The process of designing lenses is both an art and a science. While advancements in the field over the past two centuries have done much to transform it from the former category to the latter, much of the lens design process remains encapsulated in the experience and knowledge of industry veterans. This SPIE Field Guide provides a working reference for practicing physicists, engineers, and scientists for deciphering the nuances of basic lens design.

The book begins with an outline of the general process before delving into aberrations, basic lens design forms, and optimisation. An entire section is devoted to techniques for improving lens performance. Sections on tolerancing, stray light, and optical systems are followed by an appendix covering related topics such as optical materials, non-imaging concepts, designing for sampled imaging, and ray tracing fundamentals.