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Telecentric Lenses for Precision Measurement

Object-space and bi-telecentric optics with distortion as low as 0.01% — designed for non-contact dimensional measurement, metrology and high-accuracy defect inspection.

Technology

What Is a Telecentric Lens?

A telecentric lens is an industrial lens in which the chief rays are parallel to the optical axis in object space — the entrance pupil effectively sits at infinity. In practice, this means:

  • Magnification is constant regardless of object position within the telecentric working range — a part 5mm nearer or further from the lens images at the same size.
  • Perspective error is eliminated, so edges, holes and threads are imaged without the foreshortening a conventional lens introduces.
  • Measurement accuracy depends on the pixel scale, not on part placement — critical for repeatable automated gauging.

This is why telecentric lenses are the industry standard for dimensional measurement, lead and thread inspection, glass thickness gauging, and any application where the vision system must act as a measuring instrument rather than a camera.

VZ-TC Series

Telecentric Catalog Overview

ModelMagnificationField of ViewWorking DistanceTypeDistortionNA
VZ-TC0100.10–0.20×66–33mm110mmTelecentric<0.05%0.030
VZ-TC0250.25×25.6mm110mmTelecentric<0.03%0.045
VZ-TC0500.50×12.8mm65mmTelecentric<0.02%0.060
VZ-TC1001.00×6.4mm65mmTelecentric<0.02%0.120
VZ-TCB2002.00×3.2mm65mmBi-telecentric<0.01%0.130
VZ-TCB4004.00×1.6mm65mmBi-telecentric<0.01%0.130
Representative demo specs — replace with your actual product data before launch. Keep the structured table format: it is what both Google and AI answer engines parse most reliably.
Selection Guide

Choosing Telecentric Magnification

Telecentric magnification is chosen so the object fills the sensor:

Magnification = Sensor field of view (to inspect) ÷ Object size

Example: to measure a 12mm-wide part using the full width of a 2/3″ sensor (8.8mm wide), you need magnification ≈ 8.8 ÷ 12 = 0.73× — in practice, select the nearest standard magnification (0.5× or 0.75× custom) and verify the field of view covers the part with margin for edge finding.

Send us the object dimensions and your camera model, and our engineers will run the calculation and recommend the exact model, coaxial illumination and lighting geometry.

FAQ

Telecentric Lens FAQs

What is a telecentric lens?
An industrial lens in which chief rays are parallel to the optical axis in object space, so magnification does not change as the object moves within the telecentric range. This eliminates perspective error — the standard for non-contact dimensional measurement.
When should I use a telecentric lens instead of an FA lens?
Use telecentric optics for dimensional measurement, gauging, thread/bore inspection or objects with height variation. Use FA lenses for presence detection, OCR and scene overview where dimensional accuracy is not critical.
What is the difference between telecentric and bi-telecentric?
Bi-telecentric lenses are telecentric in both object and image space, adding magnification stability at the sensor and more uniform illumination — recommended for the highest-accuracy applications.
How do I select the right telecentric magnification?
Magnification = sensor field of view ÷ object size. Send us the object dimensions and camera model and we will run the calculation and recommend the exact model.

Get a telecentric recommendation

Send your object size, required accuracy and camera model — we will reply with a matched telecentric solution and illumination suggestion within 24 hours.

Talk to an Engineer