ZEISS Cine "Into the Storm"
By Martin Lisius
In 1993, I founded StormStock after receiving calls from media professionals wanting to license weather footage. Growing up in Texas it was easy to become fascinated with severe weather, and StormStock was simply a place for that interest and my love for filmmaking to co-exist. I never intended to create a stock footage company. It was just a means to formalize the process.
From the start, it was important to me that anything I produced be of the highest technical and creative quality possible. Clients expect that. StormStock content isn’t just video shot with a phone as a storm goes by. It is carefully planned, Hollywood quality footage produced in-house.
Enter Zeiss
While studying film in college, I became familiar with Arriflex (now ARRI) for cameras, and Zeiss for lenses. Both were known for being rugged, reliable and precise. You could shoot anything with them.
I wanted to bring that heritage forward into StormStock. Encouraged by famed Dallas colorist Steve Franko, I began shooting StormStock on Super 35mm motion picture film (Kodak Vision stock) in the 1990’s. Soon after, I began to purchase Zeiss lenses. What I like best about them is the exceptional quality they put into the glass and the build. They hold nothing back and are often well ahead of everyone else. In fact, filmmakers are still buying and using OLD Zeiss lenses in 2026. They still work great. For me, cameras come and go, but my Zeiss lenses stay. They are truly an investment in the future.
Into the Storm
Blowing dust, flying debris, and horizontal rain are normal elements where I shoot. Camera rain covers help only so much. It’s inevitable that my gear gets subjected to some pretty harsh conditions. My workplace is essentially a lab to see how tough my tools really are.
A great lightweight option for me are the Zeiss CP.3 compact primes. They are the right tool for my job. I’m impressed how Zeiss can get so much into such a small package. I think of the CP.3’s as the “Swiss (German) Army Knife” of cinema lenses. High quality optics, rugged weather-resistant construction, intelligent ergonomics, and exceptional adaptability.
It doesn’t matter how dirty or how wet my Zeiss lenses get, they always come out of the storm just fine, ready to shoot again.
About the Zeiss CP.3
Optical aesthetics: Clean, crisp, sharp, high contrast, neutral color. Flares are distinct and beautiful, but veiling flare is well controlled. Full-frame coverage.
Build: Solid but lightweight and compact.
Ergonomics: Buttery smooth focus rotation of 300 degrees even on well-used copies.
10 focal lengths: 15mm T2.9, 18mm T.2.9, 21mm T2.9, 25mm T2.1, 28mm T2.1, 35mm T2.1, 50mm T2.1, 85mm T2,1, 100mm T2,1, 125mm T2.1.
5 camera mount options: PL, Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E and MFT.
Consistency: Matched coatings and front diameter of 95mm.
Weight range: 1.7 to 2.5 lbs. with most focal lengths under 2 lbs.
Other Zeiss cinematography options include:
Loxia – Tiny cine lenses for Sony E-mount.
Milvus – A high quality photo lens suitable for cinema use.
Otus – A more refined version of the Milvus.
Nano Primes – A faster, Sony E-mount version of the CP.3.
LWZ Zoom – A 21-100mm T2.9/3.9 5x lightweight zoom lens for Super 35.
Cinema Zooms - 15-30mm, 28-80mm, and 70-200mm (all T2.9).
Supreme Primes and Zooms – Premium, fast, cinema lenses.
ARRI/Zeiss Master Anamorphic - Top-tier anamorphic lenses.
ARRI/Zeiss Master Prime - 16 top-tier cinema lenses with a very fast T1.3 maximum aperture.
ARRI/Zeiss Ultra Prime - A lightweight version of the Master Prime with most having a maximum aperture of T1.9.
Where to purchase: Duclos Lenses, the premier destination for high quality motion picture optics close to Hollywood, California. Each new lens purchase comes with a Duclos 2-year service warranty. https://www.ducloslenses.com
Where to rent: Lensrentals, fast, easy cinema lens rentals based in Tennessee. https://www.lensrentals.com
About StormStock: Founded by filmmaker and storm chaser Martin Lisius in 1993, Prairie Pictures’ StormStock has become the go-to source for premium weather and climate footage worldwide. Shot on Super 35mm film, 4K, 8K and 16K video, StormStock topics include hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning and blizzards. View, sample, and license clips at www.StormStock.com
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