Fowler, S. A., & Allansmith, M. R. (1981). The Effect of Cleaning Soft Contact Lenses: A Scanning Electron Microscopic Study. Archives of Ophthalmology, 99(8), 1382–1386. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/article-abstract/633879

We’re getting into ‘eye-wateringly expensive’ territory now. As with all L lenses, the build quality here is exceptional and includes weather sealing. Our 1.2 aperture is huge giving us a good 1/3 stop more light than the 1.4 and we’re letting in more than twice as much light as our 1.8. Optically we’re not seeing massive improvement over the 1.4 but due to the above we’re paying big ‘L money’.

Prime lenses are a fixed focal length. This means there’s no complex zoom mechanics to take up valuable space which means more room for glass and a wide aperture. Compared to zoom lenses they’re small, light, fast and sharp. That’s not to say there aren’t amazing quality zooms available (My Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II USM lens is hands down the sharpest lens I own) BUT as a general rule of thumb, for the absolute best optical quality, prime is the way to go.

If you’re learning photography and trying to improve your technique then a 50mm will open up a whole world of creative options that you just can’t achieve with your kit lens. Trying to understand the exposure triangle (ISO, Aperture, Shutter), how to balance them to achieve a correct exposure and creative use of aperture with a maximum aperture of f/5.6 is like trying to bake a cake when you’re missing half the ingredients. A nice wide range of apertures will allow you to properly experiment with how these three components work together.

Hi Rush. I wouldn’t say it’s a waste of money at all. In fact I did pretty much the exact same thing. I had the 50mm 1.8 on a 7D body and while I loved the flexibility that the 1.8 gave me 50 always felt just a touch too long on the crop sensor – more a short telephoto than a natural eye focal length. I bought the Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM and I LOVED it on my 7D. On the crop sensor it gave a much more natural field of view than the 50. Then when I upgraded my body to a full frame 5 it was reborn as a wide angle prime. It depends on what you’re shooting of course but for me 35mm on the crop sensor was pretty much the perfect ‘everyday’ lens. EDIT – Just realised you said you also had a 6D. I think you’d love the 35 in that case as it’ll serve different purposes for each camera. 35mm is a fantastic focal length to have

*It’s important to note here I’m talking about full frame sensors. If you’re shooting on a cropped APS-C sensor then the sensor is effectively cropping your image by a factor of approximately 1.6. That means your 50mm is giving you something much closer to 80mm in real terms which is in short telephoto territory. On a crop sensor you may wish to go for a 35mm which would give you similar results to a 50mm, but I digress…

Ahmed, Usman. "What is the Role of Lenses in Microscopy?". AZoOptics. 25 November 2024. .

Lorenz, K. O., Kakkassery, J., Boree, D., & Pinto, D. (2014). Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis of daily disposable limbal ring contact lenses. Clinical and Experimental Optometry, 97(5), 411–417. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cxo

For image usage enquiries or to discuss a photography brief please give me a call or drop me an email and I’d be happy to talk through some ideas.

Reuven Silverman of Ophir discusses the critical role of M2 measurements in laser technology for optimization and quality control in various industries.

Function ofcondenser inmicroscope

A conventional microscope employs numerous lenses and a light source to significantly enhance the image of the object under examination.

Thanks for the article Simon, it’s got me thinking. Just bought my first DSLR, a basic second hand Canon 100D with the kit 18-55 lens. I loved my prime 50mm on my 40-odd year old Minolta 35mm, so if I’m looking to emulate the feel of that lens, am I right in supposing I’ll need a 50/1.6, i.e. around 30mm, lens to match the Canon’s APS-C? They seem harder to find than traditional 50s.

The VINCI series of ultrafast fiber lasers has a central emission wavelength of 1064 nm and features a unique combination of short pulse durations.

