I took an optics course a few years back, and am trying to figure out how to build an infinity-corrected microscope from discrete optical components which are listed in references [2] (lenses) and [3] (mounting equipment).
I have gone through a number of books trying to figure out how to actually assemble this with some simple lenses, tubes, and lens mounts. The problem is that all of them have an example like that above, but don't spell out what I need to do to determine:
- Total magnification (I'm assuming it is the ratio of the focal length of the eyepiece lens over the focal length of the objective lens).
- How close the lenses should be (I think the objective and tube lenses should be close, just not closer than the focal length of either, and I don't know what the focal length should be for the tube lens either). What about the distance between the tube lens and eyepiece lens? I thought the gap between the tube lens and eyepiece lense could be arbitrary in length, but the diagrams I find seem to indicate otherwise.
- What kind of lenses to actually use (Do all of them have to be convex lenses? Some examples should the use of a "plano convex" lens instead of a "convex convex" lens for the eyepiece).
If anyone could point out how I would design this or steer me towards some resources that can provide a definitive answer on how to design an infinity corrected microscope, eyepiece and all included, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
References
- Microscope Optical Components Introduction, Accessed 2014-03-04,
<http://www.olympusmicro.com/primer/anatomy/components.html>
- Experimental Grade Optics, Accessed 2014-03-04,
<http://www.anchoroptics.com/pages/category/Experimental%20Grade%20Optics.cfm>
- Modular Mounting Components, Accessed 2014-03-04,
<http://www.edmundoptics.com/optomechanics/modular-mounting-components/>