Optical and tactile single scanning probes usually are used in dimensional metrologyapplications, especially for roughness, form, thickness and surface profile measurements.To perform assessments with nanometre level of accuracy, specific ultra-high precisionmachines have been developed by the National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) such as the LNE,VSL, METAS, SMD, generally in collaboration with industrials and academics partners. Suchdevelopments are not devoted only to NMIs but many industrials develop and commercializetheir own ultra-high precision machines as the IBSPE and TNO companies. All these machinesprovide optical and tactile precise measurements and cover a large domain of applicationsuch as the form’s characterization of optical lenses. In this paper the performance andcapability of ultra-high precision machines of some National Metrology Institutes (LNE,VSL, SMD and METAS) and industrials companies (TNO and IBSPE), involving together in theIND10 European EMRP project titled “Optical and tactile metrology for absolute formcharacterization”, will be detailed. Theirs probing systems and accuracies levels will beevoked. Relevant results especially for measuring optical lenses will be also presentedand discussed.