Please Help With Lens Mathematics!

[David Sweetman]

I am in a critical thinking class where we are required to present a topic to the class. I have chosen to present the topic of mathematics and how it relates to filmmaking. Specifically, I want to present the mathematics involved in the functioning of lenses.

 

If any of you have any formulas or mathematical facts regarding this issue, it would be a tremendous help if you would teach me. Such as how f-stops or focus lengths are derived, or the relationship between them, any mathematical trivia or fact I could present

 

Thanks in advance

-Dave

[David Sweetman]

Or if you know of a resource where such things are taught -- book, website, whatever

 

thanks

[Mike Panczenko]

This site is great, not only for optics questions, but for physics in general: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hframe.html

 

The link above puts you to the main optics page- just navigate the tree and you will find more equations than you know what to do with. Hope this helps!

[Daniel Madsen]

Everything dealing with light is logarithmic. You could start with that subject and how it relates to the aperture of a lens, film speed, shutter angle? etc. I just posed a question about the inverse square rule in the lighting forum- that might be of interest.

 

 

 

Check out Blain Brown?s book on cinematography and linos.com. Have them send you a catalogue. The stuff in the catalogue is pretty complicated though so have an optical engineer on call ready to answer your questions.

 

I?d be interested to know what you decide to present. Goodluck.

[David Sweetman]

Awesome, thanks, I found some great articles at www.wikipedia.com too