I’ve just started my photography journey, mostly taking photos of my young children. I currently am using my 85mm at typically 1.8, but thinking of purchasing a 50mm for indoors and limited spaces. Is the 1.4 worth saving for? Or would I not notice enough of a difference to make it worth it, for the foreseeable future? (I shoot a canon rebel)

Stage clipsmicroscope function

Ahmed, Usman. 2022. What is the Role of Lenses in Microscopy?. AZoOptics, viewed 25 November 2024, https://www.azooptics.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2339.

Most compound microscopes use four objective lenses, including a low-power lens, a high-power lens, a scanning lens, and an oil-immersion lens.

Not only that, if you’ve been shooting with a kit lens you won’t believe the difference in sharpness you get by attaching a prime. The range of creative options it gives you will improve your understanding and make you a better photographer.

50mm is about as close as we can get to our eyes field of view*. When you shoot at 50mm, the image feels natural and you can make the viewer feel like they’re inside the image looking on at the subject of your photograph. We feel at home in the image.

A microscope is an additional lens placed in front of your eye. The microscope lens functions like a magnifying glass, bending light to make the object appear wider to get the desired magnification effect. However, a single large lens provides blurry and dark images.

While examining a slide or an object in a microscope, the lens closest to it is called the objective lens, which collects light and increases the magnification of the object being examined.

Typesof objectivelenses

The raw materials and specific optical glass are combined in the correct ratios. This cullet (i.e., optical glass) serves as a flux. A flux helps lower the temperature at which raw materials normally react. A glass furnace is typically used for melting this mixture around 1400 °C. The temperature may fluctuate depending on the type of lens being manufactured.

Zhang, Y., & Gross, H. (2017). Systematic Design of Microscopic Lenses. Optical Design and Fabrication 2017 (Freeform, IODC, OFT) (2017), Paper IW4A.1, IW4A.1. https://opg.optica.org/abstract.cfm?uri=IODC-2017-IW4A.1

‘Prime’ sounds expensive right? Well, it certainly can be, make no mistake BUT you can pick up a 50mm for surprisingly little money. Let’s take a minute to look at the current Canon 50mm prime line up and look at our price points and pros and cons of each.

Thank you for that Simon, much appreciated. I’ll look into both , the 50mm and the macro lens Regards Vic Ps I’m using a canon 4000D camera

Ahmed, Usman. (2022, November 02). What is the Role of Lenses in Microscopy?. AZoOptics. Retrieved on November 25, 2024 from https://www.azooptics.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2339.

Ah thanks so much. Appreciate that. Majority were taken on the Canon 50mm f/1.4 but a few of them were taken on the f.1.2L which I’ve only had for a few weeks. As I said above, optically they’re not a world apart. Let me know if you can tell which was shot on which 😉

Yep it might not be well suited to wildlife photography but it’s certainly a versatile length (especially if you’re using on both FF and APS-C). For lifestyle-type shotds especially it’s one of may favourite lengths to work with.

Thanks for your comment Albert. Interesting to hear your thoughts – is that the Nikon 24-85 you’re talking about? I don’t have hands on experience with Nikon but even with the VR I’d be surprised if a f/3.5-4.5 could compete with an f1.8 in low light. Fully appreciate that real world use differs. It’s also ~4x the price of the 50mm and would lack any of the shallow focus characteristics the 50 brings you. I’m not suggesting the 1.8 is optically the best lens in the world BUT I do stand by my statement above that I think it’s the best bang for your buck you can get. The performance v price is incredible.

I completely agree. 50mm is my favourite focal length. My EF 50mm f/1.4 my default lens. It’s not perfect for everything, of course, but it is a sharp, dependable lens.

Furthermore, the surface morphology of materials can be observed with the help of a tunneling microscope. Such microscopes use a beam of electrons that can tunnel through the surface of objects at incredibly small distances and form an image of the surface.

