Optics

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Department

The subject provides Department of Photography

Contents

1. Physical Foundations and History of Light

Evolution of Theories: From ancient concepts of vision to particle, wave, electromagnetic, and quantum theories (Newton, Huygens, Maxwell, Planck, Einstein)

Properties of Light: Speed of light in vacuum and media, wavelength, frequency, and the visible spectrum

Refraction and Dispersion: Snell’s Law, refractive index, and the decomposition of light through a prism

1. Geometric Optics and Lens Construction

Lenses and Imaging: Types of lenses (converging, diverging), focal length, magnification, and real vs. virtual images

Aperture and Exposure: The f-number, depth of field, and hyperfocal distance

Specialized Optics: Fresnel lenses, cylindrical lenses, and anamorphic lenses (impact on bokeh and widescreen formats)

1. Physiology of Vision and the Human Eye

Anatomy of the Eye: Function of the cornea, iris, pupil, and crystalline lens; the mechanics of accommodation

Photoreceptors: Rods (luminance/night vision) vs. cones (color/day vision), spectral sensitivity, and the role of rhodopsin

Color Perception: Additive and subtractive color mixing, cone fatigue, and human sensitivity to the yellow-green spectrum

1. Color Temperature and Light Sources

Color Temperature: Black-body radiation principles, Kelvin and Mired units, and their application in photography

Light Sources: Comparison of incandescent and fluorescent spectra, Correlated Color Temperature (CCT), and the Color Rendering Index (CRI)

1. Digital Imaging and Color Management

Pixel and Sensor: Pixel structure, sensor size, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and PPI vs. DPI in printing

Color Management: ICC profiles, standardized color spaces (sRGB, Adobe RGB, CIE Lab), and rendering intents (perceptual vs. relative colorimetric)

1. Wave Phenomena and Stimulated Emission

Interference and Polarization: Constructive and destructive interference, Newton’s rings, Brewster’s angle, and the use of polarizing filters

Stimulated Emission: Bohr’s model of the atom, spontaneous vs. stimulated emission, and the fundamental principles of lasers

1. Optical Aberrations and Image Quality Assessment

Aberrations: Spherical aberration, coma, astigmatism, distortion, and chromatic aberration [196–202].

Performance Metrics: Understanding MTF charts (contrast vs. resolution), spatial frequency, and the diffraction limit (Airy disk)

Learning outcomes

The student understands the basic physical principles of light and optics, including the propagation of light, refraction, polarization, and interference.

Understands the functioning of the human eye and the perception of color and luminance.

Is familiar with the principles of lens design, optical aberrations, and methods for evaluating optical quality (e.g., MTF charts).

Can explain the properties of light sources and the concept of color temperature.

Understands the principles of digital imaging, pixel representation, luminance, and color models.

Is familiar with the basic principles of color management in digital imaging systems.

Prerequisites and other requirements

The student should ideally possess knowledge and skills at the level of secondary-school physics

Literature

Study materials are provided to students at the beginning of the lectures.

Evaluation methods and criteria

The examination is conducted in the form of an individual oral exam. The student receives four questions covering topics discussed during the lectures. After a short preparation period, the student answers the questions and demonstrates an understanding of the subject matter.

The evaluation is based on the factual correctness of the answers, the depth of understanding of the topic, and the ability to explain principles and relationships between the individual areas.

The final grade is determined based on the overall quality of the answers to all four questions.

Note

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Further information

No schedule has been prepared for this course

The subject is a part of the following study plans