Work

Compact 18.5 mm F/2.0 Athermalized Wide-Angle Lens with Low Focus Breathing: Design and Optimization

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Designing high-speed wide-angle optics for large-format mirrorless cameras presents a fundamental engineering conflict between the short flange back distance and the requirement for high-resolution aberration correction. To address this challenge, this study proposes a compact 18.5 mm F/2.0 lens system utilizing a modified retrofocus architecture equipped with an internal floating-focus mechanism. The design methodology integrates glass-molded aspherical surfaces to suppress high-order aberrations and employs passive athermalization strategies to maintain stability across a temperature range of −30 °C to +70 °C. Performance was rigorously evaluated using numerical simulations in Zemax OpticStudio, alongside comprehensive Monte Carlo tolerance analysis. Simulation results demonstrate exceptional optical performance, with the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) exceeding 0.5 at a spatial frequency of 100 lp/mm across the field. Furthermore, focus breathing is restricted to less than 1%, and optical distortion is strictly controlled within 2%. The Monte Carlo tolerance analysis predicts a manufacturing yield exceeding 80% under standard industrial precision levels. Ultimately, this work provides a theoretically sound, athermally stable, and highly manufacturable solution suitable for next-generation high-resolution mirrorless sensors.

Source: Applied Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/app16083848