Lenses

Liquid Lenses

Precise focus adjustment without mechanical parts

Liquid lenses offer fast and precise focusing without any moving mechanical parts. Optotune's liquid lenses can be controlled directly through compatible Basler cameras using the same SDK, enabling seamless integration and operation.

See the liquid lenses

Focusing without mechanics
Electronic focus adjustment without mechanical components
For various sensors
Suitable for sensor sizes up to 4/3" and resolutions up to 3.5 µm
Wide range of focal lengths and aperture sizes
Lenses with focal lengths ranging from 12 mm to 80 mm and maximum apertures ranging from F3.1 to F5.4
Easy control
Can be controlled directly through the Basler camera within the same SDK

New

Lens and lighting control

Discover a vision system that lets you control the lens andlighting directly through the camera. The entire configuration is handled within a single SDK, such as pylon. You’ll benefit from minimal hardware and software requirements as well as exceptionally easy integration.

Build your vision system using a modular approach:

Area scan camera: ace 2 or boost R camera model
Basler Sync Cable: I/O cable for controlling lens and lighting
Focus tunable lens: motorized or liquid lens
LED Lighting: One model from all Basler Lights

Discover lens and lighting control

An overview of liquid lenses

Find the right lens for your application or learn more about Optotune, a leading manufacturer of liquid lenses.

What are liquid lenses?

Liquid lenses change their focal length electronically by altering the shape of an optical fluid.

Liquid lenses electronically adjust their focal length or refractive power by deforming an optical fluid. Unlike conventional lenses, focusing occurs directly within the lens without any moving mechanical components. This enables extremely fast and precise focusing.

Liquid lenses are particularly well-suited for machine vision applications involving varying working distances, high cycle speeds, or limited installation space. Due to a compact design and wear-free focusing, they offer a reliable solution for demanding industrial machine vision systems.

Advantages of liquid lenses

High focusing speed

Liquid lenses allow for focus adjustments in milliseconds. This makes them ideal for dynamic processes, high-speed applications, and automated inspection systems.

Varying work intervals

A single system can accommodate different object distances without mechanical readjustment or lens changes, increasing flexibility and reducing setup times.

Wear-free focusing

Since focusing occurs without mechanical movement, liquid lenses operate with virtually no wear. This results in a long service life and minimal maintenance.

Compact design

Its compact size allows it to be integrated even into space-constrained machines, embedded vision systems, and compact automation solutions.

A comparison: liquid lenses and traditional lenses

Feature	Liquid Lenses	Classic Lenses
Focus speed	Very high	Limited
Dynamic focus shift	Ideal for varying working distances	Restricted
Mechanical wear	Minimal	Available
Camera size	Compact	Larger
Maintenance costs	Low	Higher
Capital expenditures	Higher	Low

Conclusion: Liquid lenses excel in any application that requires rapid focus changes, varying object distances, and high process dynamics. Conventional lenses, on the other hand, remain a cost-effective solution for applications with fixed focus distances.

Applications of liquid lenses

Liquid lenses are well suited for industrial applications involving varying object sizes, changing working distances, and high cycle speeds. Their fast, wear-free focusing enables high process reliability and short cycle times.