ZEISS introduces Horizon Anamorphic full-frame 2x anamorphics

ZEISS unveils the Horizon Anamorphic series, a lineup of full-frame 2x anamorphic cinema lenses designed to deliver a distinctive cinematic look along with a new lens technology platform. Spanning 35mm to 200mm across seven focal lengths, Horizon lenses combine their anamorphic look—incorporating a pronounced oval bokeh and stretched sense of spatial depth—with a lightweight, fully integrated motorized system that eliminates the need for external focus or iris motors.

“With Horizon Anamorphics we bring the next chapter of ZEISS cinema optics to life by combining cutting‑edge technology with a refined image that preserves the human, cinematic feel,” explains Christophe Casenave, head of business unit cinematography at ZEISS.

The Horizon series is engineered with a neutral baseline look designed to encourage versatility, accepting filtration, LUTs, and diverse lighting approaches without imposing a baked-in feel. Instead, ZEISS introduces a proprietary look-tuning back element — an optical integration that allows crew to achieve a more nuanced lens look. Mounted via the ZEISS Interchangeable Mount System (IMS), it alters sharpness, contrast, and overall character with a simple eight-screw swap, while preserving scale accuracy and calibration.

Whisper-quiet and ultra-reliable focus and iris motors are built directly into the lens body, offering compatibility with ARRI and Preston lens control systems via serial or LBUS connections. Factory-calibrated absolute encoders store all lens scales within the lens. This creates a single consistent source for metadata, eliminating the need for re-mapping scales or re-rigging motors between setups. Dual displays and touch panels directly on the lens barrel allow quick focus and iris checks.“Horizon marks a new reference platform that integrates lens motors, data and ecosystem compatibility and by that enables faster, end‑to‑end production workflows,” Casenave adds.

Low distortion, stable color, and minimized aberrations make the Horizon lenses well-suited to VFX-intensive productions requiring clean keying, tracking, and CG integration. All seven lenses share a consistent 114mm front diameter to support balanced handheld, gimbal, drone, crane, and car-rig operation. A fast T2.3 stop across the full-frame coverage set (T2.9 at 200mm) provides shallow-depth-of-field anamorphic even in challenging lighting conditions. Built-in processing and on-board memory are designed to support future expansions including broader ecosystem compatibility, extended metadata capabilities, and potential autofocus integration.

The 40mm, 50mm, and 75mm Horizon Anamorphic lenses are scheduled to ship in September 2026 through authorized ZEISS cinema dealers, with 35mm, 100mm, 150mm and 200mm focal lengths following in 2026 and 2027.