# Simple lens

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{{Short description|Simple optical device}}
thumb|A convex lens flipping an image vertically
In [optics](/source/optics), a '''simple lens''' or '''singlet lens''' is a [lens](/source/lens_(optics)) consisting of a single simple element. Typical examples include a [magnifying glass](/source/magnifying_glass) or a lens in a pair of simple [reading glasses](/source/glasses).<ref>[http://www2.ph.ed.ac.uk/~wjh/teaching/mo/slides/lens/lens.pdf Operation of Simple Lens - University of Edinburgh]</ref>

Simple lenses are prone to [aberrations](/source/aberration_in_optical_systems), especially [chromatic aberration](/source/chromatic_aberration). They cannot be used for precise imaging and make poor [camera lens](/source/camera_lens)es.  They are commonly used for [laser](/source/laser) applications, however, where the beams are both [monochromatic](/source/monochromatic) (minimizing chromatic aberration) and narrow (minimizing [spherical aberration](/source/spherical_aberration)).

Some [camera](/source/camera)s  with [fixed lenses](/source/Focus_free_lens) have been made using a simple lens, usually a [meniscus lens](/source/meniscus_lens) with the convex face facing outward. In such examples the lens [aperture](/source/aperture) is made small and in some cases (such as the [Kodak](/source/Kodak) [Brownie 127](/source/Brownie_(camera)) camera), the [film](/source/photographic_film) plane is curved to reduce the impact of aberrations.

==See also==
*[Doublet (lens)](/source/Doublet_(lens))
*[Aspheric lens](/source/Aspheric_lens)

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simple Lens}}
Category:Photographic lenses
Category:Lenses

{{Optics-stub}}

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