▶ Watch our overview of the Schneider-Kreuznach ONYX lens series — available now at Wilco Imaging.

What Is the Schneider-Kreuznach ONYX Series?

The ONYX series is Schneider-Kreuznach's flagship line of fast industrial lenses, representing the apex of the company's compact C-mount optics portfolio. Designed and manufactured at the company's facility in Bad Kreuznach, Germany — where Schneider has been producing precision optics since 1913 — the ONYX lenses are engineered to the same exacting standards trusted by NASA, the film industry, and automated manufacturing worldwide.

What sets the ONYX apart in the industrial imaging market is its F0.95 maximum aperture. To understand how significant this is, consider that most standard machine vision lenses operate at F1.4 to F2.8. An F0.95 aperture gathers roughly 2× to 8× more light than these alternatives, dramatically expanding what is possible in challenging environments. This makes the ONYX uniquely suited for applications where conventional lenses simply cannot collect enough light to produce a usable image.

The series currently centers on the 25mm focal length, available in two configurations: a standard variable-iris version with locking screws for both focus and iris, and a fixed-iris version (designated C-FI) that locks the aperture permanently at F0.95 for maximum stability in production environments.

Core Technical Specifications

The ONYX lens is a precisely engineered optical instrument. Below are the key specifications that define its performance characteristics and system compatibility.

The F0.95 Aperture Advantage: Why It Matters in Industrial Imaging

The aperture of a lens is one of the most consequential optical specifications in machine vision. A wider aperture — indicated by a lower F-number — allows significantly more light to reach the sensor. The relationship is governed by the inverse square: each full stop represents a doubling or halving of light. Moving from F2.0 to F0.95 represents a gain of more than four full stops, meaning the ONYX can gather approximately 4.4 times more light than an F2.0 lens under identical conditions.

In practical machine vision terms, this translates to several decisive advantages. First, exposure time can be dramatically shortened while maintaining image brightness — a critical capability when imaging fast-moving objects on a production line or capturing high-speed motion in a research environment. Second, in photon-scarce environments such as bioluminescence chambers or fluorescence microscopy setups, the ONYX can collect enough light to form a usable image where lenses with smaller apertures simply cannot. Third, the wider aperture enables shallower depth of field, which can be used strategically to isolate subjects against complex backgrounds.

Schneider-Kreuznach's broadband anti-reflection coating spanning 400 to 1000 nm maximizes transmittance across the full visible and near-infrared spectrum. This coating ensures that the light the ONYX collects is efficiently transferred to the sensor with minimal reflection loss — a detail that becomes especially critical in low-light scenarios where every photon counts.

Key Design Features

Typical Applications

The ONYX was purpose-designed for scenarios where both low light and high speed are critical. Schneider-Kreuznach has identified the following as the primary application domains for the series:

Bioluminescence and Fluorescence

In bioluminescence research, subjects emit only the faintest traces of light — often indistinguishable to conventional imaging optics. The ONYX's F0.95 aperture enables high-precision observations in controlled laboratory conditions where minimal light intensity is available. Similarly, in fluorescence imaging, where signal intensity is inherently low and often time-sensitive, the ONYX's superior light collection translates directly into more detailed, lower-noise imagery. These are not use cases that can be addressed by post-processing alone; the optical quality of the lens at the point of capture is decisive.

High-Speed Imaging

High-speed cameras operate by capturing many frames per second — often thousands or tens of thousands in specialized research systems. Because the camera's shutter is open for very short durations at each frame, the sensor receives only a fraction of the light it would in a conventional exposure. The ONYX's wide aperture directly counteracts this limitation, enabling the camera to gather enough light per frame to produce a sharp, well-exposed image even at extreme frame rates. Applications include crash test analysis, ballistics research, high-speed manufacturing defect detection, and materials testing under dynamic load.

Low-Light Industrial Automation

Not every production environment can be flooded with bright industrial lighting. Confined spaces, heat-sensitive processes, and retrofitted inspection stations may all impose lighting constraints. In these settings, the ONYX enables machine vision systems to operate reliably without requiring expensive or disruptive lighting upgrades. Its DIN-tested durability also ensures consistent performance even in the vibration-prone conditions common to automated assembly and robotics environments.