A very long time ago I was lucky enough to go to Cuba for a month. An eager young photographer at the time but not blessed with a surplus of cash I took a standard zoom and a canon nifty fifty with me. A few days into the trip disaster struck and my zoom broke. Thanks to the embargo there was nowhere to fix my lens, so I was stuck with a 50mm on my EOS 5 film camera and 20 rolls of Provia 100 slide film (bulk rolled no less). Even after 25 years later, I feel took some of my favourite photos on that trip and I think the simplicity of using that one lens had a lot to do with it.

I’ve never understood the hype behind the nifty-fifty. My first film camera came with a nifty-fifty f/1.4. It’s the only one I’ve ever owned and it started collecting dust as soon as I was able to afford better lenses. I did dust it off and start using it, again, after I bought a 2x converter and liked the pictures it took at 100mm f/2.8. Even though my hair is grey, you can call me Goldilocks, 50mm is either too narrow or too wide, and never really just right.

Magnesium fluoride is commonly used as an anti-reflective coating on lenses. If a microscope contains a mirror, it is often made up of Pyrex glass. Silica (SiO2) is often used as a protective coating for mirrors, whereas aluminum is used for reflective coatings.

I’m an enthusiast nature, wildlife and lifestyle photographer. Always have a 50mm 1.8 in my arsenal. Use it for casual indoor portraits, products and flower photography. Sometimes night shots as well. Pair it both with FF and APS-C bodies. Needless to say, it’s a gem. I use premier primes for my wildlife shots.

Hi Vic, it depends on the kind of shot you’re after I’d say. None of the 50mm lenses are macro and I believe the minimum focus distances range between around 14-18 inches depending on which version of the 50mm you have so you could get fairly close. If you’re looking for close up details you’d probably be better with a 100mm Macro or similar I’d have thought. Certainly if you’re looking to take shots of bees for instance. Hope that helps!

Incredibly affordable lens. Very capable performer. Fast aperture. Really not that far behind its big brothers in terms of sharpness, certainly when you’re not shooting wide open.

Just bought the 50 1.2L for my 5DsR. I usually shoot at 35 1.4, but I’m wanting a little more intimacy and a little less environment in my portraits and candid documentary photography without having to workaround the distortion of getting too close with a 35. Should have it in my hands in the next few days and I can’t wait! Your image samples are lovely.

I always prefer to have a prime on my camera in an ideal world but must admit for family shoots especially my 70-200 is my best friend. Place for everything but there’s something I like about the purity of a prime lens.

A condenser lens is located between the light source and the slide platform. It focuses the beam of light on the object and further passes it to the objective lens. The diaphragm controls the quantity of light entering the condenser lens. Anytime a different objective lens can be used to view the item, the amount of light entering the lens can be changed. With magnifications of 400x or more, condenser lenses are very useful.

What isobjective lensinmicroscope

If you want to read more about the relative merits of the various 50mm options there are loads of articles, reviews and comparison videos available online. Most tell a similar tale showing the nifty fifty punching well above its weight. The SLR Lounge 50mm Prime Shootout and the DigitalRev article on the nifty fifty are good places to start.

The optical properties of optical glass depend highly upon its composition, which includes a mixture of boron oxide, sodium oxide, barium oxide, zinc oxide, potassium oxide, or lead oxide.

As this post is about getting started with 50mm and primes in general I’m going to focus on the entry point lens above – the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM. Like the majority of Canon users this was my first 50mm lens and it’s not known as the ‘nifty fifty’ (or ‘plastic fantastic’) for nothing. I’m adamant that it’s without doubt the best bang for your buck you can get. In photographic terms this lens is CHEAP (You can usually pick one up for around £100). I actually paid less than £40 for mine brand new from the States – the bargain of the century!

The shape of the lens has a considerable effect on the refraction of light. In microscopes, convex lenses are usually employed because of their ability to concentrate light on a specific spot.

As you say, you can get beautiful shallow focus with an 85mm (or longer) but you’re into short telephoto range at this point and one of the main reasons I love 50 as a focal range is that it produces images so close to the human eye so you’re capturing really natural feeling images.

