2/7/2016

HOME

What is Spherical Aberration?

REVIEWS

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

FORUM

PHOTO SPOTS

LENSES

GEAR GUIDE

ABOUT US

CURRENT DEALS

SUBSCRIBE

REGISTER

LOG IN
HOME / CAMERAS AND LENSES / WHAT IS SPHERICAL ABERRATION?

What is Spherical Aberration?

OCTOBER 5, 2011 BY NASIM MANSUROV 18 COMMENTS

5
Like
Share

Spherical Aberration is an optical problem that occurs when all incoming light rays end up focusing at different points after passing through a spherical
surface. Light rays passing through a lens near its horizontal axis are refracted less than rays closer to the edge or periphery of the lens and as a result, end
up in different spots across the optical axis. In other words, the parallel light rays of incoming light do not converge at the same point after passing through
the lens. Because of this, Spherical Aberration can affect resolution and clarity, making it hard to obtain sharp images. Here is an illustration that shows
Spherical Aberration:

As shown above, light rays refract or change their angle when passing through the lens. The ones closer to the top and the bottom of the illustration end up
converging at a shorter distance along the optical axis (black/red dotted line), while the ones closer to the optical axis converge at a longer distance, creating
different focal points along the same axis. The point of best focus with the circle of least confusion is illustrated as the thick green line. Spherical Aberration

https://photographylife.com/what-is-spherical-aberration

1/11

2/7/2016

What is Spherical Aberration?

is not just caused by lens design, but also by the quality of the lens material. Lenses made of poor quality material and large bubbles can drastically impact
light refraction.
A perfect lens would have all light rays converge in a single focal point, as illustrated below:

The best focus point with the circle of least confusion is therefore located right on this focal point. A normal spherical lens design would not allow the above
to happen though, so specialized precise methods by manufacturers have been developed over the years to reduce the effect of spherical aberration.

Ways to Reduce Spherical Aberration

Modern lenses employ different techniques to dramatically reduce spherical aberration. One of the methods employs using a specialized apsherical (meaning
non-spherical) lens surface, which is curved outwards on one side for the sole purpose of converging light rays into a single focal point, as illustrated below:

https://photographylife.com/what-is-spherical-aberration

2/11

2/7/2016

What is Spherical Aberration?

Spherical aberration is most pronounced when the diaphragm of the lens is wide open (maximum aperture). Stopping down the lens even by a single stop
dramatically reduces spherical aberration, because aperture blades block the outer edges of spherical lenses. A clear example of this can be found in the
focus shift article.
Coming soon: Chromatic Aberration, Distortion, Coma, Vignetting, Flare/Ghosts, Diffraction and more.

Google Hosting Service

Custom Domain & Build Your Own Site Start With A Free 30-Day Trial.

Share this article:

Facebook

Google

Twitter

Pinterest

12

More

Related Articles

Fujinon XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR Announcement

In "Photography News"

Sony A7 II Pricing Announced

In "Cameras and Lenses"

Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art Lens Announcement

In "Cameras and Lenses"

Support Photography Life!

If you would like to support our efforts to deliver the best content, please consider purchasing gear from our trusted partners B&H Photo Video and Adorama. You can also donate
through this page or register and contribute monthly.

https://photographylife.com/what-is-spherical-aberration

3/11

2/7/2016

What is Spherical Aberration?

Don't forget to subscribe and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates!

FILED UNDER: CAMERAS AND LENSES

TAGGED WITH: ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS, CAMERA TERMINOLOGY, LENSES, OPTICS, SPHERICAL ABERRATION

About Nasim Mansurov

Nasim Mansurov is a professional photographer based out of Denver, Colorado. He is the author and founder of Photography Life, along
with a number of other online resources. Read more about Nasim here.

Comments
1) Peng
OCTOBER 14, 2011 AT 10:23 PM

Good job Nasim! Thanks for sharing.

Reply

2) Sam
OCTOBER 14, 2011 AT 10:26 PM

Good tip. Thanks, Nasim.

Have a good weekend.
Reply

3) Peter
OCTOBER 15, 2011 AT 6:36 AM

VERY interesting and very clearly explained, along with the consequences.
Im anxious to see the other analysis.
Reply

3.1) Nasim Mansurov

OCTOBER 15, 2011 AT 9:47 AM

Peter, I will do my best to explain some complex topics and terminology in a simple way, to then fully explain how aperture and other lens features work in
detail. These articles are obviously for more advanced photographers I will create a separate section on the site for these.
Reply

https://photographylife.com/what-is-spherical-aberration

4/11

2/7/2016

What is Spherical Aberration?

