Lens design and website design

Lens design is the art and science of designing optical systems - the lens in your camera is a product of this craft. So what is the link between that esoteric subject and website design? Why devote a whole section of this site to mini-essays on this highly mathematical enterprise?

Well - without lens design this world would be completely different. For a start there would be:

  • no cameras
  • no telescopes
  • no microscopes
  • no endoscopes
  • no photocopiers

Less obviously, there would be:

  • no computers [my first essay discusses this modest assertion]
  • no internet

Hence no websites and no website designers - a clear link I believe! To my mind a technology which has enabled all this deserves some note. But ask yourself, have you ever met a lens designer - do you know what they do?

I have a personal interest as well - having been developing lens design software for many years now [you can see some examples at this site].

So in these essays, I will try to explain, in non technical terms, some of the importance of lens design. BTW, my notes will be refined as time goes along - unlike a blog entry, so don't be suprised if the more recent entries seem unpolished!

Essays on lens design

On Lens Design

What lens design is, and how it has become absolutely central to modern technology, including computers and the internet.

BBC, Melvin Bragg &  Lenses

BBC radio 4 broadcast - a whole 3/4hr program on the history of optics and lenses.

Glass is glass?

Lenses are made of optical quality glass [or some other transparent material]. Amazingly, optical glasses have a huge range of properties - some can be dipped in boiling acid, while others will stain at a touch of your hand. The right choice is crucial for a good lens.

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