Sensor Compatibility

The ONYX series is designed to pair with a broad range of modern industrial image sensors. Schneider-Kreuznach has validated compatibility with the following sensors, among others:

This list represents the most commonly validated sensors and is not exhaustive. Other sensors with a 1" (16 mm image circle) format may also be suitable. Wilco Imaging's technical team can assist in confirming compatibility for your specific camera and sensor configuration.

ONYX vs. Other Schneider-Kreuznach Compact Lens Families

Schneider-Kreuznach names its industrial lens families after gemstones, with each line occupying a distinct performance tier. Understanding where the ONYX fits helps engineers and system integrators select the right optic for their application.

The compact lens families — Tourmaline, Aquamarine, Jade, Topaz, Opal, Turquoise, and Citrine — are excellent general-purpose and high-resolution machine vision lenses optimized for a wide range of standard inspection, metrology, and automation tasks. They cover sensor formats from 1/1.8" through 1.1" and deliver exceptional sharpness, low distortion, and reliable industrial construction.

The ONYX occupies a separate, specialized category: Fast Lenses. It is not a general-purpose replacement for these families but rather a dedicated solution for the specific scenarios described above — situations where the extreme F0.95 aperture is not merely an advantage but a requirement. If your application involves adequate lighting and standard frame rates, the compact lens families will often deliver superior resolution per dollar. If your application involves photon scarcity, high frame rates, or both, the ONYX is in a class of its own within the Schneider-Kreuznach portfolio.

Quality and Manufacturing Heritage

Every ONYX lens is manufactured at Schneider-Kreuznach's facility in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, under ISO 9001-certified quality management. The company has been producing precision optical instruments at this site since its founding in 1913 — over a century of continuous refinement in optical design, glass chemistry, coating technology, and mechanical precision.

Schneider-Kreuznach's industrial optics have been trusted in some of the most demanding imaging environments imaginable: NASA has partnered with the company for space imaging applications since the 1960s, including instruments involved in the James Webb Space Telescope launch in 2021. The same culture of precision that enabled these achievements is embedded in every ONYX lens that ships to industrial customers worldwide.

ONYX lenses undergo DIN standard testing for environmental durability, covering thermal cycling, shock resistance up to 100g, and sinusoidal vibration — the same test regimen applied to Schneider's ruggedized industrial lens families. This means customers can deploy ONYX optics with confidence in continuous-duty industrial settings, not just in controlled laboratory conditions.

Accessories and System Integration

The ONYX series is fully supported by Schneider-Kreuznach's broad accessory ecosystem. Key compatible accessories include:

Extension Tubes: A 5 mm extension tube reduces the minimum working distance to approximately 42 mm (measured from the first mechanical element of the lens). An 8 mm extension tube further reduces this to approximately 19 mm, enabling macro-range imaging without the use of a dedicated macro lens. These are particularly useful for close-range quality inspection tasks.

Optical Filters: The ONYX accepts filters via its M39 × 0.5 front thread. Given the lens's broadband coating (400–1000 nm), it is well-suited for use with bandpass, longpass, or shortpass filters for spectral selection in fluorescence and multispectral imaging applications. Schneider-Kreuznach offers a comprehensive industrial filter portfolio that is directly compatible.

Camera Adapters: For cameras that require mount adapters, Schneider-Kreuznach provides a range of precision-machined adapter solutions to ensure optimal back-focal distance and mechanical alignment.

UNIFOC Helical Mounts: For close-range imaging with the ONYX in combination with extension tubes, the UNIFOC 58 or UNIFOC 76 helical focusing mounts provide a smooth, precise focusing mechanism optimized for Schneider lenses.

Shop Schneider-Kreuznach Lenses at Wilco Imaging

Wilco Imaging is an authorized distributor of the complete Schneider-Kreuznach industrial lens portfolio, including the full ONYX series and all supporting accessories. As a Lore Technology company, Wilco Imaging provides direct access to Schneider-Kreuznach's precision optics with competitive pricing, expert application support, and rapid fulfillment.

Browse the full Schneider-Kreuznach collection — including the ONYX, Citrine, Topaz, Tourmaline, and other lens families — at our dedicated Schneider-Kreuznach page:

➜ Shop All Schneider-Kreuznach Lenses at Wilco Imaging

For pricing on specific ONYX models, volume discount inquiries, or technical application guidance, our sales team is available to assist. Custom configurations — including fixed aperture, ruggedized housing, and motorized iris variants — may be available upon request for appropriate order volumes.