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Super Apochromatic Microscope Objectives![]()
TL10X-2P 10X Super Apochromat Objective Application Idea Mount four of our super apochromatic objectives on a CSN500 objective turret with a PLE351 parfocal length extender for the TL4X-SAP objective and an M32A2 thread adapter for the TL10X-2P objective. TL2X-SAP 2X Super Apochromat Objective TL1X-SAP 1X Super Apochromat Objective Related Items ![]() Please Wait
![]() Did You Know?Multiple optical elements, including the microscope objective, tube lens, and eyepieces, together define the magnification of a system. See the Magnification & FOV tab to learn more.
Features
Thorlabs' super apochromatic microscope objectives provide axial color correction in the visible range and a flat field of focus in a variety of imaging modalities without introducing vignetting. These objectives are designed for use with a tube lens focal length of 200 mm and have optical elements that are AR-coated for improved transmission. Our 1X telecentric objective is ideal for machine vision applications (see Telecentric Tutorial tab), while our 2X and 4X objectives have high numerical apertures (NA), making them ideal for widefield imaging. Lastly, our 10X objective is designed for two-photon imaging. This objective has a long 7.77 mm working distance and features a correction collar and optical thickness scale, allowing the objective focus to be adjusted for a variety of media that may be present between the objective and the sample, such as aqueous solutions and cover glasses (see the Correction Collar tab for details). Note that these objectives are not suitable for water-dipping, water-immersion, or oil-immersion techniques. Every objective housing is engraved with the Item #, magnification, NA, wavelength range, and working distance. Each objective is shipped in an objective case comprised of a lid and container. The threading for each objective is given below; to use the objectives with a different thread standard, please see our microscope objective thread adapters. Mounting the objectives on this page together or in combination with other objectives may require parfocal length extenders, which allow users to match parfocal lengths and switch between objectives of different magnifications mounted in a turret or nosepiece without significant refocusing.
![]() 1X Objective Performance GraphsClick here for raw data for all plots. ![]() Click to Enlarge Transmission of the TL1X-SAP Objective. The blue shaded region denotes the wavelength range of the AR coating. ![]() Click to Enlarge Axial color describes the shift in the image plane across the operating wavelength range of the 1X super apochromatic microscope objective. The pink shaded region denotes diffraction-limited performance. ![]() Click to Enlarge The Strehl Ratio is a quantitative measurement of optical image formation quality. The Strehl Ratio for the TL1X-SAP over its field of view is shown in the graph above. ![]() Click to Enlarge This graph shows the Strehl Ratio of the TL1X-SAP over the objective's full operating wavelength range. 2X Objective Performance GraphsClick here for raw data for all plots. ![]() Click to Enlarge Transmission of the TL2X-SAP Objective. The blue shaded region denotes the wavelength range of the AR coating. ![]() Click to Enlarge Axial color describes the shift in the image plane across the operating wavelength range of the 2X super apochromatic microscope objective. The pink shaded region denotes diffraction-limited performance. ![]() Click to Enlarge The Strehl Ratio is a quantitative measurement of optical image formation quality. The Strehl Ratio for the TL2X-SAP over its field of view is shown in the graph above. ![]() Click to Enlarge This graph shows the Strehl Ratio of the TL2X-SAP over the objective's full operating wavelength range. 4X Objective Performance GraphsClick here for raw data for all plots. ![]() Click to Enlarge Transmission of the TL4X-SAP Objective. The blue shaded region denotes the wavelength range of the AR coating. ![]() Click to Enlarge Axial color describes the shift in the image plane across the operating wavelength range of the 4X super apochromatic microscope objective. The pink shaded region denotes diffraction-limited performance. ![]() Click to Enlarge The Strehl Ratio is a quantitative measurement of optical image formation quality. The Strehl Ratio for the TL4X-SAP over its field of view is shown in the graph above. ![]() Click to Enlarge This graph shows the Strehl Ratio of the TL4X-SAP over the objective's full operating wavelength range. 