Lens design: then (1964) and now (1996) by Bruce H. Walker
*k6$ i'HST|!j Much has been said and written about the changes to the lens design process over the recent decades. Having worked in this field for the past 30+ years, I have enjoyed being involved with many of those changes. This paper will share some general observations on the subject, and then quantify the impact of those changes by review of a specific lens design first executed in 1964 and then updated in 1996 by application of today's technology.
sT1j F3 <2)v9c The lens design process
7'UWRRsxUF Typically, the lens design process begins with a set of
optical specifications describing a lens that must meet an established set of performance criteria. Next, the lens designer calls upon personal experience, along with that of others, to identify an existing lens form that has the potential of meeting those specifications with a minimum of modification. This starting lens form is then manipulated by the lens designer, in an effort to make it conform to the established optical specifications. Key to this lens optimization stage are the tools used by the lens designer in the process. Typically, there are three basic tools involved: the computer (hardware), the lens design program (software), and the skill of the designer. All three are essentialno one is more important than the others. The final phase of the lens design process is the unambiguous documentation of the final lens prescription (suitable for manufacture), and of the optical performance that can be expected of the final design.
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