Panavision Primo 65 and Angénieux EZ65: new 65mm lenses

The momentum behind 65mm shows no sign of slowing down, with Panavision and Angénieux announcing new large-format glass just ahead of the start of Cine Gear Expo 2026.

Panavision has unveiled the Primo 65 series, 12 spherical primes bringing the optical character of the company's legendary 35mm-format Primos to cameras with 65mm-format sensors. And Angénieux has announced the EZ65 series, extending its popular EZ zooms to cover the same sensor size. Both companies are reengineering an existing range for the format.

Panavision Primo 65

Panavision says the Primo 65 set was built in response to direct requests from cinematographers who wanted Primo characteristics from lenses that cover a 65mm sensor. The 12 focal lengths run from 21mm T2 through to 225mm T2.5, all sharing a common 112.8 mm front diameter and consistently spaced focus and iris rings to make lens changes faster on set. Weight varies from 2.23 (kg (5.2 lb) to 3.46 kg (7.6 lb). They mount via Panavision's proprietary SP70 mount, and the red and yellow engravings are a deliberate nod to the original Primo series.

Panavision says the result is the clean, high-contrast look the Primos have always been known for, without tipping into clinical sharpness. Selected aberrations are retained deliberately to keep the image feeling natural and organic, with a flattering softness for close-ups. Breathing is well-controlled, which matters increasingly for VFX-heavy productions. Bokeh is round with a gentle cat's-eye falloff at the frame edges, and the multiband flare has a pleasant cascade quality without dominating the image.

The Primos have a serious pedigree. Introduced in the late 1980s, they were the first completely matched family of primes and zooms designed for cinematography, and Empire of the Sun, shot by Allen Daviau ASC for Steven Spielberg, was the first feature to use them. Since then they've been used on Casino, Titanic, The Matrix, Black Panther, Friends, The Sopranos and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, among many others. The series has earned a Technical Achievement Award and Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy, plus an Emmy from the Television Academy.

Alongside the primes, Panavision has also introduced the 65ZW 20-36mm T4 wide zoom, complementing the Primo 65 primes and adding to a 65mm-format catalog that already includes the 65 Vintage, System 65, Sphero 65 and Super Panavision 70 series.

Primo 65 lenses will be available for rent later this year.

Angénieux EZ65

Angénieux's announcement was considerably more concise. The EZ65 series comprises two lenses designed to bring the qualities that made the EZ range popular, namely ergonomics, resolution, and cinematic look and feel, to the 65 format.

The EZ-2 65 covers 27–72mm at T3.6 and weighs in at under 2.5 kg. The EZ-3 65 covers 82–300mm at T4.2–T5.4 and comes in at under 3 kg. Both are available in LPL mount only.

No pricing or availability information has been released as yet.