R&D Competencies

The Tessar lens, also called "The Eagle's Eye," was designed by ZEISS optical designer Paul Rudolph in 1902. It was one of several breakthrough developments by ZEISS around the turn of the 20th century. The exceptional level of image sharpness for a compact lens allowed for cameras that could be carried and used anywhere while producing the same great pictures as their studio-bound equivalents – if not even better.

Tessar’s heritage lives on in smartphone lenses modeled on the Tessar design, due to the small space available for the camera system. For example, the Sony Xperia PRO-I features a ZEISS Tessar optics with an aspherical lens. And the label "Vario-Tessar" – a Tessar-based zoom feature adapted for mobile imaging systems – is engraved on vivo X60 Series smartphones.

Invented and patented in 1935 by Olexander Smakula at ZEISS, this coating technology was first used for binoculars and spotting scopes but soon became the industry standard for optical surfaces of all kinds.

ZEISS T* coating is the most advanced anti-reflective coating for optical lenses at ZEISS, including those in smartphone imaging systems. T* stands for "Transmission Layer" and significantly improves light transmission, helps accurately reproduce object colors, and reduces undesirable reflections. As a result, this creates clearer images in complex lighting scenarios, such as night and backlight situations – a must, especially for photography on the go.

In 1962, a Hasselblad 500C with a slightly modified ZEISS Planar lens takes the first photos in orbit around the Earth.

In 1965, a ZEISS Ikon Contarex Special camera accompanies the first American spacewalk. It is attached to a gas-powered propulsion gun, which enables the astronaut to maneuver while floating in zero gravity. The images cement the importance of photography during space missions.

In 1968, a Hasselblad 500C camera onboard the Apollo 8 is once again used, this time to take the first color photograph of the Earth from lunar orbit, forever changing mankind’s perspective on our planet.

And in 1969, a ZEISS Biogon wide-angle lens specifically designed for the moon landing mission in a Hasselblad Data Camera captures the moon’s surface with excellent edge-to-edge contrast and in ultra-high definition.

1937: ZEISS develops the Arriflex 35 movie camera in collaboration with camera system manufacturer ARRI. Moviemakers can now see the image in full quality, directly through the lens in the viewfinder while filming. In the following years, countless films in Hollywood and beyond are shot using ZEISS lenses, creating fascinating visual highlights for audiences across the world.

Cinematography lenses from ZEISS have helped to create distinctive images in many famous movies. The outstanding ZEISS film technology has been awarded three Scientific and Engineering Awards^®.

More and more functions and features of traditional cameras, among them many groundbreaking ZEISS technologies, are making their way into modern mobile devices. With the ZEISS ZX1, ZEISS took an innovative approach: The company’s first full-frame digital camera integrates an Android platform into a classic camera body. Thus, it provides the smart and connected user experience of a powerful modern smartphone for professional photo editing on a premium camera system. This makes it the only full-frame camera on the market today that allows photographers to edit RAW images directly on the camera and share them online.

In the ZEISS ZX1, the best of both analog and digital worlds come together: A fast, high-performance ZEISS Distagon lens is combined with a full-frame 37.4 Megapixel CMOS sensor to provide exceptional image quality for photography on the move – be it for street, travel, or documentary photography.

Thanks to the integrated Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software suite, users can process their photos and videos from anywhere in-camera, from exposure and color correction to selective editing. An intuitive multi-touch navigation with an easy-to-use tool bar helps make this seamless editing process as convenient as it is on a smartphone. With the Wi-Fi connectivity, users can then share their work with their followers on their preferred social media platforms, or back it up to their cloud storage or NAS system.