10X Objective Performance GraphsClick here for raw data for all plots. ![]() Click to Enlarge Transmission of the TL10X-2P Objective. The blue shaded region denotes the wavelength range of the AR coating. ![]() Click to Enlarge Axial color describes the shift in the image plane across the operating wavelength range of the 10X super apochromatic microscope objective. The pink shaded region denotes diffraction-limited performance. Diffraction-limited performance can be shifted to the NIR with refocusing. ![]() Click to Enlarge The Strehl Ratio is a quantitative measurement of optical image formation quality. The Strehl Ratio for the TL10X-SAP over its field of view is shown in the graph above. ![]() Click to Enlarge This graph shows the Strehl Ratio of the TL10X-2P over the objective's visible performance band. ![]() Click for Details Above shows a diagram of a TL4X-SAP; Thorlabs maintains the labeling convention shown above for all of its super apochromatic microscope objectives. Glossary of TermsMagnification M = L / F .The total magnification of the system is the magnification of the objective multiplied by the magnification of the eyepiece or camera tube. The specified magnification on the microscope objective housing is accurate as long as the objective is used with a compatible tube lens focal length. Numerical Aperture (NA) NA = ni × sinθawhere θa is the maximum 1/2 acceptance angle of the objective, and ni is the index of refraction of the immersion medium. This medium is typically air, but may also be water, oil, or other substances. Parfocal Length Working Distance Field Number FN = Field of View Diameter × MagnificationCorrection Collar ![]() Click to Enlarge This graph shows the effect of a cover slip on image quality at 632.8 nm for a #1.5 cover glass (0.17 mm thickness) with a refractive index of 1.51. ![]() Click for Details Thickness and Light Cone Dramatized for Readability Correction Collar and Cover Glass Correction Our TL10X-2P microscope objective is equipped with a correction collar, which compensates for cover glasses of different thickness by adjusting the relative position of internal optical elements, reducing the impact of spherical aberration to help achieve diffraction-limited performance. Its correction collar features two scales: one for the thickness of a cover glass with a refractive index of 1.51 and a second that corresponds to the optical thickness of the material between the objective and the focal plane (ignoring air). The latter is useful for cases where the region of interest is suspended in a solution. Values on both scales are given in units of millimeters. To find the optical thickness of all non-air elements between your objective and your sample, multiply the thickness of an element in millimeters by its refractive index, and find the sum of all such products. For example, suppose that the TL10X-2P objective is focusing through 7.30 mm of air, a 0.17 mm cover slip, and 1.00 mm of saline solution, as illustrated in the image to the lower right. To find the appropriate correction collar setting, multiply each thickness, t, by each material's refractive index, n, ignoring air: Optical Thickness Collar Setting = ∑txnxt1n1 + t2n2 = 0.17 mm × 1.51 + 1.00 mm × 1.33 = 1.59 mm
Our other super apochromatic objectives do not have a correction collar. While they are designed for use with a standard 0.17 mm thick cover glass, their NAs are low enough (0.2 or less) that any cover glass thickness between 0 and 0.5 mm can be used with little impact on image quality. Telecentric LensesTelecentric lenses are designed to have a constant magnification regardless of the object's distance or location in the field of view. This attribute is ideal for many machine vision measurement applications, as measurements of an object's dimension will be independent of where it is located. Types of Telecentric Lenses
For an image space telecentric lens, the chief rays will be parallel to the optical axis on the image's side of the lens (image space). This is accomplished by setting the aperture stop at the back focal plane of the lens, which results in an exit pupil at infinity. Since the chief rays must pass through the center of the exit pupil, the chief rays on the image side of the lens must be parallel to the optical axis. For a double telecentric, or bi-telecentric, lens, the front and back focal planes are made to overlap so that the aperture stop is located where both the entrance and exit pupils are at infinity. In a bi-telecentric lens, neither the image or object location will affect the magnification. Figure 2 shows an example ray trace through a telecentric lens and illustrates how the chief rays pass through the system.
