A History of the Photographic Lens

by Rudolf Kingslake

Overview

The lens is generally the most expensive and least understood part of any camera. In this book, Rudolf Kingslake traces the historical development of the various types of lenses from Daguerre's invention of photography in 1839 through lenses commonly used today.
From an early lens still being manufactured for use in low-cost cameras to designs made possible through such innovations as lens coating, rare-earth glasses, and computer aided lens design and testing, the author details each major advance in design and fabrication. The book explains how and why each new lens type was developed, and why most of them have since been abandoned. This authoritative history of lens technology also includes brief biographies of several outstanding lens designers and manufacturers of the past.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780124086401
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	10/28/1989
Pages:	334
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Rudolf Kingslake (1903-2003) was a founding faculty member of the Institute of Optics at The University of Rochester (1929) and remained teaching until 1983. Concurrently, in 1937 he became head of the lens design department at Eastman Kodak until his retirement in 1969. Dr. Kingslake published numerous papers, books, and was awarded many patents. He was a Fellow of SPIE and OSA, and an OSA President (1947-48). He was awarded the Progress Medal from SMPTE (1978), the Frederic Ives Medal (1973), and the Gold Medal of SPIE (1980).

Table of Contents

Introduction. Meniscus Landscape Lenses. Portrait Lenses. Early Double Objectives. Optical Glass. The First Anastigmats. The Triplet Lens and its Modifications. Meniscus Anastigmats. Telephoto Lenses. Reversed Telephoto Lenses. Varifocal and Zoom Lenses. Catadioptric (Mirror) Systems. Lens Attachments. Brief Biographies. Appendix. A Glossary of Optical Terms.

Editorial Reviews

"This book is well illustrated, clearly written and a most useful source of knowledge about lenses. It will interest historians of photography, camera collectors and amateur photographers. For any first-time would-be buyer of a good camera, it will prove an invaluable aid." —NEW SCIENTIST

"[Kingslake has written] an instructive and entertaining account of the development of lenses from the earliest simple double convex lens to the meniscus, to doublets and triplets, achromats and apochromats and even aspherics, and including the most elaborate telephoto and zoom lenses used today." —John N. Howard, OPTICS NEWS

"Kingslake has done an outstanding job of writing a readable book....
Rudy Kingslake is today's first name in optics. His new book belongs in every camera collector's library." —SHUTTERBUG MAGAZINE

"Rudolph Kingslake is eminently qualified to write this book...It is...a rich source of references to books, papers, and most importantly patents, where much of lens design knowledge is archived." —JOURNAL OF MODERN OPTICS

From the Publisher

Kingslake (lens design E. Kodak, retired, and optics, U. of Rochester emeritus) is a rarity-an expert among experts in lens history, theory and application. He briefly treats design, general history, recent refinements, before settling into a detailed description of the development of various lens types, optical glass, catadioptric systems and attachments (diffusers, filters...). A long section (120 p.) presents portraits and biographies of pioneers. Has a glossary and indices by lens name and subjects. A distinguished contribution to optics that is largely accessible to the lay reader. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews