The ARRI Zeiss Standard Speed MKII PL primes have been serious industry players for over 45 years and continue to be highly regarded today. These lenses were crafted in West Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of the USSR. Our lenses were manufactured in the early 1980s, around 1983, when ARRI was known as Arriflex and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” topped the charts.

These lenses are small, solid, lightweight, and fast enough at T2.1. They offer an organic sharpness and fall-off bokeh distinct from modern lenses, with slightly more contrast. The Standard Speed MKII primes bring character, personality, and a rich history, adding a filmic aesthetic to modern digital cameras. We have 6 x ARRI Zeiss Standard Speed MKII primes available:

• 16mm T2.1 (Macro)
• 24mm T2.1 (Macro)
• 32mm T2.1 (Macro)
• 50mm T2.1
• 85mm T2.1
• 100mm T2.1

The ARRI Zeiss Standard Speed MKII primes were considered optically superior to the Cooke Speed Panchro primes. The older Standard Speed MKI lenses had a different coating and physical design, but the MKII primes were released with improvements, including the T* coating, still used today on ARRI Zeiss Ultra Primes and CP.3 primes.

Ultra Primes replaced the Standard Speed primes and share their heritage, while Super Speed Primes were replaced by Master Primes. The Standard Speed MKII primes are similar to Ultra Primes, slightly less sharp in the corners and more contrasty, a desirable trait in vintage lenses.

Standard Speed lenses match Super Speed lenses perfectly when aperture matched (T2.8, T4, etc.) and with an identical coating. They are ideal for pairing with Super Speed primes or when the budget suits Standard Speed primes but the desired look is vintage. Many established cinematographers prefer the bokeh on the Standard Speed MKII primes over the Super Speed primes.

The 16mm, 24mm, and 32mm ARRI Standard Speed MKII primes have been close-focus modified, making them excellent macro lenses with a minimum close focus almost touching the front lens element in Macro mode.

Roger Deakins discussed these lenses on his forum, stating: “I often shoot with Standard Speed T2.1 Zeiss lenses wide open. You need to watch for those annoying flares off a highlight or a point source but they are otherwise excellent lenses.”

Despite their age, our ARRI Standard Speed MKII vintage primes have undergone a complete mechanical and optical overhaul. They have been fully serviced, calibrated, and painted to ensure many more years of reliable service, with dependable German engineering at their core and a 2019 tune-up by Focus Optics in Los Angeles, California.

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