{"id":4324,"date":"2025-01-20T15:11:09","date_gmt":"2025-01-20T20:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/?p=4324"},"modified":"2025-01-22T09:41:57","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T14:41:57","slug":"explained-trifecta-of-lens-f-stop-wavelength-and-airy-disc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/2025\/01\/explained-trifecta-of-lens-f-stop-wavelength-and-airy-disc.html","title":{"rendered":"Explained: Trifecta of lens f-stop, wavelength and Airy disc"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In this blog we tackle a set of issues well-known to experts. It&#8217;s complex enough to be non-obvious, but easy enough to understand through this short tutorial. And better to learn via a no-cost article rather than through trial and error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alternative to reading on, let us help you get the optics right for your application.  Or read on and then let us help you anyway.  Helping machine vision customers choose optimal components is what we do.  We&#8217;ve staked our reputation on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-align-center wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/contactForm?siq_name=$[FNAME]$$[LNAME]$&amp;siq_email=$[EMAIL]$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here for help from 1stVision <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Aperture size and F-stop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most understand that the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/F-number\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">F-stop<\/a> on a lens specifies the size of the aperture. Follow that last link to reveal the arithmetic calculations, if you like, but the key thing to keep in mind at the practical level is that F-stop values are inversely correlated with the size of the aperture. So a large F-number like f\/8 indicates a narrow aperture, while a small F-number like f\/1.4 corresponds to a large aperture. Some lens designs span a wider range of F-numbers than others, but the inverse correlation always applied.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"175\" src=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/iris-EO.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4344\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Iris controls the aperture &#8211; Courtesy Edmund Optics<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maximizing contrast might seem to suggest a large aperture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For machine vision it&#8217;s always important to maximize contrast. The target object can only be discerned when it is sufficiently contrasted against the background or other objects. Effective <a href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-lighting?siq_name=$[FNAME]$$[LNAME]$&amp;siq_email=$[EMAIL]$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lighting<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/lens\/machine-vision-lenses?siq_name=$[FNAME]$$[LNAME]$&amp;siq_email=$[EMAIL]$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lensing<\/a> is crucial, in addition to a camera sensor that&#8217;s up to the task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Maximizing light&#8221; (without over-saturating) is often a challenge, unless one adds artificial light.  That would tend to suggest using a large aperture to let more light pass while still keeping exposure time short enough to &#8220;freeze&#8221; motion or maximize frames per second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So for the moment, let&#8217;s hold that thought that a large aperture sounds promising.  Spoiler alert: we&#8217;ll soften our position on this point in light of forthcoming points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Depth of Field &#8211; DoF<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While a large aperture seems attractive so far, one argument against that is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/2024\/04\/depth-of-field-a-balancing-act.html?siq_name=$[FNAME]$$[LNAME]$&amp;siq_email=$[EMAIL]$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">depth of field (DoF)<\/a>.  In particular, the narrowest effective aperture maximizes depth of field, while the largest aperture minimizes DoF.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"784\" height=\"762\" src=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Depth-of-Field-and-aperture.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3790\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Depth-of-Field-and-aperture.jpg 784w, https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Depth-of-Field-and-aperture-300x292.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Depth-of-Field-and-aperture-768x746.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Correlation of aperture size and depth of field &#8211; Courtesy Edmund Optics<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the lens design, the difference in DoF between largest vs. smallest aperture may vary from as little as a few millimeters to as great as many centimeters.  Your applications knowledge will inform you how much wiggle room you&#8217;ve got on DoF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So what&#8217;s the sweet spot for aperture?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Barring further arguments to the contrary, the largest aperture that still provides sufficient depth of field is a good rule of thumb.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where do diffraction limits and the Airy disc come into it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Optics is a branch of physics.  And just like absolute zero in the realm of temperature, Boyle&#8217;s law with respect to gases, etc., there are certain constraints and limits that apply to optics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whenever light passes through an aperture, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Diffraction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">diffraction<\/a> occurs &#8211; the bending of waves around the edge of the aperture.  The pattern from a ray of light that falls upon the sensor takes the form of a bright circular area surrounded by a series of weakening concentric rings. This is called the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Airy_disk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Airy disk<\/a>. Without going into the math, the Airy disk is the smallest point to which a beam of light can be focused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while stopping down the aperture increases the DoF, our stated goal, it has the negative impact of increasing diffraction.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"442\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Airy-disk.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3795\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Airy-disk.jpg 442w, https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Airy-disk-300x271.