Method of zoom lens design

Abstract

Optical systems with variable optical characteristics (zoom lenses) find broader applications in practice nowadays and methods for their design are constantly developed and improved. We describe a relatively simple method of the design of zoom lenses using the third-order aberration theory. It presents one of the possible approaches of obtaining the Seidel aberration coefficients of individual members of a zoom lens. The advantage of this method is that Seidel aberration coefficients of individual elements of a given optical system can be obtained simply by solving of a set of linear equations. By using these coefficients, one can determine residual aberrations of the optical system without detailed knowledge about the structure of its individual elements. Furthermore, we can determine construction parameters of the optical system, i.e., radii of curvature and thicknesses of individual elements of a given optical system. The proposed method makes it possible to determine which elements of the optical system can be designed as simple lenses and which elements must have a more complicated design, e.g., doublets or triplets.

A Study of Optical Design on 9× Zoom Ratio by Using a Compensating Liquid Lens

“…Zoom lenses with multiple EFLs are built, enabling lens systems to acquire objects at various distances [8,9]. Zoom systems are highly complex optical systems [10,11].…”

Design of zoom homogenizer to control size of illumination field

“…11,12 In general, zoom lens systems produce a clear image with a fixed image plane at all zoom positions. 14,15 But they cannot generate a sharp-edged beam also the position of the image plane varies according to the change in the zoom positions.…”

Optimum design of cam curve of zoom system based on Zemax

“…A zoom lens is an optical system which the focal length or magnification varies continuously by moving at least one component which called "variator", simultaneous, the image plane remains stationary by moving another component which called "compensator" [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Depending on the nature of movements of the compensator, zoom lenses can be classified into two classes, mechanically compensated and optically compensated [8][9][10][11][12].…”