What Schneider Group does

Schneider Group (operating as Jos. Schneider Optische Werke GmbH, doing business as Schneider-Kreuznach) is a privately held German optics manufacturer founded in 1913 and headquartered in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, with a U.S. presence in Van Nuys. The company designs, produces, and assembles optical lenses, filters, and systems for three primary end markets: industrial machine vision, cinematography, and photography.

Its core technology spans precision lens design and in-house coating (broadband AR coatings 400-1000nm and custom spectral coatings for UV and SWIR 800-1800nm), CNC manufacturing (up to 8-axis turning and 5-axis HSC milling), cleanroom assembly, and proprietary ruggedization techniques — including optical elements mechanically glued to the housing to withstand up to 100g shock and temperature cycles from -25°C to +70°C. The product portfolio is divided into Industrial Optics (C-Mount, fast, telecentric, SWIR, large-format, liquid, and line scan lenses under gemstone-named families such as CITRINE, JADE, TOPAZ, PYRITE, SAPPHIRE), Optical Filters (bandpass, narrow bandpass, SWIR, ND, polarizer), Cine Optics (cinema lenses plus the new Vapour diffusion filter), and Photo Optics (B+W brand filters). Contract CNC manufacturing services for external customers are also offered under ISO 9001.

The business model is predominantly hardware sales across multiple product lines, supplemented by professional services revenue from contract manufacturing and customized/OEM lens solutions. Go-to-market is channel-led: the company operates a global distributor network spanning the Americas, Africa, Europe, Near East, Asia, and Australia, with dedicated partners (e.g., Vitec Imaging Distribution for Photo Optics in ANZ) alongside direct enterprise engagement for customized and aerospace/defense (ITAR-compliant) projects. Customer concentration is diversified across machine vision system integrators, industrial automation OEMs, renewable energy and semiconductor inspection, medical imaging, defense and aerospace (including NASA's Artemis II mission), and professional cinematography/photography end users. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers engage via contact forms or distributors.

Name

Schneider Group

Legal name

Jos. Schneider Optische Werke GmbH

Website

https://schneiderkreuznach.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Schneider Group (Schneider-Kreuznach) is a 110+ year-old family-owned German optics manufacturer that designs and produces lenses, filters, and optical systems for industrial machine vision, cinematography, photography, and aerospace/defense customers worldwide, including NASA Artemis II.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Optical Components and Systems

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861)

akta.pro primary industry

Lenses & Optical Accessories (Lenses, Filters, Adapters, Teleconverters) (CRACAPAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Binoculars, Scopes & Sport Optics Retail (CRACAHAI)

Keywords

• Precision optics manufacturing
• Machine vision lenses
• Optical filters
• Cinematography lenses
• Photographic filters

Headquarters

HQ city

Van Nuys

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Industrial Optics Products: Sale of machine vision lenses including C-Mount, fast, telecentric, SWIR, large format, liquid, and line scan lenses for industrial automation, quality control, and inspection applications. Also includes optical filters and systems.
2. Cine Optics Products: Sale of cinema lenses and creative filters including the new Vapour diffusion filter for film production and professional cinematography.
3. Photo Optics Products: Sale of photographic lenses and B+W filters for professional and enthusiast photographers, including protection filters, polarizers, ND filters, and infrared filters.
4. Contract Manufacturing Services: Precision manufacturing services including CNC turning, milling, anodizing, metal finishing, laser marking, and metrology services offered to external customers.
5. Customized/OEM Solutions: Custom lens development and OEM modifications tailored to specific system requirements, including mechanical housing adaptations, custom spectral coatings, and fixed aperture configurations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Schneider Group (operating as Jos. Schneider Optische Werke GmbH under the brand Schneider-Kreuznach) designs, manufactures, and sells precision optical components and systems, including machine vision lenses, optical filters (B+W Filters brand), cinema and photography lenses, and provides contract manufacturing services for optics. The company serves industrial imaging, cinematography, photography, renewable energy, medical, and aerospace/defense customers globally through direct sales and an authorized distributor network.

