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Lens Design Revolution?

drunkenspyder

Well-known member
If this was posted elsewhere, my apologies for the redundancy. But I found this article about a solution for Spherical Aberration quite intriguing. A tidbit:
To the average person, that equation is probably just more confirmation that a career in physics and mathematics wasn’t for them. But for lens makers, it can provide an exact blueprint for designing a lens that completely eliminates any spherical aberration. It doesn’t matter the size of the lens, the material it’s made from, or what it will be used for, this equation will spit out the exact numbers needed to design it to be optically perfect.
 

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
The accomplishment was an analytic solution. Computers and computer operated machinery use numerical solutions. With limited computing power, an analytic solution is more accurate, but modern computers can get to atomic distance tolerances (i.e., much better than the machinery) without breaking a sweat. In other words, this doesn't change lens design at all.

Besides, it solves ONE aberration. There are many, and they interact. That's why we have multiple element lenses.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a mathematician, and such a result is important, and the author deserves all recognition. It just won't change lens design.

Matt

Disclaimer: I could be completely wrong about all this, and would LOVE to be for the learning it would imply. But I'd be very surprised.
 

JoelM

Well-known member
I agree with MGrayson. I am a theoretical physicist, that means too much math, and believe that the headline is sensationalism exemplified. Firstly, I don't think that it was a 2000 year old problem and with respect to current optics, it has no practical use. HOWEVER, it is an elegant solution and wonderful piece of work on his part. He deserves much credit.

Joel
 

Shashin

Well-known member
And the solution is for two conjugate planes: the plane of focus and the image plane. You may find the bokeh really horrendous. I can't remember who said this, but every solution results in two new problems...
 
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