ZEISS announced the “Horizon Anamorphic” series, a new lineup of full-frame 2x anamorphic cinema lenses designed to deliver a distinctive cinematic look, along with a new lens technology platform that meets the speed and precision demanded by modern production workflows.
The 40mm, 50mm, and 75mm Horizon Anamorphic lenses are scheduled to begin shipping in September 2026. The 35mm, 100mm, 150mm, and 200mm focal lengths are planned to follow in 2026 and 2027.
Spanning seven focal lengths from 35mm to 200mm, the Horizon lens combines the distinctive look of anamorphic lenses—with its striking elliptical bokeh and expansive depth of field—with a lightweight, fully integrated motor system that eliminates the need for external focus or iris motors.
“Horizon Anamorphics embodies the next chapter in ZEISS cinema optics by fusing cutting-edge technology with sophisticated images that maintain a human, cinematic feel,” Christophe Casenave, head of cinematography at ZEISS, commented.
Achieve multiple looks with a single lens.
The ZEISS Horizon Anamorphic series is designed with a versatile, neutral baseline look that embraces filters, LUTs, and diverse lighting approaches without imposing a specific, baked-in feel.
Instead, ZEISS introduced its own Look Tuning Back Element, an optically integrated system that allows staff to achieve a more nuanced lens look. Mounted via the ZEISS Interchangeable Mount System (IMS), it allows for changes to sharpness, contrast, and overall character while maintaining scale accuracy and calibration, simply by swapping out eight screws.
Seamless integration
Ultra-quiet and reliable focus and iris motors are directly integrated into the lens body, providing compatibility with ARRI and Preston lens control systems via serial or LBUS connections. A factory-calibrated absolute encoder ensures that all lens scales are stored within the lens.
This creates a consistent, single source of metadata, eliminating the need to remap scales or remount motors between setups. Additionally, dual displays and touch panels directly integrated into the lens barrel allow for quick confirmation of focus and iris values.
“Horizon is a new reference platform that integrates lens motor, data, and ecosystem compatibility, thereby enabling a faster end-to-end production workflow,” further commented Christophe Casenave.
With low distortion, stable color, and minimal aberrations, Horizon lenses are ideal for VFX-heavy productions requiring clean keying, tracking, and CG integration. All seven lenses share a common 114mm front diameter, supporting balanced operation with handheld, gimbal, drone, crane, and car rig setups.
The entire full-frame lens set boasts a brightness of T2.3 (T2.9 at 200mm), providing anamorphic rendering with shallow depth of field even in challenging lighting conditions. The built-in processor and onboard memory are designed to support future expansions, including compatibility with a wider ecosystem, enhanced metadata capabilities, and potential autofocus integration.
