Optical Components

Front silvered concave glass mirror with a focal length of 450mm. This is the mirror used in the Newton Reflecting Telescope kit OPK0001

Front silvered glass mirror.

Precision plastic lens in a threaded housing. Approx 6mm dia x 8mm focal length. Housing is threaded M9 x 0.5mm with an overall housing length of 6.5mm. The threaded housing allows the lens to be accurately focussed. Make a smartphone microscope.

3.5mm Glass Bead lenses as used in low-cost smartphone microscope project by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Use a 3D printer to make your own lens holder. The actual magnification will depend on the model of smartphone but expect around 80 X.These are sold as a pack of 25 beads (unsorted). Please note that not all of the beads are sufficiently spherical or unblemished to use as lenses but you will certainly get a reasonable number of useable lenses.
View the PNNL site for more details of the microscope construction.
See details here

This wooden lens holder has a V-shaped groove which will allow lenses up to 80mm diameter to be held vertically. (OUT OF STOCK)

Sheet with one magnifiying lens (75 x 177mm) and 25 small (33 x 33mm) diverging lenses, focal length +310/-100mm.

Size: 180mm x 260mm (7"x10")
Focal length: +300mm
Thickness: 0.4mm
Weight: 25 grams
Groove Pitch 0.3mm
Material: optical PVC

Linearly polarised film for reducing reflections or for polarisation experiments (e.g. view stress patterns in plastic items). Transmissivity: single sheet = 42%, 2 sheets crossed polaristation = <0.005%. Thickness 0.18mm. Two pieces each 50 x 50mm

A linearly polarised sheet of polarising film - 200 x 250mm
Polarisation Axis parallel to side
Colour: Neutral Grey, thickness 0.18mm
Transmissivity: single sheet(42%) ; 2 sheets crossed polarisation = <0.005%)
Polarizing efficiency: 99.9%
Wavelength: 380~700nm
Larger sheets available: see OPF0040

A sheet of linearly polarised film as OPF0041 but with a transparent self adhesive backing so it can be stuck to glass or other surfaces. The self-adhesive backing reduces the polarisation efficiency slightly so the transmissivity figure for two sheets with crossed polarisation is 0.98%
Note: This sheet has the axis of polarisation parallel to the 20cm side. For LCD screens the axis of polarisation is normally at 45 degrees to the sides. See OPF0111 to OPF0113 listed below if you want a sheet cut this way.

Polarising Film - 1000 x 620 mm.
Transmittance: single(42%) ; crossed(<0.005%)
Color: neutral grey
Polarising efficiency: 99.9%
Wavelength: 380~700nm
Thickness: 0.18mm
Polarisation Axis parallel to long side

A sheet of linearly polarised film as OPF0041 but with a transparent self adhesive backing so it can be stuck to glass or other surfaces. The self-adhesive backing reduces the polarisation efficiency slightly so the transmissivity figure for two sheets with crossed polarisation is 0.98%

This size has been discontinued. The nearest replacement is OPF0041 above

Pair of Circularly Polarised filters. LH and RH. each filter 10 x 10 cm.
Colour: neutral grey
Transmittance: single(42%) ; parallel(35%) ; crossed(0.5%)
Polarizing efficiency: 99.98%

Anti-Glare Self Adhesive neutral grey polarising film for use on LCD screens. The polarisation axis is at 45 degrees to the sides of the film. Size: 68mm x 86mm

Transmittance: single(42.5%) ; parallel(36%) ; crossed(0.05%)
Wavelength: 400~700nm
Thickness: 0.22mm

as OPF0111 - polarisation axis at 45 degrees to side of sheet
size 138 x 172mm

as OPF0111 - polarisation axis at 45 degrees to side of sheet
size 276 x 344mm

An experimental kit comprising 3 different transmission diffraction grating pieces.
1 x Single-axis diffraction grating (1000 lines per mm) .
1 x Single-axis diffraction grating (500 lines per mm) .
1 x Twin-axis diffraction grating (532 lines per mm) .
The high line density produces a wide coloured spectrum of the observed or projected light source similar to a prism. Make a hand spectroscope. Each piece is 15.2 x 3.8cm which is sufficient for four 35mm slides (4 self-adhesive slide mounts included)
Larger sizes of all three gratings are available below.

Single-axis Transmission diffraction grating (1000 lines per mm) transparent film. The high line density produces a wide coloured spectrum of the observed or projected light source similar to that from a prism. Size 15.2 x 15.2cm (6"x6")

Single-axis Transmission diffraction grating (500 lines per mm) transparent film. The high line density produces a wide coloured spectrum of the observed or projected light source similar to that from a prism. Size 15.2 x 15.2cm (6"x6")

Twin-axis Transmission diffraction grating (532 lines per mm) transparent film. This grating gives multiple spectra at 45 degree intervals around the light source. The high line density produces a wide coloured spectrum of the observed or projected light source similar to that from a prism. Size 15.2 x 15.2cm (6"x6")

This plastic sheet is less than 1mm thick but it is engraved so that it looks as though it is much thicker. Objects placed on the sheet appear to sink below the surface. A4 sheet.

Self-Adhesive Photophorescent paper. A4 sheet. This paper is coated with a phosphorescent material which glows in the dark after exposure to light. You can cut out any shapes you like (e.g. direction arrows, faces, stars and comets, etc.) and stick them where required.

Sun Filter film. This high-quality film is designed to reduce the light intensity by 100,000 times so you can observe the sun directly. High density coatings on both sides of the foil ensures a highly uniform filtering, whilst neutralizing the effect of occasional microscopic holes in the coating. The image of the sun is extremely contrasty and almost neutral colour.
Instructions to make a sun-filter for your telescope or binoculars included.
Size: 20 x 29 cm. Made for the Baader Planetarium in Germany

Warning: NEVER look at the Sun without using a suitable filter. Your eyes could be permanently damaged.

A set of 3 glass interference filters each of which transmits Red, Green or Blue light.
As you view the filter from different angles, the colour of the transmitted light changes as the light path length changes.
Size: 74mm square. These are ex-equipment from RGB projectors and may still have some silicon adhesive adhering.

Red, Green, Blue and Yellow coloured filter gel. For stage and theatrical use and demonstrating colour mixing. Flexible film is easily cut to required shape with scissors or a knife.
Pack contains 4 sheets: one of each colour.
Sheet size 100 x 100 mm

Red, Green, Blue and Yellow coloured filter gel. For stage and theatrical use and demonstrating colour mixing. Flexible film is easily cut to required shape with scissors or a knife.
Pack contains 4 sheets: one of each colour.
Sheet size 203 x 203 mm (this size fits PAR56 lighting cans)

Red, Green, Blue and Yellow coloured filter gel. For stage and theatrical use and demonstrating colour mixing. Flexible film is easily cut to required shape with scissors or a knife.
Pack contains 4 sheets: one of each colour.
Sheet size 240 x 240 mm (this size fits PAR64 lighting cans)

2" x 2" plain white cardboard self-adhesive slide mounts. These have a diecut aperture and take a 35mm photgraphic slide or negative or any other thin film material. They are latex coated on the inside making them self-adhesive so they just need to be folded over and pressed together. We have these specially made for us and use them for making our diffraction grating slides as they make it easy to handle the thin film. Pack of 20
(Need a larger quantity - ring us)