ZEISS Group Global
back
ZEISS Group
recommended searches
popular searches

History of camera and cine lenses

How it all began
Planar® 0.7/50.

Every photographer wants the perfect lens for any situation. With its wide product range, ZEISS has been providing the camera lenses of choice for more than 100 years. The story began with the famous Planar® invented in 1896. Today, ZEISS is the world’s leading company when it comes to developing and producing high-performance camera lenses for all areas of photography and cinematography.

Whether for architecture or sport, portraits or fashion, landscapes or nature, still life studies or scientific applications, ZEISS provides just the right lens for any occasion. Even Hollywood has come to recognize this: Camera lenses made by ZEISS have received three Academy Awards in the Science and Engineering category (1987, 1999 and 2012).

Milestones

  • Invention of the first anastigmatic lens with distortion-free imaging (later: Protar®)

    1890

    With the invention of the first anastigmatic lens with distortion-free imaging (later: Protar®) by Paul Rudolph, Carl Zeiss launches a new era of camera lens development.

  • Paul Rudolph

    1896

    Paul Rudolph develops the prototype of the Planar® lens: the Planar f/3.6.

  • Tessar® lens, the “camera's eagle eye”

    1902

    Tessar® lens, the “camera's eagle eye”

  • High-speed Sonnar® lens f/2 for Contax® cameras

    1931

    High-speed Sonnar® lens f/2 for Contax® cameras. Considerably increases the range of use of 35 mm cameras.

  • Robert Richter develops the Topogon

    1933

    Robert Richter develops the Topogon, the first fast and distortion-free lens with 90° angle of view. This lens revolutionizes the field of photogrammetry technology.

  • Alexander Smakula develops anti-reflection coating for glass surfaces

    1935

    Alexander Smakula develops anti-reflection coating for glass surfaces (Carl Zeiss T-coating). These provide the optical designer with totally new possibilities for the development of multi-element lenses

  • Biogon® lens f/4.5 based on Ludwig Bertele's design

    1954

    Biogon® lens f/4.5 based on Ludwig Bertele's design expands the possibilities of 90° wide-angle photography.

  • Planar® 0.7/50.

    1966

    The world's fastest lens: Planar® 0,7/50.

  • Photos of the first lunar landing were taken with ZEISS lenses.

    1969

    Photos of the first lunar landing were taken with ZEISS lenses.
    Photo: © NASA

  • Super wide-angle F-Distagon

    1972

    The super wide-angle F-Distagon lens, a fisheye-type lens, is launched.

  • Sonnar Superachromat® f/5.6/250 for Hasselblad® camera systems.

    1972

    The first camera lens with perfect chromatic correction: Sonnar Superachromat® f/5.6/250 for Hasselblad® camera systems.

  • Yashica (Contax)

    1983

    Start of the partnership with Kyocera, which by this time has acquired camera manufacturer Yashica (Contax).

  • Zoom lenses with exceptional imaging performance (Variable Primes) for Arri® 35 mm movie cameras.

    1993

    Carl Zeiss develops zoom lenses with exceptional imaging performance (Variable Primes) for Arri® 35 mm movie cameras.

  • The first Carl Zeiss lens for a SONY camcorder

    1996

    The first Carl Zeiss lens for a SONY camcorder marks the beginning of a long-lasting partnership.

  • Lens for a consumer digital camera (Sony DSC-F55E)

    1999

    First lens for a consumer digital camera (Sony DSC-F55E): the Distagon 2.8/6.85. This marks the first venture into amateur digital photography.

  • DigiPrime ® lens

    2002

    DigiPrime® lenses – extremely powerful and with hitherto unparalleled quality – are used in the film industry.

  • Nokia N90 device marks the start of the Nseries.

    2005

    Beginning of partnership with Nokia. Nokia N90 device marks the start of the Nseries.

  • ZEISS SLR lenses for F bayonets (ZF)

    2006

    ZEISS SLR lenses for F bayonets (ZF)

  • Start of the partnership with Logitech

    2006

    Start of the partnership with Logitech

  • Sony projector (VW200).

    2007

    Collaboration with Sony on lenses for a projector (VW200).

  • ZEISS SLR lenses for EF bayonets (ZE)

    2009

    ZEISS SLR lenses for EF bayonets (ZE)

  • Compact Zoom CZ.2 70-200/T2.9

    2012

    Compact Zoom CZ.2 70-200/T2.9: Unique Cine-Zoom lens for current and future HD video and cine cameras.