# OpticStudio Reviews
**Vendor:** Zemax  
**Category:** [Other CAD Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/other-cad)  
**Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0  
**Total Reviews:** 3
## About OpticStudio
OpticStudio® is the world’s leading optical, illumination, and laser system design software. With its comprehensive set of analysis and simulation tools, OpticStudio stands alone in its feature set. No other software on the market today offers state-of-the-art optimization tools for improving performance like OpticStudio. The top companies in aerospace, astronomy, automotive, biomedical research, consumer electronics, and machine vision, use OpticStudio as their tool of choice.




## OpticStudio Reviews
  ### 1. SW that allows a good search space.

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Luca C. | R&amp;D, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** January 24, 2023

**What do you like best about OpticStudio?**

The speed of calculation.
The possibility of programming.
The large amount of modifiers.
The slenderness of the SW.
The continuous updates.
Accessibility to online help.
The user community.

**What do you dislike about OpticStudio?**

The absence of adequate rendering. It is very complex to simulate an ambient light system if not using third party software.
The detectors are limited, by setting an object as a detector, the display scale cannot be adapted to the desired values.

**What problems is OpticStudio solving and how is that benefiting you?**

Although it does not have a parametric interface with CATIA, the use of STEP and the lightness of the loading interface mean that the modifications made to CAD are ready to use.
The Monte Carlo solution algorithm is powerfully applied.

  ### 2. Best tool for all photonics, optoelectronics simulations and designs

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Dipak K. | Senior Research Fellow (PhD), Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** January 04, 2022

**What do you like best about OpticStudio?**

Easy to use user interface with a variety of options to build optical systems and simulate with user parameters, optimise the design. One can design any possible optical system using optic studio (formerly Zemax software). Tolerance analysis is useful for the real manufacturers of the optical assembly designed using the optic studio.

**What do you dislike about OpticStudio?**

One of the main dislike being a student is the optic studio is not free for all academic students. only very few universities have access to Zemax optic studio.

**Recommendations to others considering OpticStudio:**

If you are in the field of Photonics and want to design complex optics design then go for the optic studio by Zemax.

**What problems is OpticStudio solving and how is that benefiting you?**

Basic optics designs using customized graded index lens for light propagation of the laser light. design optimization of the optical system for better light transmission and minimum loss.

  ### 3. Definitely one of the best optical design software

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** John Andrew K. | PhD Fellow, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** October 21, 2019

**What do you like best about OpticStudio?**

Accurate and, in some cases, very fast software for optical design. You can easily use it to optimize a design with any types of optical surfaces. Quick exports to CAD formats. Easy to update the glass catalogs. Non-Sequential mode for scatter light and ghosting analysis. Polarization calculation is average. Many modes of optimization suited for any needs.

**What do you dislike about OpticStudio?**

Automation is very hard to achieve, either through Python or the dedicated Zemax language (called ZPL). It is so hard that even though I'm one of the 10 people in my University that use OpticStudio, I'm the only one who codes on it. Extensive knowledge base is available only to the elite few who have purchased support or have bought a latest license, which costs an insane amount of money for a small institute.

**Recommendations to others considering OpticStudio:**

Find a choice of software that matches your needs. Consider automation as a necessary thing in optical design, as well as manufacturer support, that, in the case of Zemax, you will not get, unless you pay for the license.

**What problems is OpticStudio solving and how is that benefiting you?**

Optical design and optimization. Beiing able to use the designs of other people.


## OpticStudio Discussions
  - [What is OpticStudio used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-opticstudio-used-for)
  - [How much does Zemax cost?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-much-does-zemax-cost)
  - [Is OpticStudio free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-opticstudio-free)
  - [What can Zemax do?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-can-zemax-do)

- [View OpticStudio pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/opticstudio/reviews?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-05-14+12%3A30%3A28+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=0ce701f4-bfda-4da7-8ba1-a03c127f0451&secure%5Btoken%5D=7b774fb391968f8c091ac87e9c32acf6ed750872a06aedd7530465a3e40a660b&format=llm_user)


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