with Arri PL mount. No mention of LPL mount so it’s safe to assume that won’t be an option. …It’s also not necessary.
Hands-on With Aatma Primes
Zeiss describes an image character that leans toward softer skin rendering, moderated contrast, smooth focus falloff, and bokeh with subtle structure. We had a chance to get our hands on early production models in 25mm and 35mm flavor. Just as Zeiss promised – there is a distinct difference in character between the Supreme Primes and the Aatma. We observed a notable amount of diffusion-like effect rendering details soft and pleasant rather than the more clean and crisp nature of the Supreme Primes. The more striking difference between Supreme and Aatma is in the bokeh which takes on the famous soap bubble form.
Personally, this lens geek prefers a softer, under-corrected spherical aberration in his bokeh. But this is purely subjective and I appreciate the intention and consistency across the set that Zeiss has implemented here. Consistency across the set is central to that intent. This is where many modern character lenses struggle. Introducing personality into a single focal length is relatively straightforward. Maintaining that behavior across an entire range requires a much higher level of optical discipline and experience.
Where Aatma Fits in Today’s Landscape
It is helpful to distinguish Aatma from Zeiss’ earlier exploration of expressive optics with the Supreme Prime Radiance lenses. Radiance was a targeted design that focused primarily on producing dramatic and controllable flare behavior, while leaving most other aspects of the Supreme Prime image intact. It was an intentional modification aimed at a specific visual effect.
Aatma appears to take a broader approach. Rather than centering on flare alone, these lenses are aimed at the full image. Bokeh behavior, focus falloff, and the management of spherical aberration appear to be central to the design intent. This suggests that Aatma is not simply an extension of Radiance, but a more holistic attempt to shape image character.
Mechanically, Aatma aligns with Zeiss’ established high end cinema standards. The lenses share consistent ergonomics and integrate fully with modern data workflows, including Zeiss eXtended Data and the broader Zeiss CinCraft ecosystem. This point should not be overlooked. Regardless of how evocative a lens may appear, it still needs to function reliably on set and integrate cleanly into contemporary production pipelines. Zeiss has built a strong reputation around that reliability, and there is no indication that Aatma departs from it.
Price and Availability
The new lenses will be available with a metric or imperial (meters or feet) focus scale which can be swapped similar to the Supreme Primes. Priced starts at $20,950 for most focal lengths and up to $25,500 for the widest and tele(est?) focal lengths. At this stage, Aatma should be viewed as a considered addition to a very competitive category rather than a definitive statement. Zeiss is not attempting to redefine vintage inspired optics, but they may be refining their own contribution by shifting focus from isolated effects toward more complete image behavior.
Shipping is expected to begin Summer 2026. The Aatma Primes, along with the entire line of Zeiss cine lenses, are available directly from Duclos Lenses. Remember – shopping at Duclos Lenses supports this blog. Thanks!
As always, here are the tech specs for the new Zeiss Aatma Primes, ya lens geek!
| Focal Length | 18mm | 25mm | 35mm | 40mm | 50mm | 65mm | 85mm | 100mm | 135mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aperture | T1.5 to T22 | ||||||||
| Close Focus | 0.35m (14″) | 0.26m (10″) | 0.32m (13″) | 0.43m (17″) | 0.46m (18″) | 0.61m (2′) | 0.84m (2’9″) | 1.1m (3’9″) | 1.4m (4’6″) |
| Length | 163mm (6.4″) | 119mm (4.7″) | 119mm (4.7″) | 121mm (4.8″) | 119mm (4.7″) | 121mm (4.8″) | 119mm (4.7″) | 119mm (4.7″) | 146mm (5.7″) |
| Front Diameter | 114mm | 95mm | 114mm | ||||||
| Weight (kg) | 2.27 | 1.42 | 1.40 | 1.49 | 1.22 | 1.63 | 1.42 | 1.70 | 2.27 |
| Weight (lbs) | 5.00 | 3.13 | 3.09 | 3.28 | 2.69 | 3.59 | 3.13 | 3.74 | 5.00 |