What impact does the selection of industrial camera lenses have on image quality?

In the field of industrial automation, machine vision systems are playing an increasingly important role. Industrial cameras and lenses are the core components of the system. The image quality of industrial cameras directly affects the overall performance and detection accuracy of the visual system. However, when purchasing industrial cameras, many users tend to only focus on the camera's resolution, frame rate and other parameters, while ignoring the key role of the lens. In fact, as the "eyes" of the camera, the choice of lens has a crucial impact on the final image quality.

How do lens parameters affect image quality?

Focal length

The focal length of the lens determines the viewing angle and magnification in use. A focal length that is too short will result in a large viewing angle, resulting in edge distortion; a focal length that is too long will reduce the field of view and limit the detection area in use. Therefore, choosing a suitable lens focal length, considering factors such as the size of the object being measured and the working distance in the application, will not affect the detection results.

Aperture

The lens aperture controls the amount of light entering, which directly affects the brightness and depth of field of the image. A too large aperture will cause glare and reduced contrast, while a too small aperture may cause insufficient image brightness and affect image clarity. When selecting a lens, it is also necessary to combine the lighting conditions and depth of field requirements to ensure stable imaging quality.

Resolution

The resolution of the lens must match the camera sensor to fully utilize the performance of the camera. If the lens resolution is lower than the camera resolution, even if the camera has high pixels, the image may be blurred and cannot meet the needs of fine detection.

Distortion

Distortion will cause geometric distortion of the image and affect the measurement accuracy. Especially in high-precision measurement applications (such as PCB detection and precision parts detection), low-distortion lenses can effectively reduce image errors and improve detection reliability.

Transmittance

Lenses with high transmittance can reduce light loss, improve image brightness and contrast, and can effectively enhance image quality, especially in low-light environments.

How to choose a suitable industrial camera?

Application requirements

First, the user's application requirements must be clarified, and the required lens parameters must be determined by comprehensively considering factors such as the characteristics of the object to be measured, the detection accuracy requirements, and the working environment (lighting conditions and installation space).

Camera sensor

The camera's sensor must match the lens's interface type, target surface size and other parameters, otherwise it may affect the quality of the image or even make it unusable.

Matching camera sensor

The interface type, target surface size and other parameters of the lens need to match the camera sensor, otherwise it will affect the image quality of the camera during use, or even cause it to be unusable.

Consulting products

When you are not sure how to choose a suitable camera, you can consult our machine vision engineers or business specialists. We will provide customers with accurate professional advice and products that are suitable for the price.

Case analysis: Lens selection in PCB detection

Take PCB industry detection as an example. Electronic components are small in size and require high precision, so it is necessary to select lenses with high resolution and low distortion. At the same time, combined with appropriate lighting equipment, such as coaxial light sources or ring light sources, to reduce reflective interference and ensure that the camera obtains clear and accurate images when shooting.

Summary

The choice of industrial camera lenses has a decisive influence on image quality and is directly related to the performance and detection accuracy of the extremely visual system. Therefore, when selecting a lens, it is necessary to comprehensively consider key factors such as focal length, aperture, resolution, distortion, etc., and ensure that the lens matches the camera sensor to achieve the best imaging effect. Choosing the right visual equipment can enable enterprises to effectively improve the stability and accuracy of the automated monitoring system, and provide strong guarantees for production efficiency and quality.