Curvature of Field and Distortion
Curvature of Field is an optical aberration where the image formed by a lens is not perfectly flat. Instead of a flat plane, the image surface takes the shape of a curved surface, much like a shallow bowl. This causes the edges of the image to appear out of focus when the center is in focus, or vice versa.
This is very noticeable in flat-field applications like microscopy or photographing a flat surface. The result is an image that cannot be entirely in focus at once without stopping down the lens, which increases the depth of field.
Distortion is an aberration that causes straight lines near the edges of an image to bend inward or outward, giving a warped appearance to the image. There are two main types of distortion: barrel and pincushion. Barrel distortion makes images appear bowed outwards at the edges. It is common in wide-angle lenses. Pincushion distortion causes images to pinch in at the edges, which is seen in telephoto lenses.
Both types of distortion are a matter of concern in architectural photography where straight lines are prominent. Modern lenses use complex lens elements and aspherical designs reduce distortion. Many cameras feature built-in digital correction capabilities.
Aberration of Lens
Aberration of the lens refers to the failure of a lens to produce a perfect image. It occurs due to the lens’s geometry and light’s physical properties. There are several lens aberrations, each affecting the image in different ways.
In this article, we will discuss lens aberration, its types, corrections methods, and many more in detail.
Table of Content
- Lens Aberration
- Types of Lens Aberrations
- Curvature of Field and Distortion
- Combination of 2 Lenses to Reduce Chromatic Aberration