An embodiment of a system and a method for inspecting a contact lens is provided. The illumination system illuminates the center zone and the peripheral zone of the contact lens when it is inside a cavity between a male mold and a female mold. The imaging optical system has two channels to capture two images or a composite single image to inspect the entire contact lens. The imaging optical system of the first channel has its entrance pupil far away from the mold tool. The camera of the first channel is used to capture the image of the center zone of the contact lens. The image optical system of the second channel is located outside the mold tool but its entrance pupil is located inside the mold tool or outside but substantially close to it. This enables the camera of the second channel to capture the image of the peripheral zone of the contact lens.