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Correlation of aperture to diffraction pattern &#8211; Courtesy Edmund Optics<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Diffraction limits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As focused patterns, containing details in your application that you want to discern, near each other, they start to overlap. This creates interference, which in turn reduces contrast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every lens, no matter how well it is designed and manufactured, has a diffraction limit, the maximum resolving power of the lens \u2013 expressed in line pairs per millimeter. There is no point generating an Airy disk pattern from adjacent real-world features that are larger than the sensor\u2019s pixels, or the all-important contrast needed will not be achieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And wavelength&#8217;s a factor too?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Indeed wavelength is also a contributor to contrast and the Airy disc. As beings who see, we tend to default to thinking of light as white light or daylight, which is a composite segment of the spectrum, from indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.  That&#8217;s from about 380 nm to 780 nm.  Below 380 nm we find ultraviolet light (UV) in the next segment of the spectrum.  Above 780 nm the next segment is infrared (IR).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"594\" height=\"372\" src=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Electromagnetic-spectrum.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Electromagnetic-spectrum.jpg 594w, https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Electromagnetic-spectrum-300x188.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Monochrome light better than white light<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An additional topic relative to the Airy disc is that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/2024\/05\/monochrome-light-better-for-machine-vision-than-white-light.html?siq_name=$[FNAME]$$[LNAME]$&amp;siq_email=$[EMAIL]$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">monochrome light is better than white light<\/a>.  When light passes through a lens, it refracts (bends) differently in correlation with the wavelength.  This is referred to as <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chromatic_aberration\">chromatic aberration<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"558\" src=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Chromatic-aberration.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3958\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Chromatic-aberration.jpg 584w, https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Chromatic-aberration-300x287.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Transverse and longitudinal chromatic aberration \u2013 Courtesy Edmund Optics<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>If a given point on your imaged object reflect or emits light in two more more of the wavelengths, the focal point of one might land in a different sensor pixel than the other, creating blur and confusion on how to resolve the point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An easy way to completely overcome chromatic aberration is to use a single monochromatic wavelength! If your target object reflects or emits a given wavelength, to which your sensor is responsive, the lens will refract the light from a given point very precisely, with no wavelength-induced shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/contactForm?siq_name=$[FNAME]$$[LNAME]$&amp;siq_email=$[EMAIL]$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Need help to get all parts optimized?  Speak with a sales engineer.  Click here to request a callback.  <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Or call us at 978-474-0044<a class=\"gv-tel-link\" title=\"Call +1 978-474-0044 via Google Voice\" href=\"http:\/\/voice.google.com\/calls?a=nc,%2B19784740044\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The moral of the story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The takeaway point is that the trifecta of aperture (F-stop) and wavelength each have a bearing on the Airy disc, and that one wants to choose and configure the optics and lighting to optimize the Airy disc.  This leads to effective applications performance &#8211; a must have.  But it can also lead to cost-savings, as lower cost lenses, lighting, and sensors, optimally configured, may perform better than higher cost components chosen without sufficient understanding of these principles.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/contactForm?siq_name=$[FNAME]$$[LNAME]$&amp;siq_email=$[EMAIL]$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"173\" height=\"41\" src=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/machine-vision-solutions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Contact-Us-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1866\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/?siq_name=$%5bFNAME%5d$%20$%5bLNAME%5d$&amp;siq_email=$%5bEMAIL%5d$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>1st Vision\u2019s<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;sales engineers have over 100 years of combined experience to assist in your camera and components selection.&nbsp; With a large portfolio of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/cameras\/industrialCameras?siq_name=$[FNAME]$$[LNAME]$&amp;siq_email=$[EMAIL]$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cameras<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/lens\/machine-vision-lenses?siq_name=$%5bFNAME%5d$%20$%5bLNAME%5d$&amp;siq_email=$%5bEMAIL%5d$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lenses<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/cameras\/accessories\/Data-cables?siq_name=$%5bFNAME%5d$%20$%5bLNAME%5d$&amp;siq_email=$%5bEMAIL%5d$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cables<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/cameras\/accessories\/NIC-cards?siq_name=$%5bFNAME%5d$%20$%5bLNAME%5d$&amp;siq_email=$%5bEMAIL%5d$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NIC cards<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/1stvision-industrial-computer-systems\/embedded-industrial-computer?siq_name=$%5bFNAME%5d$%20$%5bLNAME%5d$&amp;siq_email=$%5bEMAIL%5d$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">industrial computers<\/a>, we can provide a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.1stvision.com\/components-needed-for-machine-vision-and-industrial-imaging-systems?siq_name=$%5bFNAME%5d$%20$%5bLNAME%5d$&amp;siq_email=$%5bEMAIL%5d$\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">full vision solution<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><u>About you:<\/u><\/strong>&nbsp;We want to hear from you!&nbsp; We\u2019ve built our brand on our know-how and like to educate the marketplace on imaging technology topics\u2026&nbsp; What would you like to hear about?\u2026 Drop a line to info@1stvision.com with what topics you\u2019d like to know more about.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trifecta of lens f-stop, wavelength and Airy disc<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":3795,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lenses","category-tutorial"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Explained: Trifecta of lens f-stop, wavelength and Airy disc<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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