Panavision Revives Primo Spherical Lenses for 65mm Productions

The reintroduction of Panavision's Primo lenses for 65mm systems directly impacts high-end cinema production, offering cinematographers a proven optical signature for larger sensors. This addresses a market need for lenses that deliver character beyond pure resolution in the expanding large-format ecosystem. The industry should watch for adoption rates of these new Primo 65 lenses in major film and episodic productions as a signal of their market impact and the broader trend towards specific aesthetic control in high-resolution capture.

Panavision's launch of the Primo 65 series follows broader industry trends in large-format digital cinematography. For instance, Sony has been pushing its RIALTO 65, a 65mm format sensor block designed to expand the Venice 2 camera's capabilities into 65mm (Y.M.Cinema Magazine, June 2026). This move by Sony, coming just before Panavision's Primo 65 announcement, indicates a growing focus on the 65mm digital format, not just for resolution but for depth, scale, and spatial separation. Panavision's Senior VP of Optical Engineering, Dan Sasaki, noted that the Primo 65 lenses maintain the optomechanical design of the original Primos, aiming for direct continuity in contrast, focus falloff, and overall rendering for 65mm digital cameras (Y.M.Cinema Magazine, June 2026). This suggests an emphasis on preserving artistic integrity rather than solely chasing maximum sharpness. The Primo 65 set will include 12 focal lengths with T2 apertures across most of the range, and a 65ZW 20-36mm T4 wide zoom will complement the primes (Y.M.Cinema Magazine, June 2026). This expanded lens line addresses the need for versatile optical tools capable of handling the demands of large-format productions, including control over elements like round bokeh with subtle cat's-eye effects and multiband flare. The new lenses are designed with Panavision's proprietary SP70 mount and share uniform front diameters and ring spacing, simplifying on-set lens changes (Y.M.Cinema Magazine, June 2026).