History of Photography
For those who missed all the excitement, in Part 1 of this series I discussed that almost all modern SLR lenses derive from one of 6 types of lenses that were basically in use by the 1920s. Part 1 covered the first three lenses: the Symmetrical, Double Gauss, and Petzval lenses. Those three lenses give […]
History of Photography
In which I begin to answer the question “Why Do You Put the Lens Diagrams on Your Website?” Where do new lens designs come from? I knew that today’s lenses are all designed using computer programs, but I was surprised to find new lenses aren’t designed from scratch. Designers start with an existing lens design […]
Lenses and Optics
Apocalypse (from the Greek apokálypsis; “lifting of the veil” or “revelation”): An event involving destruction or damage on an awesome or catastrophic scale. A disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind. How appropriate the word apocalypse is for this little article. At least once a week I see a post somewhere from a fairly inexperienced […]
Lenses and Optics
SLR video cameras and the newer large sensor video camcorders, are often used with photography lenses — which provide outstanding optics at amazing cost savings compared to lenses specifically designed for film/video. A superb photography lens may cost $2,000; about 1/10 of what a good cinema lens or servo zoom ENG style lens costs. However, […]
Lenses and Optics
Introduction There’s a scene in the old movie Marathon Man where Dustin Hoffman wakes up strapped in a Dentist’s chair, mouth forced open, while the evil dentist drills into the nerves of his teeth, repeating the same question over-and-over: “Is it safe”? Tortured past endurance, he would answer if he could, but the question has […]