Product overview

Schneider-Kreuznach is a specialist in the development and manufacture of lenses and optical filters for industrial, film and photographic applications. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized into four main divisions: Industrial Optics (machine vision lenses including C-Mount, Fast, Telecentric, SWIR, Large Format, Liquid, and Line Scan lenses), Optical Filters (bandpass, narrow bandpass, SWIR, neutral density, polarizer, and specialty filters), Cine Optics (cinema lenses and creative filters including the new Vapour diffusion filter), and Photo Optics (B+W photographic filters). The Industrial Optics division features lens families named after gemstones: CITRINE, TURQUOISE, AQUAMARINE, OPAL, JADE, TOURMALINE, TOPAZ, ONYX, SYLVINE, CHAROITE, CUPRITE, CRYOLITE, PYRITE, AMBER, THULITE, EMERALD, TITANITE, ZIRCONIA, SAPPHIRE, and DIAMOND. The company also provides contract manufacturing services leveraging their precision manufacturing capabilities at their Bad Kreuznach facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• B+W Filters: Black and white photography filters brand under the Photo Optics division
• B+W Filter Selection
• Industrial Optics
• Cine Optics
• Photo Optics
• Optical Filters

Products and services

• Machine Vision Lenses (C-Mount, Fast, Telecentric, SWIR, Large Format, Liquid Lens, Line Scan)

Quantifiable outcome

• Shock resistance up to 100g for ruggedized lenses, enabling use in rocket launches and high-vibration industrial environments
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and primary.

• NOVENTIZ GmbHminorOthersNOVENTIZ GmbH provides dual system participation for packaging compliance under German Packaging Ordinance (VerpackV). Schneider-Kreuznach fulfills its obligation as first distributor of packaged goods through a contract with NOVENTIZ, covering all sales packaging in Germany. Registration number: 01 395 080001.
• Vitec Imaging DistributionprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVitec Imaging Distribution serves as the primary distributor for Photo Optics in Australia and New Zealand, operating from Altona North, Victoria, Australia. Part of the Manfrotto group distribution network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Edmund Optics: Global manufacturer and supplier of precision optics, imaging lenses, and machine-vision components. Directly competes with Schneider's Industrial Optics division across inspection and metrology lens categories.
• Fujifilm (Fujinon): Fujinon produces machine-vision, C-mount, large-format and cine lenses. Overlaps directly with Schneider's industrial and cine lens portfolios.
• Computar (CBC Group): Specializes in machine-vision and factory-automation lenses including telecentric and line-scan optics, competing head-on with Schneider's industrial lens families.
• Kowa Optical: Manufacturer of industrial machine-vision and C-mount lenses. Competes directly in the factory-automation and inspection optics segment.
• Moritex (Optex Group): Provides machine-vision lenses, telecentric optics, and lighting for industrial inspection, directly comparable to Schneider's Industrial Optics offering.
• Navitar (MKS Instruments): Designs precision imaging and machine-vision lens systems and custom OEM optics, overlapping Schneider's industrial and custom lens business.
• The Tiffen Company: Manufactures photographic and cine filters (ND, polarizer, diffusion), directly comparable to Schneider's B+W and cine filter product lines.

Broad incumbents

• Carl Zeiss: Major German optics maker spanning industrial metrology, cine lenses, and imaging. A larger incumbent overlapping Schneider across industrial, cine, and precision optics.
• Jenoptik: German photonics and optical systems group producing lenses, coatings, and precision optics for industrial and defense markets, overlapping Schneider's manufacturing and end-markets.

Emerging players

• Cooke Optics: Specialist manufacturer of premium cinema lenses, comparable to Schneider's Cine Optics division serving professional cinematography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/schneiderkreuznachcine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schneider-optics-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/BWFilter

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Schneider Group