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Biogon is a brand name of Carl Zeiss for a series of photographic camera lenses. Biogons are typically wide-angle lenses.
The first Biogon (2.8 / 3.5 cm, unbalanced) was created in 1935 by Ludwig Bertele, then referenced by designer Zeiss Ikon Dresden, the Contax created as a modification of the then Sonnar. It was developed by Carl Zeiss in approximately 1937 and manufactured in Jena, then a redesign in Oberkochen. In 1954, a new Biogon with a 90° angle (Super Wide Angle) was also designed by Ludwig Bertele for Carl Zeiss, which opened the way to extreme wide-angle lenses. They were produced from 1954 as the 4.5 / 21 mm for Contax, in 1954. 4,5/38 mm for Hasselblad Super Wide, and from 1955 to 1956 as the 4.5 / 53 mm and 4.5 / 75 mm for the Linhof.
Since then, they are usually approximately symmetrical ("semi-symmetrical") wide-angle design with a usable angle of view of 90° or more. At 90° the focal length is about half as long as the format's diagonal.
Well known camera manufacturers like Hasselblad have or had Biogon derived lenses to offer.
The lenses of the type Super-Angulon (Schneider Kreuznach, Leica Camera) are based on the construction of the Biogon.
Other Zeiss lenses include the Biotar, Tessar, Planar, Sonnar, Distagon, Flektogon, Hologon.