If you have ever played around with lenses, you’ll know that a convex lens can focus an image onto a target. It can be as simple as focusing the sun with a magnifying glass to burn a hole in a piece of paper, but to achieve the highest quality images in a camera there is a huge amount of optical engineering and physics at play to counteract the imperfections of those simple lenses.
Many of us in the hardware world aren’t optical specialists but our work frequently involves camera modules, so [Matt Williams]’ piece for PetaPixel laying out a primer on lens design should be essential reading well beyond its target audience of photographers.
In it we learn how a photographic lens is assembled from a series of individual lenses referred to as elements, combined together in groups to lend the required properties to the final assembly. We are introduced to the characteristics of different types of glass, and to the use of lens coatings to control reflections. Then we see examples of real lens systems, from some famous designs with their roots in the 19th century, to the lenses of today.
Sometimes a piece written for an entirely different audience can bring really useful insights into our field, and this is one of those times. We learned something, and we think you will too.
Header image: 4300streetcar, CC BY 4.0.
You guys must be reading my mind:
“The ideas behind analog gravity systems, especially those that manipulate wave propagation through media, could indeed inspire new types of lenses or wave-guiding materials — particularly in semiconductors, metamaterials, and photonics.”.
Paper, ants, whatever.
Back in 2007, when I was 12 years old I used magnifying glass to scar myself. Being an edgy, depressed and bullied teenage fan of Nightwish I wanted to burn a pentagram on my forearm. Unfortunately, making a five-pointed star was too hard for my teenage brain (which was also occupied with suffering burning pain). Instead of “satanist star” I scarred myself with a Star of David -.-“
“It’s not until you look at ants really closely under a magnifying glass that you realise how many of them spontaneously combust” – Harry Hill
Header image: Nikon F5 with a 85mm f1.4 lens?
Nah… Maybe half an F5 and 85mm lens. At best 60%
Photographic lenses are cool.
4f optical collector springs to mind , image recognition the old analog way , sort of , light performing computational transformation with maximum speed possible, very interesting 🤔
Hmm, they call “improved bokeh” a perk of aspherical elements. While asphericals tend to improve pretty much anything else, the bokeh usually suffers.
Have there been any developments in diy community after
Mexican scientist solves aberration problem
https://newatlas.com/spherical-aberration-optical-lens-solution/60937/