Conventional Lenses
Example Images ![]() Click to Enlarge Figure 4: An image of two identical 8-32 cap screws imaged with our previous generation MVTC23013 0.128X Telecentric Lens. Although the screws appear to be the same size and in the same object plane, they are actually separated by a distance of approximately 45 mm along the optical axis. ![]() Click to Enlarge Figure 5: The same two screws photographed with our MVL7000 conventional zoom lens. In this image, the perspective error due to the separation of the screws would lead to incorrect height measurements. ![]() When viewing an image with a camera, the system magnification is the product of the objective and camera tube magnifications. When viewing an image with trinoculars, the system magnification is the product of the objective and eyepiece magnifications.
Magnification and Sample Area CalculationsMagnificationThe magnification of a system is the multiplicative product of the magnification of each optical element in the system. Optical elements that produce magnification include objectives, camera tubes, and trinocular eyepieces, as shown in the drawing to the right. It is important to note that the magnification quoted in these products' specifications is usually only valid when all optical elements are made by the same manufacturer. If this is not the case, then the magnification of the system can still be calculated, but an effective objective magnification should be calculated first, as described below. To adapt the examples shown here to your own microscope, please use our Magnification and FOV Calculator, which is available for download by clicking on the red button above. Note the calculator is an Excel spreadsheet that uses macros. In order to use the calculator, macros must be enabled. To enable macros, click the "Enable Content" button in the yellow message bar upon opening the file. Example 1: Camera Magnification Example 2: Trinocular Magnification Using an Objective with a Microscope from a Different ManufacturerMagnification is not a fundamental value: it is a derived value, calculated by assuming a specific tube lens focal length. Each microscope manufacturer has adopted a different focal length for their tube lens, as shown by the table to the right. Hence, when combining optical elements from different manufacturers, it is necessary to calculate an effective magnification for the objective, which is then used to calculate the magnification of the system. The effective magnification of an objective is given by Equation 1:
Here, the Design Magnification is the magnification printed on the objective, fTube Lens in Microscope is the focal length of the tube lens in the microscope you are using, and fDesign Tube Lens of Objective is the tube lens focal length that the objective manufacturer used to calculate the Design Magnification. These focal lengths are given by the table to the right. Note that Leica, Mitutoyo, Nikon, and Thorlabs use the same tube lens focal length; if combining elements from any of these manufacturers, no conversion is needed. Once the effective objective magnification is calculated, the magnification of the system can be calculated as before. Example 3: Trinocular Magnification (Different Manufacturers) Following Equation 1 and the table to the right, we calculate the effective magnification of an Olympus objective in a Nikon microscope:
The effective magnification of the Olympus objective is 22.2X and the trinoculars have 10X eyepieces, so the image at the eyepieces has 22.2X × 10X = 222X magnification. ![]() Sample Area When Imaged on a CameraWhen imaging a sample with a camera, the dimensions of the sample area are determined by the dimensions of the camera sensor and the system magnification, as shown by Equation 2.
The camera sensor dimensions can be obtained from the manufacturer, while the system magnification is the multiplicative product of the objective magnification and the camera tube magnification (see Example 1). If needed, the objective magnification can be adjusted as shown in Example 3. As the magnification increases, the resolution improves, but the field of view also decreases. The dependence of the field of view on magnification is shown in the schematic to the right. Example 4: Sample Area
Sample Area ExamplesThe images of a mouse kidney below were all acquired using the same objective and the same camera. However, the camera tubes used were different. Read from left to right, they demonstrate that decreasing the camera tube magnification enlarges the field of view at the expense of the size of the details in the image. ![]() Click to Enlarge Old Objective Packaging ![]() Click to Enlarge New Objective Packaging Smart Pack Goals
Thorlabs' Smart Pack Initiative is aimed at minimizing waste while providing adequate protection for our products. By eliminating any unnecessary packaging, implementing design changes, and utilizing eco-friendly materials, this initiative seeks to reduce the environmental impact of our product packaging. As we move through our product line, we will indicate re-engineered, eco-friendly packaging with our Smart Pack logo, which can be seen in the image to the right.
![]() ![]() Click to Enlarge Click Here for Full-Size Image 10 kΩ resistor and diode surface mounted to a circuit board, imaged using the TL1X-SAP objective with reflected illumination from a FRI61F50 Ring Light and a color camera. The objective's telecentric design provides constant magnification through the depth of the image.
