A novel compact focus tunable liquid-filled lens using electromagnetic actuation method is presented. It consists of a specially designed elastic membrane that incorporates an annular ridge structure and non-uniform thickness contour for actuator integration and dynamically improving optical quality over the whole focal length tuning range, respectively. Moreover, a custom-designed moving coil type electromagnetic actuator together with a refractive index matching strategy between the filling liquid and the membrane are adopted for providing bidirectional, wide-range focus tuning capability. For proof-of-concept demonstration, a new process combining injection molding with 3D printing is developed to fabricate the proposed lens with effective aperture size of 4 mm with high reliability and repeatability. Nearly symmetric focal length tuning from infinity to ±40 mm and reduced spherical aberration characteristic are experimentally disclosed for the as-fabricated device, and its application in dynamic focusing imaging is also successfully performed. © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. • A customized electromagnetic actuation mechanism is designed • A refractive index matching strategy is used for wide-range focus tuning • A specially designed elastic membrane is used for improving dynamic optical quality • Nearly symmetric focal length tuning from infinity to ±40 mm is achieved