Getting Started with your ZED camera

Last updated: October 29, 2026

Thank you for purchasing a ZED camera!

ZED cameras bring 3D perception and spatial AI to your applications. Our stereo cameras reproduce the way human vision works: using their two "eyes" and through triangulation, they create a three-dimensional model of the scene they observe, providing indoor and outdoor depth perception, positional tracking, and AI-powered spatial understanding. Our monocular cameras deliver high-quality, hardware-synchronized video streams and can be combined to build custom stereo rigs with a baseline tailored to your application.

The ZED family includes several models designed for different applications:

  • USB 3 stereo cameras: ZED 2i (long-range depth and spatial AI, IP66) and ZED Mini (compact, ideal for mixed reality and short-range applications).

  • GMSL2 stereo cameras (for NVIDIA® Jetson™ platforms): ZED X and ZED X Mini (global shutter, IP67, designed for robotics), and ZED X Nano (compact camera designed to be mounted on robotic arms and end effectors).

  • GMSL2 monocular cameras: the ZED X One family, available in ZED X One GS (global shutter), ZED X One S (ultra-compact global shutter) and ZED X One 4K models, for single-camera vision applications, multi-camera rigs, and custom stereo baselines.

  • MIPI monocular camera module: the ZED X One Core, a barebone module connected through a ZED Link MIPI Quad capture card.

  • Embedded computing: the ZED Box series (ZED Box 2, ZED Box 2 Max T4000 / T5000, ZED Box Orin, and ZED Box Mini), plus ZED Link capture cards to connect GMSL2 cameras to NVIDIA® Jetson™ devices.

1. Connect your ZED

USB cameras (ZED 2i, ZED Mini): Unpack your ZED and mount it on the Mini Tripod if included in the box. Plug the camera into a USB 3.0 port. These are UVC-compliant cameras, so they are automatically recognized by your computer. See the ZED USB cameras documentation for details.

GMSL2 cameras (ZED X, ZED X Mini, ZED X Nano, ZED X One): These cameras require an NVIDIA® Jetson™ platform equipped with a ZED Link capture card, or a ZED Box. Please follow the dedicated guides:

For a step-by-step setup on NVIDIA® Jetson™ development kits, see How can I install the ZED X cameras on NVIDIA Jetson development kits?

2. Download and install the ZED SDK

Note: The first time a camera is opened, the ZED SDK downloads its factory calibration file from our online database, so an internet connection is required. Cameras produced after May 2026 (except the ZED Mini) also store the factory calibration on their internal EEPROM, which is read by ZED SDK v5.3 or newer without an internet connection. Some firewalls may block the download and must be configured to allow the ZED tools to access the internet; see Problem with factory reset of the ZED calibration.

3. Run ZED Explorer

ZED Explorer is an application for ZED live preview and recording. It lets you change video resolution, aspect ratio, and camera parameters, and capture high-resolution snapshots and video in SVO format.

If the ZED is recognized by your system, you'll see the live video stream from your camera.

4. Test the depth capabilities

With a stereo camera, or a stereo rig built with two ZED X One cameras, you can check the depth perception with two tools included in the ZED SDK:

  • ZED Studio: a multi-camera viewer that displays the live streams of all the connected cameras in a grid. Since ZED SDK v5.2, it can also display the 2D depth map of each stereo camera, with depth parameter controls, which is useful to validate a multi-camera setup at a glance.

  • ZED Depth Viewer: the dedicated tool to explore the depth processing of a single camera. It displays the depth map, the confidence map, and the 3D point cloud in real time, lets you change the depth mode and range, and saves images, depth maps, and point clouds.

If the depth map is displayed correctly, your camera and the ZED SDK are ready to use.

5. Play with the samples

The ZED SDK includes several tutorials and samples to learn how to use video, depth, and point cloud information, along with advanced modules such as Depth Sensing, Positional Tracking, Spatial Mapping, Object Detection, and Body Tracking, plus integrations with third-party libraries and frameworks such as ROS 2, Isaac Sim, Unity, and Unreal Engine.

6. If something does not work

You can also check our GitHub page for the latest updates. Read the documentation to learn more, and start experimenting with the samples!