Master Primes Technological Benefits

Technology	Benefit	Notes
T1.3	Shoot in low or available light, reduce lighting budget, get more natural looking shots, shallow depth of field	The Master Primes are high speed lenses. Much design work has been done to assure optimal optical performance across the whole T-stop range, including T1.3.
Consistent optical performance over the entire T-stop range - based on most of the technologies mentioned below	Shoot in any lighting situation with great results	Other high speed lenses tend to have a "sweet" spot when stopped down 2-3 stops from the widest opening; they flare when wide open and their optical performance deteriorates when stopped down. The Master Primes have been designed to exhibit their high optical performance over their entire T-stop range, so a candle lit dinner scene at T1.3 will be rendered as well as a high contrast shot in the snow at T22. The Master Primes at T1.3 have a significantly better optical performance than other modern 35 Format primes lenses at T2.
Floating elements	Excellent close focus optical performance	The excellent close focus performance includes, amongst others a higher resolution and contrast, and the almost complete absence of geometric distortion and chromatic aberration. Both Ultra Primes and Master Primes have floating elements. A decrease in optical performance at close focus with lenses from other manufacturers is most noticeable in the corners and at wide open apertures.
Dual floating elements	Excellent close focus optical performance AND no breathing	Virtually no breathing is a unique feature of the Master Primes.
Aspherical lens surfaces	No geometric distortion, less weight, no color fringes	To achieve an undistorted geometry (so called "correct rectilinear perspective", which is especially difficult to achieve in wide angle lenses), all Master Primes utilize aspherical lens elements. These are produced with an extremely elaborate polishing processes, and they must be tested with a complex holographic technique. Aspherical lenses can be made smaller, lighter and, in general, better than similar lenses which employ only spherical elements. Aside from simply better and more natural looking images, no geometrical distortion also means that it is much easier to combine footage shot with the Master Primes with computer generated elements.
Exotic glass materials	No color fringes (= no chromatic aberration)	For higher levels of chromatic correction, both elaborate optical design, as well as exotic glass types with “anomalous partial dispersion”, like fluor crown and barium dense flint are required. Some of these exotic glass types are almost as heavy as steel, some as expensive as gold, but together they ensure the high accuracy with which chromatic aberrations are corrected in the Master Primes. The absence of color fringes helps in blue or green screen work, as it provides cleaner edges.
Zeiss T* XP anti reflex coating	Higher contrast, deeper blacks	The new T* XP anti reflex coating used on the Master Primes reduces veiling glare, internal reflexes and narcissism. Compared to the coatings of the current modern cine prime lenses it has a better transmission and a more uniform performance across the lens from optical center to the edges; the T* XP coating has up to five times better transmission at the edges. To create an antireflective coating, special substances are evaporated one after the other using an elaborate process in high vacuum (patent pending), causing 9 ultra-thin layers of optical materials to be deposited on the lens surface with precisely controlled thickness.
Internal light traps	Higher contrast, deeper blacks	The larger barrel of the Master Primes allowed for a mechanical design that incorporates various light traps to keep unwanted light from bouncing around where it should not.
Strategically painted lens rims	Higher contrast, deeper blacks	Carl Zeiss uses several types of proprietary black paints with different refractive indices to blacken lens element rims with maximum light absorbing effect.
Super color matched	Shots from one lens match shots from another in colorimetry	Accomplished through choice of glass, Zeiss T* XP anti-reflex coating and other measures, all Master Primes are super color matched to each other and to the other lenses in the ARRI/Zeiss lens program, including the Ultra Primes, Ultra 16 prime lenses and the Lightweight Zoom LWZ-1.
Multiple lens elements	Better overall optical quality (resolution, contrast, geometric distortion, chromatic aberration)	More lens elements than in most other lenses lead to an improved optical performance across the board.
Extended iris range	Shoot night or day, low key or high key with the same lens set.	Usually, standard speed lenses have a range from T2 to T22, and high speed lenses have a range from T1.3 to T16. The Master Primes not only have an extended range from T1.3 to T22, but they also offer superb optical quality over that whole range, another unique feature in a high speed lens.
Lens Data System	Work faster and more securely, easier in-camera special effects like depth of field ramps	The Lens Data System shows real time lens status and depth of field information either on the video assist or on a dedicated Lens Data Display. The Lens Data System gives assistants an extra edge to work faster and more securely, especially when the camera is in remote situations like on a crane or Steadicam.
Cam driven optics	Stretched focus scale	The cam driven optics provide more marks on the focus ring in the range where they are needed, and thus allow for better and easier focusing.
Temperature stabilized torque	The amount of force needed to turn the focus ring stays constant, even in cold weather	Zeiss utilizes a high tech synthetic material for maintenance free and stable torque at all temperatures and for increased robustness. The torque is also uniform across all focal lengths.
Same shape, length, diameter, focus & iris ring position for all 12 lenses	Faster lens switches on the set.	The Master Primes all share precisely the same shape, length, diameter, focus and iris ring positions. This make switching from one lens to the other a snap, as matte box, follow focus and/or lens motors can remain in exactly the same place.
Focus feel	Safe, silent and comfortable focusing	The way the focus ring feels when turned does not affect optical quality, but is very important for the focus puller. Thus close attention has been paid to creating a focus ring that feels easy and smooth to move, is silent and free of play, and robust enough to retain these qualities over years of service.
Removable dual unit-of-measurement focus ring	Quick switch from feet to meters	The focus ring contains individually calibrated precision meter and feet markings in bright yellow. The ring can be easily removed and flipped around to change from feet to meters. This not only means that rental houses can easily supply lenses in either unit of measurement, but it also simplifies manufacturing, service and stocking procedures.
Permadur™ gear surface	Gears look good, even after years of rental	To avoid unsightly scratches, the surface of the gears, which usually get the most abuse, is specially hardened with a surface treatment called Permadur™, making them ten times harder than traditional gear rings.
Precision iris leaves with a round iris opening	Round, organic out-of-focus highlights at all T-stops	The iris opening of each Master Prime is created by at least nine high precision leaves, resulting in round and natural looking out of focus highlights on film. Also, the Master Prime's iris opening stays consistently round and symmetrical over the whole T-stop range.
Iris leaf material	Smooth functioning of iris	The Master Primes iris leafs are made out of a special low friction material that is wear resistant and assures smooth functioning of iris over decades.
Easier service	Faster turn around in case of damage	Various repair procedures can now be performed without an optical re-adjustment, including exchanging the front ring, exchanging iris and focus rings and adjusting or exchanging LDS components.