By Hunters for Hunters

Tammo Lüken, hunter and Head of Category Management Hunting at ZEISS

"As hunters ourselves, we understand the application, we know what matters. This allows us to design new products so that they offer hunters genuine added value."

Tammo Lüken got his hunting license more than 15 years ago. Why does he love hunting so much? To him, it offers a welcome change of scenery from everyday life – out of the city, into nature, enjoying and feeling the environment with all his senses. When stalking, every movement, every sound counts, you have to completely trust your instincts. This passion is what drives Tammo every day in his work as Head of Category Management Hunting at ZEISS. His own experiences in the field, talking to hunting friends, and speaking with colleagues at ZEISS – all of this contributes to Tammo’s ability to develop and design products with his team that enable hunters to hunt ethically and successfully.

When creating new products, we incorporate real-world hunting experience in addition to market feedback and extensive research."

From an idea to market launch – how a genuine ZEISS product is created

As Category Manager, Tammo is responsible for determining which products ZEISS will launch in the future. As a hunter himself, he knows which are needed and what demands the equipment has to meet when hunting. Together with his team, he is responsible for creating the hunting product portfolio at ZEISS. What’s important when it comes to thermal imaging devices? What features are needed and what obstacles does experience reveal during use? Tammo accompanies a product from the initial idea to the market launch. This was also true with the ZEISS DTI 6 thermal imaging camera, where numerous development hours went into setting new standards in thermal imaging technology. In addition to exceptionally sharp imaging, emphasis was placed on ensuring the device was highly customizable, meaning that users can adjust the color palette, zoom speed, or standby time to suit their individual needs.

View ZEISS DTI 6

At night, we rely on our instincts. This means thermal imaging devices shouldn’t be a hassle to operate at all, but should instead work intuitively and subconsciously."

Intuitive ergonomics and operability - so that no opportunity goes to waste

As an experienced hunter, Tammo knows that you can’t have anything go wrong when handling an optical device at night, with clammy fingers, or when wearing gloves. A operating error means a wasted opportunity; any movement or mistakenly triggered function can make all the difference. This is why, as Category Manager, Tammo’s particular focus was on developing a well thought-out and intuitive operating concept for ZEISS’s thermal imaging devices. The arrangement of the ErgoControl concept’s buttons, the smooth yet precise scroll wheel, or the well-organized menu navigation – one thing all ZEISS thermal imaging devices have in common is their intuitive handling, which clearly highlights their practical added value on the hunt.

In order to correctly identify a target, every detail counts. The new ZSIP Pro allows us to achieve a whole new level of detail."

The ZSIP Pro image processing algorithm – developed, tested, and put through its paces by ZEISS

Whether the penis, testicles, antlers, or teats, the smallest distinguishing features specific to a species of game can play a critical role in identifying the animal’s sex and age. To make these visible even at night, ZEISS has developed the ZSIP Pro image processing algorithm, which delivers particularly detailed and high-contrast images. In addition to preprocessing the sensor signal for high-quality image and noise reduction, the algorithm also performs precise contrast optimization by dividing the complete image into several sections and then optimizing them individually. In addition, ZSIP Pro intelligently and adaptively sharpens the image of the heat sources so that the game stands out from the background with high contrast and sharpness. This allows the hunter to correctly identify their target and make the right decision for or against a shot.

Image processing in thermal imaging devices

Going hunting for the first time with the products we developed ourselves is a very special experience. This allows me to see if everything works as envisioned and what product features could further enhance the hunt in the future."

Get to know Tammo's story:
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