ARRI announced that the entire range of its large format flagship lenses, the Signature Prime are now available and shipping. Ranging from 12mm to 280mm, the lens series features 16 focal lengths, which are the most comprehensive assortment of large-format lenses available. Read below about this unique piece of glass.

The art of the bokeh

The Signature Primes were developed as a new set of lenses to grant a special signature-look to large format cinematography. Those lenses have a relatively compact and lightweight design and are characterized by their unique out-of-focus behavior (artistic and soft bokeh), which is their signature. The aesthetic quality of the out-of-focus blur is achieved by rapid softening but in a very smooth artistic look, lack of hard edges.

Dedicated for large format cinematography

The Signature Primes are the broadest range of large-format lenses available, with 16 focal lengths ranging from 12 mm to 280 mm, which cover all image circles, up to 46 mm, making them compatible with any ARRI or third-party camera with an LPL mount. Since their launch, the ARRI Signature Prime lenses have been used on the set of high-profile feature films and television series including “1917” with Roger Deakins CBE, ASC, BSC, “Emily in Paris” with Steven Fierberg ASC, “Just 1 Day” with Chris Doyle HKSC, “Outlander (Season 5)” with Stijn Van der Veken ASC, SBC, and “The Invisible Man” with Stefan Duscio ACS. Cinematographer Adam Kimmel ASC has also used the Signature Primes on commercials for Audi, MG, Mercedes-Benz, and Jeep. Designed to work flawlessly in the most extreme on-set conditions, the Signature Primes feature a fast T-stop of T1.8 and rapid focus roll-off, creating an increased sense of depth and separation. According to ARRI: “ARRI Signature Primes are rich with a new type of character that plays to the strengths of immersive display technologies. They are modern lenses with a timeless, natural look that will be relevant for the next twenty years,” said Thorsten Meywald, ARRI Product Manager for Optical Systems.”

The Signature Primes are modern lenses with a timeless, natural look that will be relevant for the next twenty years Thorsten Meywald, ARRI Product Manager for Optical Systems

Signature Primes main characteristics and highlights

Here are some of the highlights that make the Signature Primes unique compare to other large-format glass.

First magnesium barrel cine lenses (lighter and more durable). Future proof telecentric design (read below). Image circle beyond full-frame and thus future proof regarding resolution and illumination circle. Dedicated to capturing HDR and 8K imagery (read below). Magnetic rear filter holder. Integrated Lens Data System LDS-2. New mechanical design concept. Preserving the art of the bokeh (explained above) Minimal lens distortion (Read below). Minimal and elegant lens flare (Read below).

Future proof telecentric design

In an ordinary lens, the exit pupil (the point where the light exits on its way to the sensor) is closer to the sensor. When the exit-pupil is closer to the lens mount, the light spreads in a relatively large angle to cover the sensor. As opposed to the Signature Primes, the exit-pupil is closer to the front lens element, and thus the light is spread in a sharper (smaller) angle in order to cover the sensor. The ray trace is more parallel, and therefore, the photosite gets the light in a more precise way. Physically, this is easier for the light to cover the sensor, which results in the minimization of artifacts like chromatic aberrations. Look at the slide below that demonstrates the light-spreading of the Signature Prime compared to an ordinary lens (The slide is a screengrab from ARRI Certified Online Training for Large-Format Camera System). To sum it up, this design allows the utilization of the large sensor size since the light spreads more equally on the sensor.

Minimal and elegant lens flare

We’ve written an article regarding the utilization of the Mini LF and Signature Prime on Roger Deakins 1917. Read more about the lens behind 1917. According to Deakins, the main characteristic of the Signature Primes is their minimal breathings and distortion, together with a clean and sharp image. “I don’t like vignetting; I don’t like breathing… Can’t stand flares,” said Deakins when he describes the main benefits of the Signature Primes. Indeed, the Signature Primes will not grant you over-flaring imagery, but a minimized refined flare that could blend well in the color grading process.

I don’t like vignetting; I don’t like breathing… Can’t stand flares Roger Deakins CBE, ASC, BSC

Skin tones preciseness and 8K imagery

According to Art Adams, Cinema Lens Specialist at ARRI, the Signature Prime’s capture very flattering skin tones, but they don’t do it by artificially softening them the way a lot of other lenses do. They capture all the resolution and all the details, but they don’t make it artificially sharp but rendering it naturally. Furthermore, the Signature Primes introduce more of a filmic quality, which is needed in UHD and 8k imagery, which means capturing all that resolution but in a very natural way.

Minimal lens distortion

One of the Signature Primes advantages is the elimination of distortion even when shooting on an ultra-wide glass. Most of us are well familiar with those distortions that we get when using ultra-wide lenses, especially when shooting close to the subject. It seems that those artifacts have been minimized in the Signature Primes. According to ARRI, even the widest Signature Prime (12mm) has less than 1% distortion. Check out the slides below that demonstrates focal length comparison for whole range, and footage taken by the 12mm Signature Prime lens. You can notice almost zero distortion, which is quite impressive.

Price

The price range is $25,000-$40,000 per lens.

Education

If you’d like to learn and dive deeper into the details, you should consider taking the ARRI’s Certified Online Training for Large-Format Camera System course on MZed, which we reviewed here. This course educates and teaches all small details about Signature Primes, lens mounts, and filters. Furthermore, you will be educated regarding the whole of ARRI’s large-format ecosystem and how to operate it correctly and professionally. You can also read our in-depth review before taking it.

Wrapping up

The Signature Prime series was designed from the ground up to offer a high-end solution for capturing large format in its whole glory. These lenses are paired optimally with the Mini LF, and ALEXA LF, however, can be used on other cinema cameras even with smaller sensors. The brand new series has already had a decent presence in wining movies like 1917 and has been used by top-notch cinematographers. Let’s know what you think about the Signature Primes. Would you use them to capture large format imagery?