ARRI/ZEISS Ultra16

The ARRI/ZEISS Ultra16 is the Super 16 variant of the Ultra Prime family. Nine focal lengths — 6, 8, 9.5, 12, 14, 18, 25, 35, and 50mm — all at a constant T1.3. They are designed for the small image circle of Super 16: smaller front elements, lighter and more compact than the S35 Ultra Primes, but from the same optical family and thus with comparable contrast and skin tone rendition. All lenses in the series share the same external dimensions, allowing for lens changes without reconfiguring rod-mounted accessories.

What the Series is Built For

The target formats are 16mm film cameras — ARRI Arriflex 416, ARRI Arriflex SR3, the AATON bodies XTR Prod and A-minima — as well as the S16 sensor modes of digital cameras like the Alexa 35 or the Sony Venice. This makes the series one of the few ways to achieve a true S16 look digitally without resorting to crop tricks. The mount is consistently PL.

Focal Length Logic

The series covers Super 16 completely, from extreme wide-angle to short telephoto. On Super 16, the 6mm corresponds roughly to a 12- to 14mm on Super 35, the 25mm is in the normal focal length range, and the 50mm is the long end. The focus, however, is on wide-angle: five of the nine focal lengths are between 6 and 14mm. This tight stepping is the key point — the jumps are small enough that compositional adjustments are made by changing lenses rather than changing position.

Rental houses typically offer the series as a set of 9 or a smaller set of 6; not every facility carries all nine focal lengths.

Constant T1.3

A constant T1.3 across the entire series is unusual for the format. The Zeiss Super Speeds in S16 cover 9.5, 12, 16, 25, and 50mm, starting at 9.5mm; the Ultra16 maintain their speed down to 6mm. For available light work on 500T under artificial light, this specifically means: no aperture jump when changing focal length and no pushing the development just to save a wide-angle shot.

Relationship to the Ultra Prime Family

Ultra16 and Ultra Prime are designed within the same family — the Ultra16 feature T*XP coating and are color-matched to Ultra Primes, Master Primes, and Variable Primes. A setup can be mixed without the images falling apart optically: Ultra16 for the S16 plane, a single Ultra Prime as a break for a spatially different sequence.

Today

In the 16mm revival of the years 2024 to 2026, the series has established itself as a professional set for narrative music video and commercial work. In 2026, the full set had a daily rental rate of approximately 600 to 900 EUR, with individual focal lengths at 150 to 200 EUR. Pricing is based on market observation, not manufacturer specifications.