Latin America. Zeiss introduced the Horizon Anamorphic series, a new line of 2x full-frame anamorphic cinematic lenses designed to deliver a distinctive cinematic aesthetic, along with a new technology platform that addresses the need for speed and precision demanded by today's production workflows.
With a range of seven focal lengths from 35mm to 200mm, Horizon lenses combine their anamorphic aesthetic—incorporating pronounced oval bokeh and a greater 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 are bringing to life the next chapter of ZEISS film optics, combining cutting-edge technology with a refined image that retains the cinematic essence," explains Christophe Casenave, Head of the ZEISS Cinematography Business Unit.
One goal, multiple styles
The Horizon Series is designed with a basic neutral aesthetic to encourage versatility, supporting filters, LUTs, and various lighting approaches without imposing a rigid appearance. Instead, ZEISS features a patented back element for aesthetic adjustment: an optical integration that allows the device to achieve a more nuanced appearance.
Mounted using the ZEISS Interchangeable Mount System (IMS), it modifies sharpness, contrast and overall character with a simple eight-screw change, maintaining scale accuracy and calibration.
Seamless integration
The quiet and highly reliable focus and iris motors are integrated 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 of the target's scales within the target.
This creates a single, consistent source of metadata, eliminating the need to reassign scales or reconfigure engines between configurations. Dual displays and touchpads integrated into the lens barrel allow you to quickly check focus and iris.
Low distortion, color stability, and minimized aberrations make Horizon lenses ideal for productions with a lot of visual effects that require flawless computer graphics embedding, tracking, and integration.