4) Kapitancho
OCTOBER 15, 2011 AT 6:40 AM

Its not a bad idea to add a few sentences about focus shift as it is a consequence of spherical aberation.
Reply

4.1) Nasim Mansurov

OCTOBER 15, 2011 AT 9:44 AM

Coming soon in a separate article :) I realized yesterday that I missed a couple of things in this article. Will finish it up when I get back from Phoenix
Reply

4.1.1) princessfaiza
MARCH 8, 2012 AT 7:57 PM

is this have a function in our daily life?

Reply

5) harkabir
OCTOBER 15, 2011 AT 10:39 PM

das ist gutt Mr Nasim :)

Reply

5.1) peter
OCTOBER 18, 2011 AT 3:25 PM

Thats about the only German I know, other than Das ist alles which I told my German butcher at the end of an order. He taught me that phrase.
Es lebe die groe Nation Deutschland!
Reply

6) De REFORMER
JULY 3, 2012 AT 3:31 AM

thanks; good work and keep it up

Reply

https://photographylife.com/what-is-spherical-aberration

5/11

2/7/2016

What is Spherical Aberration?

7) Spectacular
SEPTEMBER 23, 2012 AT 9:34 AM

Thanks for dis wonderful info. Am glad 2 say it was very helpful indeed. Keep up wit d gud work
Reply

8) Jean Bosco
OCTOBER 25, 2012 AT 2:11 AM

Helpful explanation. Thanks Mr.Nasim

Reply

9) Tim Mielke
FEBRUARY 4, 2013 AT 9:01 AM

After reading your article I wasnt sure how to apply the concept until the end. The idea of stopping down to reduce the amount of aberrations is brilliant. I
have heard that lenses stopped down a couple stops from the maximum aperture are sharper. Know I now the science behind the principle. Thanks for the
tip.
Reply

10) EricD
FEBRUARY 23, 2013 AT 5:56 PM

Might your aspheric lens work better the other way round ?
Im thinking of the work of Descartes,
and fossil Trilobyte eyes !
http://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0030399208002454-gr8.jpg
Reply

10.1) Nasim Mansurov

OCTOBER 2, 2013 AT 11:11 AM

Eric, just noticed your message that you left in February of this year, as I was reviewing some of the old articles. You are absolutely right my image was
flipped and I dont know how I let that one slip, LOL :) I have just fixed it and uploaded the correct version!
Thank you so much for your feedback.
Reply

11) chetu jm
SEPTEMBER 29, 2013 AT 4:44 AM

thank u sir today its really helped me thanks a lot

https://photographylife.com/what-is-spherical-aberration

6/11

2/7/2016

What is Spherical Aberration?

Reply

12) yaghoob
DECEMBER 20, 2013 AT 7:07 AM

thanks a lot
i dont know this subject very very thank you
Reply

13) zankat bharat l

SEPTEMBER 19, 2014 AT 5:08 AM

Very nice topic .

Reply

Comment Policy: Although our team at Photography Life encourages all readers to actively participate in discussions, we reserve the right to delete / modify any
content that does not comply with our Code of Conduct, or do not meet the high editorial standards of the published material.

Leave a Comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment

I'm not a robot

reCAPTCHA
Privacy - Terms

Name *

Email *

POST COMMENT

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

https://photographylife.com/what-is-spherical-aberration

7/11

2/7/2016

What is Spherical Aberration?

Notify me of new posts by email.

CONNECT WITH US

PhotographyLife
328,007likes

LikePage

Share

SEARCH

Google Search...
CATEGORIES
Accessories (116)
Camera Reviews (57)
Cameras and Lenses (589)
Color Management and Printing (7)
Composition and Art (39)
Contests and Critique (16)
Deals and Rebates (16)
Essays (48)
Flash Photography and Lighting (62)
Interviews (5)
Lens Reviews (63)
Miscellaneous (120)
PC / Mac / Tablet Hardware (18)
Photography Business (21)
Photography Courses (3)
Photography News (161)
Photography Techniques (145)
Photography Tutorials (101)
Post Processing (118)
Software Reviews (7)
Storage (11)
Tours and Travel (166)
Videography (9)
LOGIN

Username

https://photographylife.com/what-is-spherical-aberration

8/11

2/7/2016

What is Spherical Aberration?

Password

Remember Me
LOGIN
Register
Lost Password
SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL
Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and
receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 9,671 other subscribers

Email Address

SUBSCRIBE

Current Promotions

https://photographylife.com/what-is-spherical-aberration

9/11

2/7/2016

https://photographylife.com/what-is-spherical-aberration

What is Spherical Aberration?

10/11

2/7/2016

What is Spherical Aberration?

Art

I've never featured MegaMan in any of my comics.

False
True

Your Name

Challenge Mode

0pts

Trivia

Leaderbo...

Chat

Log-in
Create your own @ Insticator

Copyright 2016 Photography Life

https://photographylife.com/what-is-spherical-aberration

11/11