Telecentric Lens Design: Enhancing Precision in Optical Systems

Telecentric Lens Design

Introduction to Telecentric Lenses An important goal in machine vision applications is taking measurements in a consistent, accurate, and precise manner. This can include measuring the dimensions of manufactured parts to guarantee they are within the design tolerance, or measuring the width of electric tracks in a PCB. For these applications, telecentric lenses can deliver […]

Calcium Fluoride Glass: An Overview

Figure 1.Calcium Fluoride transmission window. Image from EdmundOptics

The choice of glass is a fundamental part in the optical design process. This is especially true for IR and thermal optics materials. In this article, we will review Calcium Fluoride (CaF2), an interesting glass that has a wide range of applications. Before we start, let’s look at the transmission window for CaF2 (Figure 1). […]

Top 12 Resources for Mastering Lens Design: A Comprehensive Guide

Figure 1. Cover of Warren Smith Modern Lens Design (3ed).

Introduction Lens design is undeniably a complex and challenging field of study, characterized by its intricate blend of physics, mathematics, and engineering principles. Becoming a truly proficient lens designer isn’t merely a matter of acquiring theoretical knowledge; it necessitates years of hands-on practical experience and a keen understanding of how to apply theoretical concepts to […]

Advanced Apochromatic Lens Design for Exceptional Imaging Quality

Figure 1. Apochromatic lens. Image from ZEMAX sample designs.

In an achromatic lens design, we optimize such that two wavelengths, usually red (590nm) and blue (495nm), focus on the same image plane. This is done to reduce chromatic aberration. In this article, we’ll talk about a similar design type called an Apochromatic lens design. What is an apochromatic lens? The goal of the apochromatic […]

Powering advanced optical design with liquid lenses

liquid lenses

Liquid lenses, are a type of optical lens that have a tunable focal length by shaping a liquid electronically. These lenses can be based on voice coil actuation, or based on electrowetting technology, which involves manipulating the surface tension of a conductive liquid droplet by applying an electric field. The core component of an electrowetting-based […]

Mastering Relay Lens Design: Enhancing Optical Systems | OFH

Figure 1.  Borescope concept.

Introduction Optical relays, an integral component of various optical systems, play a crucial role when the user’s proximity to the observed object is limited or when specific image transformations are required. A prevalent example of this is found in relay lenses, often employed in scenarios where physical closeness to the object is impractical, as seen […]