Good question! Like a lot of people, my first DSLR came with a kit lens. A general ‘all purpose’ zoom that aims to give you decent results and flexibility across most everyday shooting situations. They’re light, convenient and affordable (indeed most consumer cameras come bundled with them). They let you jump straight into capturing a good range of subject – it’s all good. That is until you start to get frustrated by the limitations of them. When you realise that a maximum aperture of f/4-5.6 is actually pretty limiting if you want to work in low light or if you’re looking to isolate a subject with shallow depth of field. Enter the prime lens.

Microscopic lenses result in higher magnification of the object under examination to the observer. At higher magnification, it becomes easy to analyze even minute details of the object. By using multiple lenses in a microscope, object image becomes clearer and easier to examine. With the help of multiple lenses, an object image can even be magnified more than 1000 times.

For a portrait shoot where you can control the subject and environment, the 50mm prime is great. However, in dynamic situations, the versatility of a zoom lens with stabilization can be invaluable. You can start with an establishing shot using a wide focal length and then zoom in for detailed shots with a tighter field of view, it’s not just about being lazy with feet. That’s why I always come home with more memories captured with a zoom than a prime.

Appreciate your thoughts, thanks. Yep I’m not dismissing zooms at all, in fact I shoot a huge amount during family shoots on my 70-200mm (albeit that has a fixed f/2.8). There’s certainly a place for them for sure. There’s more to it than ability to draw in light though, I believe spending time shooting with prime lenses will always make you a better photographer, but that’s not to say I think anyone needs to exclusively shoot primes though. My 35mm prime has IS as well – best of both worlds!

So much has changed in the world of photography over the years but whether you shoot film, DSLR or mirrorless, for me one thing still holds true. Everyone should own a 50mm lens.

Thanks Dillon – The 1.4 is great image-wise. I was always really happy with the images mine delivered, I just always felt the build quality was a bit flaky. I don’t see a significant difference with my 1.2. Build quality is miles ahead but for the most part sharpness is similar. When it really hits focus perfectly it’s amazing but I’d say I maybe have to work a fraction harder with it than I did with the 1.4.

The blank is clamped into a vice and kept in place beneath a diamond-tipped, cylinder-shaped cutter that spins at high speed. The blank's surface is trimmed with this cutter in the desired curvature.

It’s also worth noting that the field of view of the human eye is roughly equivalent to a wide angle lens on a full-frame camera. A 50mm lens is much tighter than what our eyes naturally see. This makes wide angle field of view even more versatile and practical for capturing a variety of scenes and perspectives that match the human eye.

You’re right about the 50mm f/1.8’s capabilities, but don’t overlook zoom lenses with optical stabilization, especially in low light. Optical stabilization lets you use longer shutter speeds to compensate for its narrower aperture, capturing clear images even in dim settings. Also, an 85mm lens at f/5.6 can still blur the background beautifully, thanks to its longer focal length aiding in excellent subject separation. So, a stabilized zoom can sometimes be just as good as a f/1.8 prime!

Very good article Simon. I’m a landscape photographer. I shoot for several magazines. When I’m on the road i have a three lens set up for the most part. A Nikkor 50 F1.4 AIS, a Nikkor 28 F2 AIS and a Nikkor 85 F1.8 . Occasionally I’ll bring along a Nikkor 20 F2.8 AIS lens. That lens can be addictive! I shoot with FF manual cameras only. Never really got in to digital. The 50mm is a happy medium between the 28 and the 85 for me. I put the film pictures on a CD and off they go to the editors. They seem to like the combination of lenses I use. As mentioned, the 50MM is a “happy medium”.

