Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised May 27, 2026

Optical train

An optical train, also called an optical assembly, is an arrangement of optical components to guide a line of sight and/or a laser beam. For example, the position and angle of lenses may be adjusted to guide a laser through the path required. Optical instruments like microscopes, telescopes, and DSLRs all have optical trains that guide the incoming light towards a detector or the eye of an observer. The optical train of a telescope is commonly called an optical tube assembly (OTA) or simply an optical tube.

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May 27, 2026
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An optical train showing the arrangement and angle of lenses and mirrors to guide the laser source ↗

An optical train, also called an optical assembly, is an arrangement of optical components (e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms) to guide a line of sight and/or a laser beam.1 For example, the position and angle of lenses may be adjusted to guide a laser through the path required. Optical instruments like microscopes, telescopes, and DSLRs all have optical trains that guide the incoming light towards a detector or the eye of an observer. The optical train of a telescope is commonly called an optical tube assembly (OTA) or simply an optical tube.

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Shinya Inoué (2013). Video Microscopy. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 93. ISBN 9781475769258. OCLC 1066179097.