These are the best Zeiss lenses for video when you want consistent color, ultra-low breathing, long buttery focus throws, and rock-solid mechanics for narrative, doc, commercial, weddings, music promos, and YouTube—and here’s what to look for as you buy: prioritize matched sets with uniform gear positions and front diameters, accurate T-stop transmission (T1.3–T2.9 classes), wide image circles for full-frame/VV, and metadata support (Cooke /i or ZEISS eXtended Data) when you want distortion/vignetting profiles in the pipeline; pick parfocal zooms for coverage, fast primes for drama and night work, Radiance/flare-tuned glass for stylized looks, and keep weights close so gimbal/rig swaps are painless. Full-frame/VV prime heroes: Supreme Prime T1.5 set (neutral-modern skin, minimal breathing, gentle rolloff, 95/114 mm fronts) as the A-cam standard; Supreme Prime Radiance T1.5 adds repeatable, controllable blue-leaning flare while keeping the Supreme sharpness and mechanics—perfect for night city and dramatic backlight. S35/FF classics that still rule: Master Prime T1.3 (ARRI/Zeiss) for “perfect but creamy” rendering with near-zero breathing, and Ultra Prime T1.9 for lighter all-day sets with vast focal coverage. Compact prime line for lean crews: CP.3 and CP.3 XD (most at T2.1) with 95 mm fronts, tidy breathing control, and XD lens data for VP/VFX-heavy shows. Cine zoom anchors: CZ.2 Compact Zooms 15–30 T2.9, 28–80 T2.9, 70–200 T2.9—true parfocal FF coverage, consistent color, low breathing, shared 95/114 mm fronts; documentary/light-ENG favorite: LWZ.3 21–100 T2.9–3.9 (S35) with long throw, great close focus, and day-long balance. Hybrid mirrorless options that feel cine when modded: Loxia primes (21/2.8, 25/2.4, 35/2, 40/2, 50/2, 85/2.4) with de-click switches and long, linear MF throws—add 0.8 gears and they pull beautifully; Batis primes (18/2.8, 25/2, 40/2 CF, 85/1.8, 135/2.8) bring quiet AF, OSS on the teles, clean color, and restrained breathing for run-and-gun; still-photo glass that cine-mods well: Otus (28/1.4, 55/1.4, 85/1.4, 100/1.4) and Milvus (21/2.8, 25/1.4, 35/1.4, 50/2 Macro, 85/1.4, 100/2 Macro, 135/2)—de-click, gear, and step up fronts for a cohesive look with superb micro-contrast. Practical buyer tips: build a two-zoom + three-prime spine for most work (CZ.2 15–30 + 28–80 for wides/mids, add 70–200 for reach; primes: Supreme 35/50/85 or CP.3 25/35/50) or go lightweight hybrid (Loxia 21/35/85 or Batis 25/40/85); standardize fronts (95/114 mm for cine, 77/82/95 mm for hybrid) so one matte box and one high-quality VND/diffusion set covers everything, confirm image-circle coverage for open-gate/6K modes, and test breathing and flare at your common T-stops; if you’re mixing VP/VFX, pick XD-enabled CP.3s or Supremes with eXtended Data to streamline post. Video shooting tips: rate exposure by T-stop and lock a 180° shutter, ride ND for control, keep moves measured to show parfocal zooms at their best, and tape marks for precise racks—the long throws invite accuracy; use wireless FIZ on gimbals/steadicams and balance for your heaviest lens to minimize re-rigs, avoid stacking filters that invite ghosts, and flag the front element against LEDs/point sources; for hybrid AF work, slow AF transition speed/response on Batis bodies for elegant pulls and enable breathing compensation where supported, disable stabilization on sticks to avoid micro-jitter, and match lens weights to reduce gimbal rebalance time; whether you’re crafting moody night dialogue, glossy beauty, fast doc walk-and-talks, or VFX-heavy commercials, the best Zeiss video choices—Supreme/Supreme Radiance, Master/Ultra Primes, CP.3(XD), CZ.2/LWZ.3, and Loxia/Batis/Otus/Milvus for hybrid—deliver trustworthy color, controlled breathing, and bulletproof mechanics so your focus pulls hit, your flares feel intentional, and your footage looks cinematic straight off the timeline.