Hi Andy. Yep the crop factor on your 100D is approx 1.6 so if you’re looking for the ’50mm’ feel the closest approximation on your body would be a 35mm. I have an EF 35mm f/2 IS USM and I can highly recommend it if you’re looking for one. It’s the only non L lens in my kit and I’m constantly impressed with the sharpness and build quality of it. It’s far, far better than any of the other non L lenses I’ve owned and is reasonably affordable. You could of course get the same focal length with your kit lens if you’re not quite ready to upgrade to a prime but 35mm is a great shout for a crop sensor body. Plus side is of course if you ever upgrade to full frame then you can continue to use it as a true 35mm prime so it’s win win!

High powerobjective microscope function

Yes it did for a long time, but I have to use zooms now for some of my professional work where I can’t move around freely. Personal work tends to be on large format cameras so primes are the only option . I use a 125mm and a 210mm, so just either side of a standard lens in that format.

The next generation 50mm lens built for the brand new RF mount on Canon’s new full frame mirrorless cameras. All I’m going to say about this lens is it’s massive, heavy, optically incredible and has an outrageously expensive price tag to match.

More expensive, but still fairly affordable. Big step up in build quality and autofocus. The 1.4 gives you approx 2/3 stop more light than the 1.8. Arguably as sharp as the L beyond around f/1.8.

Ocularlens microscope function

The mixture becomes a very thick liquid and is poured into lens molds at this stage. The annealing is carried out at 500 °C after cooling the mixture to approximately 300 °C. Annealing helps eliminate the internal stresses developed during the early cooling phase and weakens the glass. The glass is then gradually cooled to room temperature, and pieces are removed from the molds. These pieces are called blanks.

A microscope is used to magnify the image of tiny objects. The objects are clearly seen with a microscope because at least one lens magnifies the image. This lens refracts the light so that it enters the eye and magnifies distant objects.

To drive air bubbles to the surface, the temperature is raised to 1550 °C. The mixture is then steadily cooled to 1000 °C with continuous agitation.

Hi Vic, you might find a 50mm opens up some nice possibilities for you if you’re shooting the kind of shots you’ve been able to get with an 18-55 kit. Neither will get you particularly close but if it’s an area you’d like to explore more you can pick up macro lenses for reasonable money. If mobility is an option maybe consider using a tripod? Some tripods allow the legs to spread extra wide and have a movable central column so you can get the camera really low. If you do get into macro the focus range can get very low so probably better with a tripod and focus stacking anyway.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author expressed in their private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited T/A AZoNetwork the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and conditions of use of this website.

There are various kinds of microscopes used for magnification. An optical microscope is the most common type, creating an image from visible light using lenses. Another commonly used type of microscope is an electron microscope which uses an electron beam to form images.

The human eye's biological lens is also convex because it focuses light onto the retina, where rod and cone cells are located to enable vision.

Hi Simon , I’ve taken some with my 18-55 lens, that came out good but my son said to look into a 50mm . Only problem with a macro lens is I’m not able to get on the floor due to a disability. I can lean over a decent amount. I’m only an amateur photographer doing it as a hobby so don’t want to spend a fortune. Regards Vic

Ah exciting – I hope you love it. I went from the 1.4 to the 1.2 and I do love it. I found I had to fine tune the AF on mine quite a bit for best results. There seems to be a bit more variation with this lens than others reading others comments. Enjoy it! It’s a beautiful piece of glass for sure.

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I have 50mm 1.8g wish I’d saved my money. My 24 to 85 is better at 50 mm for low light due to vr at 50mm also it’s just as sharp. If i want out of focus background i shoot at 85mm. A

Usman holds a master's degree in Material Science and Engineering from Xian Jiaotong University, China. He worked on various research projects involving Aerospace Materials, Nanocomposite coatings, Solar Cells, and Nano-technology during his studies. He has been working as a freelance Material Engineering consultant since graduating. He has also published high-quality research papers in international journals with a high impact factor. He enjoys reading books, watching movies, and playing football in his spare time.

Moreover, while a large aperture is helpful, it’s not the be-all and end-all. Effective composition and framing often have a more profound impact on the quality of your photos than aperture size alone, and you can capture much more compositions with a zoom lens. In the real world a slower zoom allows you to quickly adapt and capture multiple compositions for subjects that are only present for a fleeting moment, something a prime lens can’t match.

The compound microscope uses a series of lenses to magnify the image. These lenses are made of optical glass, which is significantly purer and clearer than regular glass.

Hi Colleen, thanks for your message. So you’re shooting on a crop sensor then? In my experience I found 50mm a shade too long on my crop sensor when shooting my kids a lot of the time, especially when shooting in an enclosed space. You might also want to think about 35mm possibly – that gives a similar natural view as the 50 when used on a crop sensor. In terms of 1.4 vs 1.8 the 1.4 is still a relatively affordable lens and it is a much better all rounder than the cheaper 1.8 both in terms of image quality and focus ability. It’s worth jumping straight to the 1.4 if you can afford it but the 1.8 is so cheap you could grab one (second hand market is excellent as a lot of people upgrade) to play with to see how the focal length fits in with your needs) and you could always upgrade later if it becomes a key part of your camera bag. Hope that helps! S

Function ofstage inmicroscope

LIS Technologies is on the road to transforming nuclear fuel enrichment through advanced laser techniques, ensuring a sustainable and cost-effective approach to energy production.

Thanks Larry. I really do think a 50mm takes some beating for an all round everyday carry. 28, 50, 85 is a solid trio! Surprised you don’t find yourself craving something between the 20 and 28 as a landscape shooter? Would love to see your work if there’s a URL you can share?

Time for some tough love. Stop being so bloody lazy. “Oh, I’m a bit too far away” *ZOOM, “Ah my composition isn’t quite right” *ZOOM. Here’s the truth – photography is an art form. Nothing good ever comes without a bit of hard work. If you want to make great images you need to work for it.

These F-theta lenses by Avantier are designed for consistent spot size and uniform field curvature correction, ideal for high-resolution imaging applications.

Objective lensmagnification

The lens the observer looks through when using a microscope is called an ocular lens. It takes light from the objective lens and re-magnifies it to show a large image. In most cases, the ocular lens magnifies 10x or 15x.

Optical glass is often used to create microscopic lenses. It is considerably more uniform and has higher purity than conventional glass.

Ah that’s great Toby (broken lens aside). I’m curious – did that experience change your shooting habits at all? Are you a zoom or a prime guy nowadays?

Ahmed, Usman. "What is the Role of Lenses in Microscopy?". AZoOptics. https://www.azooptics.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2339. (accessed November 25, 2024).

After cutting, a lens inspection is carried out, and if the required curvature is not achieved, cutting is done again. This process requires a few minutes to well over an hour.

A microscope uses two smaller lenses, i.e., an objective lens near the sample and an ocular lens near the observer. The magnification of both these lenses can be the same or different from one another. Multiplying the magnification of each lens yields the overall magnification of the microscope. With a 10x ocular and a 30x objective, the microscope's total magnification is 300x.

Now I realise I’m making a generalisation here. I know that the perfect lens is the one that’s right for what you’re shooting (a landscape photographer isn’t likely to have the same needs as a portrait photographer or a wildlife photographer for example). I understand that if you’re shooting on a crop sensor then you might have different needs than if you were shooting full frame but humour me. For me, the 50mm prime lens is perfect. It’s the lens that lives on my camera. It’s my safe zone, my happy place.

If you already have a 24-85 and an 85mm prime in your bag and you’re happy with the results you’re getting from the 24-85 then I can fully appreciate you might not see a need for a fixed 50. I guess we all shoot differently. I personally love a prime lens so I don’t think a 25-85 would ever come out of my bag if I had a 50 and an 85.

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These lenses provide magnification of 4x, 10x, 40x, and 100x, respectively. Generally, shorter lenses have less magnification power than longer ones.