field curvature

A simple lens focuses the image of a planar object to a spherical surface.

Synonyms: Petzval curvature , Petzval field curvature , curvature of image field , curvature of field

Related MicroscopyU Article

Field Curvature

A simple lens focuses image points from an extended flattened object, such as a specimen on a microscope slide, onto a spherical surface resembling a curved bowl. The nominal curvature of this surface is the reciprocal of the lens radius and is referred to as the Petzval Curvature of the lens. Curvature of field in optical microscopy is a common and annoying aberration that is familiar to most experienced microscopists.