Lenses Archives - 1stVision Inc. - Machine Vision Articles

January 27, 2026January 29, 2026

Opto Engineering liquid lenses for rapid focus adjustment

All of us machine vision practitioners know a thing or two about camera lenses. Some of us are optical engineers. Others are self-taught through reading and experience. Others let their systems designers choose the lens.

Ever need a fast focus change?

If your application does fine with a fixed focal lens, or a mechanically adjustable focus, that’s great. But some applications benefit from – or only become possible with – the ability to rapidly tune the focus. Enter liquid lenses, like Opto Engineering’s EL5MP and EL12MP.

EL5MP liquid lens – Courtesy Opto Engineering

Liquid lenses – from theory to commercial availability

Leonhard Euler (Euler’s equations, anyone?) did groundbreaking work in fluid dynamics in the 1700s. In 1859 Thomas Sutton used a glass sphere filled with water to create a lens. So the concepts for liquid lenses aren’t new. But they’ve only been commercialized in the last 20 years. Here’s a short video (3 minutes) featuring an early leader in liquid lenses, with a nice overview of the key concepts:

From theory to practice – a 5MP and 12MP liquid lens series

If you need fast focus (a few milliseconds) and high reliability (more than a billion cycle lifetime), Opto Engineering offers both a 5MP liquid lens series as well as a 12MP series. Each series provides several focal length options:

6mm for the 5MP series only
8mm for the 5MP series only
12mm for BOTH the 5MP and 12MP series
16mm for BOTH the 5MP and 12MP series
25mm for BOTH the 5MP and 12MP series
35mm for 12MP series only

Working distance coverage range

Across the two series, there are working distances on the near side from 60 – 200mm, depending on the specific model. At the far side the WD goes to infinity for each of the lenses. See the product comparison tables and data sheets at Opto Engineering EL5MP and EL12MP respectively.

More specs

The 5MP series is designed for sensors up to 2/3″. One exception: the 6mm focal length model is for sensors up to 1/1.8″.

The 12MP series is for sensors up to 1.1″.

Basis for liquid lens – Courtesy Opto Engineering

Liquid lens advantages vs. mechanical focus – Courtesy Opto Engineering

Low distortion is another advantage

Liquid lens image (left) has almost no distortion – another huge benefit – Courtesy Opto Engineering

What are the focus demands of your application?

Do you know your application’s focus requirements? Could you build a more effective application with faster focus? Reduce lens service and replacement intervals by switching from a mechanical to a liquid lens? Call us at 978-474-0044 to discuss options or get a quote.

Video presentation on Opto Engineering liquid lenses

Tradeshow presentation runs 14 minutes, if you want to do a deeper dive that way:

Courtesy Opto Engineering

Note: Over the years, various operating principles for liquid lenses have been introduced.

1st Vision’s sales engineers have over 100 years of combined experience to assist in your camera and components selection. With a large portfolio of cameras, lenses, cables, NIC cards and industrial computers, we can provide a full vision solution!

About you: We want to hear from you! We’ve built our brand on our know-how and like to educate the marketplace on imaging technology topics… What would you like to hear about?… Drop a line to info@1stvision.com with what topics you’d like to know more about.

November 7, 2025November 12, 2025

VIS-SWIR solutions – the problems it solves

While we humans can only see what we’ve named to be visible light, bees can see UV light! Some camera sensors register IR wavelengths! Some cameras can sense both visible light and on through NIR and SWIR.

In this piece we focus on applications that benefit from combined VIS-SWIR solutions, from 400 nm through 2.5 nm.

Deconstructing the electromagnetic spectrum into it’s commonly known constituent regions

Example applications

Just to whet the appetite, consider the 4 sets of image pairs below. In each case, the leftmost image was captured with visible wavelengths, while the righthand image utilized SWIR portions of the spectrum. These pairs were chosen to highlight the compelling power of SWIR to identify features that are not apparent in the visible portion of the spectrum.

VIS-SWIR image pairs – Courtesy Allied Vision – a TKH company

For certain applications, one wouldn’t need the human-visible images, of course, as with machine vision the whole point is to automate the image processing and corresponding actions. So for counterfeit banknote detection, bottle fill level monitoring, materials identification, or crop monitoring, one might just design for the SWIR portion of the spectrum and ignore the VIS.

