All You Need To Know About Photographic Lenses

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 …read more

Jun 21, 2025 - 05:10

All You Need To Know About Photographic Lenses

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.