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Why can transparent plastic be used in some camera lenses?
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technology of photography
Figure 1: Sequence of negativeâpositive process, from the photographing of the original scene to enlarged print (see text).
Transparent plastic is used in some camera lenses primarily because it can be molded into elements with aspheric surfaces, which helps in correcting aberrations that occur in simple lens designs.1
While traditional lenses are typically made of optical glass, plastic materialsâmost commonly polymethyl methacrylateâoffer a cost-effective alternative for manufacturing. In low-cost cameras, manufacturers may even produce multi-element plastic lenses, utilizing high-dispersion plastics like styrene for negative (concave) elements.21
Despite these advantages, plastic lenses are generally more sensitive to mechanical damage than their glass counterparts.1