The Fascinating History of Zeiss Distagon and Planar Lenses

When it comes to the world of cinematography, few names carry as much weight as Carl Zeiss. But what makes Zeiss lenses, particularly the Distagon and Planar designs, so legendary? To understand their impact, let’s delve into their fascinating history and unique innovations.

The Origin of Zeiss Distagon Lenses

The Distagon lens was developed to solve a specific challenge: achieving extreme wide-angle shots while maintaining impeccable image quality. Introduced alongside 16mm and 35mm cinematography cameras like the Arriflex, this retrofocus lens design increases the distance between the rear lens element and the film plane, making it ideal for SLR cameras and wide-angle cinematography.

Distagon lenses, like the F-Distagon T 3.5/30 CFi*, offer unparalleled angles of view—some even up to 180 degrees. Despite such extremes, they ensure flatness of field and sharpness, even at close focusing distances. This combination of wide-angle capability and optical precision made Distagon lenses a staple in both photography and film.

The Story Behind Zeiss Planar Lenses

The Planar lens design has a history stretching back to 1896 when Dr. Paul Rudolph invented it at Carl Zeiss. Its symmetric structure offered a revolutionary approach to correcting optical aberrations, ensuring sharp, distortion-free images across varying apertures and distances.

Known for its versatility, the Planar became the foundation for high-performance lenses, from photography’s fastest primes to cinema’s most reliable workhorses. A standout example is the Planar T 2/110 FE*, renowned for its exceptional sharpness and color accuracy. Even today, Planar designs are the benchmark for professional and scientific applications.

Why Distagon and Planar Matter in Cinema

From wide landscapes to crisp, low-distortion close-ups, these lenses redefined how stories are told on screen. 

Would the magic of cinema be the same without the innovations of Zeiss? It’s a question worth pondering as we appreciate the legacy of these iconic lens designs.

An example of this is the movie Barry Lyndon