[video.stumbleupon.com]

pretty neat.

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All I ever really needed to know, I learned from watching Star Trek.

A recent "How it's Made" on Discovery (or was it Science) showed the process. Great program!

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Wow, that is a primitive process. No whizbang techno machinery here. Lensmaking is still a black art.

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

That was cool

Very high tech compared to making a lens or mirror at home... that involves taking two "pucks" of glass, and rubbing them together with grinding compound until one is curved properly... THAT's an art.

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
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Eureka, CA

Here is how Csnon does it.
[www.canon.com]

You are all wrong. Lenses are made by the lens fairy.

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Ways to improve web conference image and sound quality. [forums.macresource.com]


Phony Stark's Robot

That's how those lenses are made.
That's not how all lenses are made.

Yes... cheap plastic lenses in cheap crappy telescopes and binoculars found at department stores are pressed in a mold...
And they pretty much all suck.

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Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA

Interesting. I love watching people doing their jobs; some real craftspeople there. Here's the site of the company:

[www.jmloptical.com]

I want to go see a Pentax Limited series lens being made!

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[picasaweb.google.com] [www.flickr.com]

Quote
Paul F.
Yes... cheap plastic lenses in cheap crappy telescopes and binoculars found at department stores are pressed in a mold...
And they pretty much all suck.

a lot of the high end zoom lenses, and some prime lenses from canon, Nikon and the other lens makers mold at least some of their elements, and mold them out of optical resin. Almost all, if not all aspheric camera lenses contain molded plastic elements. Absolutely nothing wrong with the idea or process, if its done properly.

You hit upon the key point; "If it's done properly"...

MOST of the time when molded plastic is used for lenses, it's done by the bean counters get the costs down.... and it's NOT done "properly", it's done CHEAPLY.

High end zoom lenses are the exception, not the rule.

Now if they could just make me an optical resin 14" cassegrain primary mirror and corrector plate for something I can afford so I can build that telescope I've always wanted

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Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA