A lens with at least one surface shaped like a portion of a cylinder. Positive and negative cylindrical lenses (depending on the shape of the curved surface) are used in anamorphic systems to accentuate features in one axis, such as expanding points of light into lines. Applications include astigmatism correction in the human eye and astigmatism production in rangefinders or fire-control equipment.
SPHERICAL VS. ASPHERIC LENSES
HOW THEY’RE USED IN IMAGING APPLICATIONS
Optical Lenses are often categorized by their shape. Two common surface shapes are spherical and aspherical. Each offers unique characteristics that make it suitable for different use cases.