Lens (optics) is the focal length of the lens, which is commonly abbreviated "f" in diagrams and equations. An extended hemispherical lens is a special type of plano-convex lens, in which the lens's curved surface is a full hemisphere and the lens is much thicker than the radius of curvature. If the lens is biconcave or plano-concave, a collimated beam of light passing through the lens is diverged (spread); the lens is thus called a "negative" or "diverging" lens. The beam, after passing through the lens, appears to emanate from a particular point on the axis in front of the lens. The
Parallel projection central or perspective projection, in which the rays pass through a fixed point called the "center" or "viewpoint", as this point is moved towards infinity. Put differently, a parallel projection corresponds to a perspective projection with an infinite focal length (the distance between the lens and the focal point in photography) or "zoom". In parallel projections, lines that are parallel in three-dimensional space remain parallel in the two-dimensional projected image. A perspective projection of an object is often considered more realistic than a parallel projection, since it more closely resembles human vision and photography. However, parallel projections are popular in