Deciphering Lens Specifications and Choosing the Proper Lens
In the past, cameras were once the limiting component for performance in and imaging system. Today, lenses have become the critical component in many applications.
Imaging and machine vision are becoming more integrated into our daily lives. From autonomous vehicles to advanced medical diagnostics, camera and lens systems are now commonplace. As sensor technology advances, pixel sizes on cameras have been getting smaller and sensors have gotten larger. In the past, cameras were once the limiting component for performance in an imaging system. Today, lenses have become the critical component in many applications. Even the latest smartphones have had to overcome this limitation by implementing a multiple lens solution. Understanding and choosing the right imaging lens has become more important than ever before. This article will explore imaging lens specifications, their importance, and how they apply to imaging applications today.
There is no silver bullet to choosing the right imaging lens for an application. Some specifications are more obvious than others, such as wavelength. While many imaging applications are in the visible range, other wavelengths are becoming increasingly more common. But even a specification as seemingly simple as wavelength is not truly simple. While there are imaging lenses that have been specifically designed and optimized for specific wavebands, such as the shortwave infrared (SWIR), other lenses are simply visible lenses that have been re-coated and sold for use at that specific waveband. This can greatly affect both the performance and cost of the end product—this subtle marketing difference can actually be significant. Even in the visible spectrum, wavelength is an important specification to consider. It affects many other lens specifications and understanding how is key. This type of change is most common in SWIR lenses, and recoated lenses drastically underperform when compared to lenses bespoke for the SWIR waveband.