Will biconvex or plano convex lenses be best for a 4f optical imaging system with 10x magnification and why?
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1$\begingroup$ Welcome on Physics SE :) Please elaborate your question a bit more to make answering more easy. As it stands now, anyone not accidentally knowing the system layout by heart will be unlikely to provide you with an answer even if they in theory could. $\endgroup$– SanyaCommented Sep 3, 2016 at 23:39
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That depends wholly on the specifications you aim for. In in general, though, it will be better to use biconvex lenses because this means that each surface needs to impart less optical power, and therefore will contribute less aberration. The aberration is a nonlinear function of power, so more surfaces summing to a target optical power will mean less aberration
answered Sep 3, 2016 at 18:55
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$\begingroup$ Can you comment on roughly what situations would call for a plano-convex lens instead? Or are they primarily chosen for cost or convenience? $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 3, 2016 at 18:58
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$\begingroup$ @EmilioPisanty I'm sure the reasons number as many as the applications. However, in my experience, I have use plano convex mainly for alignment: it is much easier to mount a plano-convex lens accurately. Optics is still mostly built by hand by highly skilled craftsmen and women. Often the alignment is so critical, that the aberration added by inaccurately mounted optics cancels out benefits of using biconvex lenses. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 4, 2016 at 5:36
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$\begingroup$ @EmilioPisanty I emphasize that's only my experience. Different designers come up with distinctly different solutions - and particularly nowadays with computer design and optimization, we often cannot explain why. My process is to begin with something I've seen - a famous solution - or a hunch, and then to numerically optimize. After that, I do a statistical analysis the effects of all the mechanical tolerances, and after several months of slogging away you at last get something that you think the opticians can build for you in theory. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 4, 2016 at 5:44
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$\begingroup$ Yeah, for sure it will vary across the board, probably a fair bit, but it's good to know at least some of the ways that the variation goes. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 4, 2016 at 13:19