*Vein imaging application overlays SWIR image of veins into visible image of patient forearm –* *Image courtesy TAMRON*

But some applications might benefit from both the VIS and the SWIR images. For example, the vein imaging application might require a VIS reference image as well as a SWIR-specific image, for patient education and/or medical records.

*Monitor moisture levels in crops from airborne drone – Image courtesy TAMRON*

For the crop monitoring application above, the VIS spectrum clearly orients trees, hills, buildings, and roadways. Meanwhile pseudo-color-mapping shows the varied moisture levels as sensed in the SWIR portion of the spectrum.

The range of potential applications combining VIS and SWIR is staggering. One can improved on one’s own or a competitor’s previous application. Or innovate something altogether new.

Sensors that register both VIS and SWIR wavelengths

Sony’s IMX992 and IMX993 sensors utilize Sony’s SenSWIR technology, such that a single sensor and camera may be deployed across the combined VIS and SWIR portions of the spectrum. Without such sensors, a VIS SWIR solution would require at least two separate cameras – one each for VIS and SWIR, respectively. That would add unnecessary expense, takes up more space, and require camera and image synchronization.

Now there are cameras, such as several in Allied Vision’s Alvium series, in which Sony’s SenSWIR sensors are embedded. With several interface options, including mipi, USB3 Vision, and 5GigE Vision:

Mipi, USB3 Vision, and 5GigE Vision interface options – Courtesy Allied Vision – a TKH Company

Lens manufacturers doing their part

One of the beauties of the free-market system, together with agreements on standards for interfaces and lens mounts, is that each innovator and manufacturer can focus on what he does best. Sensor manufacturers bring out new sensors. Camera designers embed those sensors and provide programming controls, communications interfaces, and lens mounts. And optics professionals design and produce lenses. The benefits from a range of choices, performance options, and price points.

Navitar VIS-SWIR lenses

Navitar’s ZOOM 7000-2 macro lens imaging system delivers superb optical performance and image quality for visible and SWIR imaging. Their robust design ensures reliability even in harsh environments. ZOOM 7000-2 macro lenses are ideal for applications, such as machine vision, scientific and medical imaging applications.

ZOOM 7000-2 VIS-SWIR lens – Courtesy Navitar

In fact there are three models in the series:

Each model has its application – but only the middle one is designed explicitly for VIS-SWIR – Courtesy Navitar

Kowa FC24M multispectral lenses

Kowa’s FC24M C-mount lens series are manufactured with wide-band multi-coating. That minimizes flare and ghosting from VIS through NIR. These lenses are also compelling for a number of other reasons, including wide working range (as close as 15 cm MOD), durable construction, and a unique close distance aberration compensation mechanism.

FC24M C-mount lens series – Courtesy Kowa

That “floating feature” creates stable optical performance at various working distances. Internal lens groups move independently of each other, which optimizes alignment compared to traditional lens design.

Tamron Wide-band SWIR lenses

Other lensing options include Tamron’s Wide-band SWIR lenses. While the name says SWIR, in fact they are VIS-SWIR. Designed for compatibility with Sony’s IMX990 and IMX991 SenSWIR sensors, you have even more lens choices. Call us at 978-474-0044 if you’d like us to help you navigate to best-fit components in cameras, lensing, and lighting, for your particular application.

November 7, 2025

Kowa HC-V Ruggedized Lenses

Kowa HC-V 1″ C-mount industrial lenses feature a patented design that ensures dependable performance, and consistently clear, crisp images with uniform brightness across the entire image, including the corners. These ruggedized lenses are built for use in harsh environments to withstand strong vibrations and impacts.

Interchangeable iris plates and a two-way reversible nut enable precise focus adjustments, and glued inner glass elements ensure stability. HC-V lenses are compatible with 1″ format sensors including Sony IMX174, CMOSIS CMV4000, and Sony IMX249 sensors. Designed for sensors with a pixel size as small as 5.0μm.

HC-V ruggedized lens series – Courtesy Kowa

Choosing a sensor and matching a lens

If you’ve already chosen your sensor and camera, our knowledge base Guide to Key Considerations in Lens Selection may be helpful.

If you want to read about sensor selection, see our blog “Keys to Choosing the Best Image Sensor“.

Or for expert assistance just call us at 978-474-0044.

