Carl Zeiss

Carl Zeiss AG is a German manufacturer of optical systems and optoelectronics founded in 1846. ZEISS's activities span from semiconductor lithography, microscopes, and medical devices to eyeglasses, binoculars, telescopes, and camera lenses. It is one of the oldest existing optics manufacturers in the world.

Carl Zeiss opened an optics workshop in 1846 to manufacture microscopes. By World War I, Zeiss was the world's largest camera producer. Zeiss started producing binoculars and riflescopes after its acquisition of Hensoldt AG in 1928.

As Zeiss's factories in Jena and Dresden were inside the Soviet occupation zone, parts of Zeiss was relocated by the US army to West Germany and soon renamed Carl Zeiss AG, while the remainder was reestablished in East Germany. The Soviet army took possession of Zeiss factories and tooling back to the Soviet Union and established the Kiev camera works.

Following German reunification, Carl Zeiss AG took over part of the Zeiss operations in East Germany.

Zeiss is a leader in semiconductor lithography, high performance optical microscopes as well as electron and ion microscopes, telesceopes, and photographic and cinematic lenses.

To consumers, it is best known for its cinema and photography lenses, of which it offers several series: