Imaging System Fundamentals: From Light to Lenses 

Imaging systems are foundational technology in the cinema and television industry.  Understanding imaging systems require a solid introduction to fundamental imaging physics.  In this course, we introduce the imaging chain as the basis of all imaging system design and focus explicitly on the physics of image capture.  Emphasis is offered on the nature of light, the properties of light-matter interaction, and the intentional collection of light through optics.  Numerous examples will be given to help the attendee better understand lighting, color science, lenses, and imaging technology. 

Learning Objectives: 

Describe the imaging chain: stimuli, collection, processing, display, perception 

• Identify the properties of energy sources used by imaging systems 
• Describe the fundamental wave and particle duality of electromagnetic radiation 
• Derive the spatiotemporal wave equation 
• Demonstrate the origins of refraction and Snell’s Law 
• Describe the metrology of radiometry and photometry 
• Define spectral properties of light and light measurement 
• Use Planck’s blackbody model and summarize correlated color temperature 
• Describe wave interference and derive aperture-dependent diffraction phenomena 
• Summarize light-matter interaction: reflection, transmission, absorption, scatter 
• Define goniophotometry 
• Describe pinhole camera optics and the camera obscura 
• Derive fundamental lens refraction relationships: single-surface optical power, two-surface refraction, thin lens approximation 
• Summarize properties of positive and negative lens elements 
• Demonstrate geometric ray tracing optics and define lens focal length and field-of-view 
• Derive the Gaussian lens equation 
• Define lens aberrations 
• Describe incorporation of an aperture and the calculation of the photographic f-number 
• Derive photographic depth-of-field relationships 
• Define photographic exposure and summarize the mathematics of the “f-stop” 
• Demonstrate the reciprocity law