Interchangeable iris plates

The HC-V patented design includes interchangeable iris plates. Secured by a lock nut, this insures precise focus that’s vibration resistant. Ideal for rugged industrial environments.

HC-V ruggedized lens series overview – Courtesy Kowa

How to change the iris plates

How to change the iris plates – Courtesy Kowa

Happy to help

We’re pleased to distribute Kowa lenses, and to advise customers on all aspects of machine vision component selection. Whether for sensor, camera, lens, lighting, software, or other components, tell us about your application, and we’ll be happy to guide you to optimal choices. By phone we’re at 978-474-0044, or key in a few application notes below and we’ll reach out to you at your convenience.

June 30, 2025June 30, 2025

What can you see with a 67MP camera?

Remember when machine vision pioneers got stuff done with VGA sensors at 0.3MP? And the industry got really excited with 1MP sensors? Moore’s law keeps driving capacities and performance up, and relative costs down. With the Teledyne e2v Emerald 67MP sensor, cameras like the Genie Nano-10GigE-8200 open up new possibilities.

12MP sensor image – Courtesy Teledyne DALSA

67MP sensor image – Courtesy Teledyne DALSA

So what? 67MP view above right doesn’t appear massively compelling…

Well at this view, without zooming in, we’d agree….

But at 400% zoom, below, look at the pixelation differences:

Both images below show the same target region, with the same lighting and lens, and each zoomed (with Gimp) to 400%. There is so much pixelation in the 12MP image to raise doubts about effective edge detection on either the identifying digits (33) or for the metal-rimmed holes. Whereas the 67MP image has far less pixelation, thereby passing a readily usable image to the host for processing. How much resolution does your application require?

Important “aside”: Sensor format and lens quality also important

Sensor format refers to the physical size of the sensor and the pixel shape and pixel density. Of course the lens must physically mount to the camera body (e.g. S, C, M42, etc.), but it must also create an image circle that appropriately covers the sensor’s pixel array. The Genie Nano-10Gige-8200 uses the Teledyne e2V Emerald 67M packs just over 67 million pixels, each square pixel just 2.5 µm wide and high, onto a CMOS sensor measuring only 59mm x 59mm.

Consider other good quality cameras and sensors, with pixel sizes in the 4 – 5 µm range, which leads to EITHER fewer pixels overall in the same size sensor array; OR to a much larger sensor to accommodate more pixels. The former may limit what can be accomplished with a single camera. The latter would necessarily make the camera body larger, the lens mount larger, and the lens more expensive to manufacture.

The lens quality, typically expressed via the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), is also important. Not all lenses are created equal! A “good” quality lens may be enough for certain applications. For more demanding applications, one would be wasting a large format sensor if the lens’ performance fails below the sensor’s capabilities.

Two different lenses were used to take the above images, both fitting the sensor size. However the right image was taken with a lens designed for smaller pixels versus the left. – Courtesy Teledyne DALSA

The high-level views of the test chart above tease at the point we’re making, but it really pops if we zoom in. Look at the difference in contrast in the two images below!

Lens nominally a fit for the sensor format and mount type, but NOT designed for 2.5 µm pixels.

The takeaway point of this segment is lensing matters! The machine vision field benefits users tremendously with segmented sensor, camera, lensing, and lighting suppliers. Even within the same supplier’s lineup, there are often sensors or lenses pitched at differing performance requirements. Consider our Knowledge Base guide on Lens Quality Considerations. Or call us at 978-474-0044.

Another example:

Below see the same concentric rings of a test chart, under the same lighting. The left imaged was obtained with a good 12MP sensor and good quality lens matched to the sensor format and pixel size. The right imaged used the 67MP sensor in the Genie-Nano-10GigE-8200, also with a well-matched lens.

If you need a single-camera solution for a large target, with high levels of detail, there’s no way around it – one needs enough pixels. Together with a well-suited lens.

Teledyne DALSA 10GigE Genie Nano — Genie Nano 10GigE 8200 – Courtesy Teledyne DALSA

The Genie Nano 10GigE 8200, in both monochrome and color versions, is more affordable than you might think.

Once more with feeling…

Which of the following images will lead to the more effective outcomes? Choose your sensor, camera, lens, and lighting accordingly. Call us at 978-474-0044. Our sales engineers love to create solutions for our customers.