Reading material on Lenses

[Alis]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking for something in depth (online, books, articles, etc) to read on Lenses, I mean lens systems we use for SLRs, from optics to design to the electronics.

Any information is apprecited!

Cheers!

[Donald]

A search on Amazon doesn't turn up that much. This gets good reviews, but seems more targeted at those without much knowledge or experience.

[Shadowman]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking for something in depth (online, books, articles, etc) to read on Lenses, I mean lens systems we use for SLRs, from optics to design to the electronics.

Any information is apprecited!

Cheers!

Try a few of the articles at Popular Photography. They also produce a very good magazine.

www.popphoto.com

[Alis]

A search on Amazon doesn't turn up that much. This gets good reviews, but seems more targeted at those without much knowledge or experience.

Thanks, Donald!

I am looking for that hidden jewel that someone has read before and that can not be found easily by googling. And I need something more advance.

I actually read the article Sean has written on this forum. I want something that expands on those. I keep talking about the lens parameters and characteristics but I have no idea what they really mean. And those curves drive me crazy!

[Alis]

Try a few of the articles at Popular Photography. They also produce a very good magazine.

www.popphoto.com

Thanks, John. I will check it out. Actually I had the subscription to that magazine and used to read it regularly.

[inkista]

Optics design only, and more general than just SLR lenses, but you might want to find Rudolph Kingslake's books. He was head of Optical Design at Eastman Kodak. A History of the Photographic Lens is one helluva survey on lens design. If you've ever wanted to know what those elements and groups are all about, that's the one to find.

Online, Roger Cicala's been doing a sort of boiled-down version of this lately in his lensrentals articles. So far, he's two articles in and up to the founding of Zeiss.

• From Petzval's Sum to Abbe's Number
• The Schott Heard around the World

For specifics on Canon lenses, the Canon "Lens Work" series is good, if a bit out of date, now. You probably want chapter 9, "EF Lens Technology".

[Colin Southern]

For specifics on Canon lenses, the Canon "Lens Work" series is good, if a bit out of date, now. You probably want chapter 9, "EF Lens Technology".

I'll 2nd that Ali.

The online version is quite dated, but they've kept the "real" versions pretty much up to date - and it's dirt cheap. I think they're up to 11th edition - I can ask Canon for you if you'd like a definitive reply? I think my 2 copies are about 2 years old, so it's possibly due for a refresh shortly (it doesn't cover lenes like EF 16-35mm F:2.8L USM II and EF 70-200mm F:2.8L IS USM II), but all the other "favourites" are covered. Apart from MTF charts nothing too technical, but a few surprising glimpses into such things as lens communication protocols.

Their online museum also has some interesting stuff if you haven't seen that already.

[Alis]

Thanks, Kathy and Colin! I have actually seen the online version and noticed that it was a bit out dated.

I will check the other links, Kathy.

Colin, if you mean asking them about the latest version, that would be great before I buy a copy. I saw the paper version on Amazon a few days ago.

Thanks again!

[Colin Southern]

Hi Ali,

No problem - just remind me in a few days if I forget - everything "upside down" this time of year with suppliers etc. Be wary of the amazon version - they seem to be vague about edition number, and some of the copies are going for grossly inflated prices. I think at the time I paid something like NZD 40 or 60 for my copies. Very nice book to have though - an absolute must for people like you and I.