Awesome Optics

Drone photography has given us new perspectives on the world around us. There’s a way to create a similar camera effect when capturing microscopic images. Steve Mould shows how a Hirox digital microscope’s rotary head attachment enables it to fly around objects like a miniature drone. The detailed 3D views it captures are truly eye-opening.

The latest VR headset from Bigscreen is as small and light as they come. It packs 2560 x 2560 micro-OLED displays and a wide 116º FOV. Upgrades include much-improved optics, an adjustable IPD, and available eye-tracking tech for $200 extra. Plus, at 107 grams, it’s even lighter than the original. Optimum has an in-depth review of the compact headset.

Normally, cameras can’t see what’s behind an obstacle. That didn’t stop engineering Shane Wighton from creating a solution. The Stuff Made Here worked tirelessly to make a device and software that captures images with a spinning photo sensor and mirrors. Adjusting the position of its components makes its field of view completely adjustable.

You just need one eye for Nocs’ simply fantastic monoculars that come in a range of eye-popping colors. Now you can bird-watch without being seen with the camo patterned 8×32 Field Tube monocular created in collaboration with outdoor adventure brand Florence. Multi-coated lenses and a 7-piece optical system provide best-in-class optics.

The Action Lab shows off the unusual optical properties of Ulexite, a mineral that looks semi-opaque but shows objects it’s placed on top of. Also known as “television stone,” the rock transfers light through tiny tubes that act like organic fiber optics. You can find chunks of the stuff on Etsy if you want to try it yourself.

Typical night vision scopes display monochrome images in shades of green. Yashica has developed a scope that can display and record full-color video in the darkness of night. It also has a 3-level infrared illuminator to produce high-contrast black-and-white footage with a viewing distance of up to 1970 feet and a sensitivity of 0.0037 lux.

Inspired by the Backyard Scientist’s industrial laser experiments, YouTuber Styropyro got a cheap but powerful industrial fiber laser of his own. He started by testing the 2-kilowatt laser’s cleaning and burning capabilities; then, he attached a beam-spreading lens to help light things on fire from a long distance.

Japan’s Sigma Corporation makes all kinds of camera lenses. Process X takes us on a factory tour for a look at how their interchangeable lenses come together, from polishing glass to assembling tiny components and even hand-painting the dial markings. Production requires precision and cleanliness from start to finish. No wonder lenses are so expensive.

When you apply a curve to a mirror, it distorts the image it reflects. In these two videos, Dr. Boyd F. Edwards shows some of the strange visual effects that happen when an object is placed in front of a large concave mirror. Objects can appear upright, inverted, magnified, or minified depending on their distance relative to the mirror’s focal point.

With the right lens curvature, it’s possible to project an image that’s not visible until light shines through it. Science educator Steve Mould explains the optical and mathematical properties of these uniquely engineered lenses. A similar effect can be created with mirrors and reflected light. Rayform specializes in the technique.

If you’re even a halfway decent golfer, a rangefinder is an essential tool to boost performance. The Cobalt Q6 Slope Rangefinder calculates distance and slope like a tech-whiz caddy. It has premium optics, an integrated display, an adjustable diopter, and a waterproof aluminum housing to prevent water hazard disasters.

After building a mirrored room that lights up the entire space no matter where a light source is placed, James from The Action Lab wanted to see if he could build a mirrored room that won’t reflect light onto all of its walls. The trick is a space that uses curved mirrors with wraparound corners in specific locations.

Videos and film images aren’t moving at all. They’re just a collection of back-to-back frames that our brains stitch together to create the illusion of movement. Joe Hanson of the PBS series Be Smart takes a deep dive into the way that our eyes and minds process images and how motion picture devices work.

Smartphone cameras are pretty amazing, except for capturing long-distance shots. The cast-aluminum Nocs Provisions Photo Rig Adapter is a handy pocket pal that clamps on to align a phone lens to a Zoom Tube Monocular Telescope or standard binoculars for true analog zoom photos and videos.

The ultra-compact, all-weather Zoom Tube has best-in-class optics and a wide field of view to bring nature closer. Really close. An optional 4x multiplier lens turns it into a field microscope. Weighing just 9.5 oz., it easily slides into a pocket, and the awesomely rugged, grippy, water-resistant ribbed housing absorbs impact.

Engineer Matt Ferraro came up with an innovative method to hide images in clear acrylic. At first glance, the tile appears to be completely transparent, but when light passes through it onto a surface, an image is revealed. The technique relies on caustic patterns which cast shadows and transmit light at varying intensities.