Recent advancements in lenses, film stock, and post-production have elevated the Super 16 format, making it a popular choice for television, feature films, commercials, and documentaries. This format provides notable benefits, including the aesthetic appeal of film, wide exposure latitude, natural color accuracy, and portability. A key innovation is the Ultra 16 lenses, which offer high-speed performance at a T1.3 aperture, enabling a shallow depth of field and adaptability in challenging lighting situations. These lenses set new standards by combining exceptional optical quality with high speed, surpassing earlier fast lenses that often compromised clarity.

The Ultra 16 lenses are compatible with Super 16 and ARRI cameras, ensuring consistent optical performance and color balance. They are engineered to reduce common optical flaws such as chromatic aberration and flaring, using advanced glass and innovative manufacturing techniques. Their design includes aspherical elements that preserve image purity and straight lines, improving cinematic quality. Additionally, these lenses are Super Color Matched for a unified color palette when paired with other ARRI lenses, like the Ultra and Master primes. They also feature standardized sizes and focus/iris barrel positions for smooth operation, allowing cinematographers to focus on creativity without worrying about matching lenses during post-production.