![]() Click to Enlarge The TL1X-SAP objective includes a removable wave plate that is attached to end of the objective barrel with magnets. The TL1X-SAP Super Apochromatic Objective provides diffraction-limited axial color performance over 440 nm to 700 nm. The telecentric design provides constant magnification regardless of the object's distance or location in the field of view; see the Telecentric Tutorial tab for more information. This objective has a Ø22 mm field of view and is ideal for machine vision applications. It includes a removable waveplate that minimizes back reflections when used with an epi-illuminated system, thus enabling an increase in contrast. Magnets in the objective housing secure the wave plate in place. White markings on the 1X objective barrel and a black dot on the wave plate provide a reference when rotating the wave plate. The full-size download of the circuit board image to the right should be viewed using ThorCam, ImageJ, or other scientific imaging software. It may not be displayed correctly in general-purpose image viewers.
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These general-purpose objectives provide diffraction-limited axial color performance over 400 nm to 750 nm. They offer high-quality performance when used with a variety of imaging modalities and are useful for viewing large regions of a sample. The TL2X-SAP objective features an Ø11 mm field of view, large enough to capture the full length of an embryonic Zebrafish (Figure 1 below). The 4X magnification of the TLX4X-SAP can resolve finer details than its 2X counterpart, while the Ø5.5 mm field of view still provides a sense of scope and place within the sample (Figures 2 and 3 below). The long working distance of each objective provides ample room for micromanipulators. The full-size downloads of the three images below should be viewed using ThorCam, ImageJ, or other scientific imaging software. They may not be displayed correctly in general-purpose image viewers. ![]() Click Here for Full-Size Image Figure 1: Embryonic zebrafish embryo imaged using the TL2X-SAP objective, white light illumination, and a color camera. The image captures the full length of the zebrafish while still retaining fine details. ![]() Click Here for Full-Size Image Figure 2: Dicot flower bud imaged using the TL4X-SAP objective and monochrome camera in a DIC setup. ![]() Click Here for Full-Size Image Figure 3: Confocal fluorescence image of a mouse retina labeled with GFP, taken using the TL4X-SAP objective.
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The TL10X-2P 10X Super Apochromatic Objective combines the diffraction limited axial color performance at visible wavelengths of our other objects with excellent transmission out to 1300 nm, making this objective ideal for multiphoton imaging applications (see the Graphs tab for details). It combines a high 0.50 NA for collecting two-photon fluorescence signals with a long 7.77 mm working distance, providing ample space for equipment to manipulate the sample. A correction collar allows adjustment for spherical aberrations introduced by imaging through aqueous solutions or thick cover glasses, without the need for water dipping or oil immersion (see the Correction Collar tab). Note that for best performance, the front focal plane of your system's tube lens should be placed at the TL10X-2P's aperture stop. For most objectives, this stop coincides with the back element at the shoulder. This objective's aperture stop is located 42 mm from its shoulder. Without filling this stop, vingetting may occur. For example, Thorlabs' TTL200MP tube lens' focal plane is located at 228 mm from the shoulder of the tube lens. Therefore, the physical separation between the front element of the tube lens and the shoulder of the TL10X-2P objective should be 184 mm. This example is illustrated in the diagram to the lower left. Due to the large outer diameter of this objective's housing, it may not mate properly with nosepieces that have recessed M32 x 0.75 internal threads such as Item #s CSN200 and CSN210. In this case, the M32M32S brass microscope adapter has external and internal M32 x 0.75 threads that can provide additional clearance between the edge of the objective housing and the mount. The full-size download of the mouse brain image to the lower right should be viewed using ThorCam, ImageJ, or other scientific imaging software. It may not be displayed correctly in general-purpose image viewers. ![]() Click Here for Full-Size Image Wild Type Mouse Brain Section (30 µm) Tagged with DAPI (405 nm) and Alexa 488 Anti-Neurofilament Taken with TL10X-2P Objective (Courtesy of Lynne Holtzclaw of the National Institutes of Health) ![]() Click to Enlarge This diagram shows how to position the TL10X-2P relative to the TTL200MP tube lens so the entrance pupil is completely filled.
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