Knowledge Hub

SWIR in Industrial Machine Vision: Fundamentals, Challenges & Applications

By Ellen Schöller

Industrial image processing has long relied on more than just visible light. SWIR (Short Wave Infrared) systems make “invisible light” usable. Learn how SWIR precisely reveals hidden material properties, variations in moisture content, and package contents where conventional cameras reach their limits.

Ruggedized lenses for harsh environments

By Johannes Kühn

In this TechTalk, Johannes Kühn shares insights into ruggedized lenses and explains when they outperform standard optics. The session covers key design principles, environmental challenges, and real-world applications in demanding industries such as aerospace and industrial automation.

3D Lens Viewer for Industrial Imaging

Interactive 3D viewer for industrial lenses. Explore models, inspect details and compare lenses and accessories online.

UAV lenses

Discover our ruggedized and stabilized imaging lenses for UAVs. Engineered to withstand extreme shock, vibration, and temperature for precise aerial imaging.

Optical Calculator for Focal Length, Magnification, and FOV

This optical calculator provides a fast and precise way to determine key parameters for machine vision applications. It assists in the technical specification of camera and lens systems, ensuring that focal length, magnification, and field of view are perfectly matched to your requirements.

Depth of Field Calculator | MTF & Diffraction Limit

Depth of Field (DoF) answers one of the most critical questions in industrial imaging and photography: How much room to move does my object have while remaining tack-sharp? The calculator shows you the exact range in millimeters where your object can be placed without dropping below your desired contrast threshold (MTF).

When is a custom lens the best solution?

By Nicolas Douradou

At the inVISION days on Tuesday, December 2nd, our Sales Engineer Nicolas Douradou shared insights on "When is a custom lens the best solution?". The talk explored the key factors that influence the decision to move from standard lenses to custom optical solutions. It covered different levels of customization, what “custom” really means in practice, and the considerations involved in matching optical design to specific application requirements. Real-world examples illustrated the process and challenges behind custom lens development.

Scheimpflug principle

The Scheimpflug principle describes the optical alignment of the object, lens, and image planes so they intersect along a single line. Tilting the lens relative to the image plane allows inclined surfaces to appear sharply focused. This concept is fundamental in fields like photography, microscopy, machine vision, aerial mapping, and medical imaging. It enhances depth of field, reduces diffraction, and ensures precise focus across tilted objects—making it essential for accurate, high-resolution imaging in both scientific and industrial applications.

Lens Specs Matter, so do Your Homework

By Stuart W. Singer

Precise lens specifications are key to successful optical systems. This article explains how engineers can use a clear Top-10 checklist and a technical matrix to avoid misunderstandings, save time and costs, and collaborate effectively with providers to find the optimal lens solution.

Lenses, lights, camera and action: Applying cinematography lessons to machine vision systems

By Stuart W. Singer & Jim Sullivan

Discover how cinematography's t/stops enhance multi-camera machine vision. Unlike f/stops, t/stops account for actual light transmission, ensuring uniform illumination regardless of lens type or focal length. This article explains Numerical Aperture (NA), f/stops, and the critical advantages of t/stops, which consider lens elements, glass, and coatings. Adopting t/stops in machine vision could revolutionize image consistency for complex systems.

Keystone Distortion

By Stuart W. Singer & Ronald A. Petrozzo 

This paper addresses projected image Distortion in a cinema setting. Several types of distortions are defined and examples are presented to show that the degree of distortion in the image can be calculated based on the theater geometry as well as the film format and projector lens specifications. This paper concentrates on inherent distortion values that typically effect the overall shape of the picture area and the relative shapes of all subjects being viewed as well as the audience's perception of imaged picture quality.

Telecentric lenses simplify non contact metrology

By Stuart W. Singer

Simplify non-contact metrology with telecentric lenses. Discover how these specialized lenses maintain constant magnification for accurate 3D measurements by eliminating perspective distortion.

How Large Format Lenses Revolutionize ExA-SPIM Lightsheet Microscopy

Explore how Schneider-Kreuznach's industrial large-format lenses and advanced camera technology are pivotal to the ExA-SPIM system, enabling nano-scale fluorescence light-sheet microscopy of entire brain tissues, surpassing conventional methods.

Enhancing Monochrome Imaging with Optical Filters: A Practical Demonstration

In machine vision, especially with monochrome cameras, subtle differences in material or color can easily be lost without proper contrast enhancement. This article demonstrates how simple optical color filters can dramatically improve the separation of objects in grayscale images – using a straightforward real-world example. Learn how to make red and blue elements stand out and discover why filter selection is critical in demanding industrial imaging environments.

Accurate Unit Conversion in Machine Vision

Learn why precise unit conversion is crucial for machine vision applications. Discover key metric and imperial unit conversions to optimize lens selection, sensor calibration, and image processing for industrial automation.

Precision Imaging with Polarization Filters

How do Schneider-Kreuznach polarization filters enhance industrial imaging and ensure reliable quality control? Opto's latest case study reveals how these high-performance filters maintain resolution, reduce reflections, and optimize optical particle analysis for precise cleaning validation.