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ZEISS Virtual Lens Technology – Elevating VFX with physically based lens effects

In Development: Technology for 2D compositing in "The Foundry Nuke®" as part of the ZEISS CinCraft ecosystem
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"The lens chosen by the director of photography plays an important role for the look of the visual effects."

Stay tuned for a world where you as a visual effects artist have the chance to pick a certain lens “off the shelf” to apply its lens look digitally. The 1-Click technology will enable you to reach your creative vision faster. Physically based digital lenses with a high-fidelity standard, capturing the visual essence of real lenses with unmatched precision. Say goodbye to time-consuming lens look replication and hello to physically correct lens effects that truly stand out. Experience this new way of working with lenses, from the first view through the real lens to the final image on the big screen.

ZEISS as a lens manufacturer leverages its unique heritage in optics to offer an innovative approach for artists enhancing VFX projects, tackling the time-consuming hurdles of achieving physically correct and cinematically aesthetic lens behavior. Our focus lies on reshaping the way visual effects and compositing artists work with lenses. Through a library solution approach, we will provide access to digital lenses, that bring accurate and predictable lens behavior of real lenses to the digital world of 2D compositing, giving artists the possibility to choose from a digital shelf, just like the DP does at a camera rental. Moreover, not being restricted to ZEISS lenses, we highlight the option to freely create any lens look. Topping it off with the introduction of add-ons to enhance your depth data to deliver stunning results.

Digital lenses at your fingertips.

HIGHLIGHTS AND INSIGHTS

Physically based lens behavior

Our technology leverages physically based and technically credible lens behavior to deliver real lens characteristics throughout every frame of your sequence. This results in a high-end quality that is unmatched in 2D compositing. By ensuring the highest grade of fidelity to detail, we capture authentic lens characteristics such as sharpness, focus fall of, cat eye, chromatic aberration, distortion, dirt filters, and more. Experience the possibility to choose a digital lens for your VFX, like the DP does for his camera.

Reliable Performance in simple and complex use cases

Experience reliable performance for a wide range of use cases, from the simplest tasks to the most complex. All powered by futureproof GPU rendering. With just one click, you will be able to access fast, high-quality results, allowing you to save time and enhance your productivity. Enjoy a seamless and responsive experience that keeps your creative process flowing smoothly. Our goal is to monitor challenges you are experiencing during your lens effects workflow. Feel free to share your daily hurdles with us to enhance the reach of a product solution.

Image left: Compositing of a pinhole camera rendering.
Image right: Image post-processed through ZEISS Supreme Prime 50mm virtual lens

Check our frequently asked questions

LEARN MORE

  • Is the technology allowing only to apply the look of ZEISS cinema lenses?

    No, our goal is to establish a new solution for digital lenses with ZEISS and non-ZEISS lenses. Users should be able to cover all their projects with just one tool. This is where it becomes the must-have for post-production pipelines. Our technology is flexible to mimic practically any lens look.

  • Does the look of a digital lens change with change of focus?

    Yes, it will replicate the changes in breathing, bokeh, etc. according to the visual behavior of its real twin lens.

  • Can I apply a cat eye bokeh in one step?

    Yes, our technology applies the cat eye bokeh form and behavior based on the lens you selected.

  • Is it one look for a lens family or per focal length?

    Our digital lenses are going to be provided per focal length and represent one real lens per digital lens.

  • Can you apply the lens look of a digital lens on any camera format?

    Yes, we allow flexibility in applying the lens look of a digital lens freely on any camera format. This is the beauty of a computer-generated image. 

  • Can I still adjust lens characteristics, like chromatic aberrations, after applying the look of a digital lens?

    Yes, we provide a customizable solution which meets your demands and expectations. It is important for us that the digital lenses deliver a technically credible lens look experience allowing you to compare your adjustments to physically correct lens behavior.

  • Is this technology going to save me time in dealing with lens effects?

    We have strong reasons to say YES. Our solution will provide you with ground truth lens looks in one click. Starting from this base you can do quick finetuning while previewing your visual results. Its GPU-based performance will keep the high-end renderings within time units you are already used to.

  • Are the digital lenses provided based on the serial number of a real lens?

    Our technology allows us to meet multiple options. Depending on the application the fidelity level must be closely adapted to the customer’s needs.

  • When will I be able to try a product based on this technology?

    For now, we are in the phase of a closed beta with selected testers. Stay tuned about any updates regarding an open beta phase or a public product release.

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