The Porro Prism is named after the Italian inventor and optical engineer Ignazio Porro. The Porro Prism is an isosceles right triangular prism made of glass blocks, with the flat ends facing the right angle.
In terms of usage, the light enters through the largest rectangular surface of the prism, undergoes two total reflections on the inclined surface, and then exits through the original incident plane. Since the light only enters and exits in its normal state, the prism does not exhibit dispersion. However, the image passing through the Paul prism will be flipped 180 degrees and will proceed in the original direction, which means the direction has also changed by 180 degrees. However, because the image undergoes two reflections, the handedness does not change.
The Paul prism is most commonly used in pairs as a combination of two Paul prisms, with the second prism rotated 90° relative to the first. When light passes through these two prisms arranged in this way, the net effect of the prism system is that the incident light is parallelly changed in its direction of travel, the image is rotated 180°, and the handedness remains unchanged.
UItraopto Precision Optics Co. Ltd can consistently supply this type of product through precise control of polishing, coating and bonding processes. It also accepts customized orders for prisms of various specifications.
General specification | |
Substrate: H-K9L, quartz, etc | Surface quality: 40/20-60/40 |
Angle error: ±3 ' | Beveling: 0.2 to 0.5mm×45° |
Surface accuracy: 1/2λ | Beam offset: ±30" |
Coating: Anti-reflective coating | Dimensional error: +0.0/-0.1mm |
Size specifications and coating requirements are customized according to demand | |
Ultraopto’s Paul Prism is a high-precision optical component specialized in image erection and light path folding, serving as a core part in binocular optical systems, professional visual observation equipment, industrial machine vision and precision optical imaging systems across consumer optics, industrial detection and aerospace fields. Featuring a unique right-angle triangular structural design with two precisely polished reflective surfaces, our Paul Prisms reflect the inverted image formed by optical lenses twice to realize perfect image erection, while folding the optical path to reduce the overall volume of optical equipment, which is the key component for miniaturization and high performance of binoculars, telescopes and other visual observation systems.
We manufacture our Paul Prisms with advanced ultra-precise grinding and polishing technologies, implementing strict arcsecond-level tolerance control over all critical optical parameters including angular accuracy, surface flatness, reflectivity and image erection precision. Every Paul Prism is crafted from premium high-transmittance optical materials including N-BK7, BaK4 and other high-quality optical substrates, carefully selected for their excellent optical transmittance in the visible spectral range, high refractive index and low chromatic aberration, able to deliver clear, high-fidelity image quality and meet the strict performance requirements of professional visual observation and optical imaging systems. Our strict multi-stage production quality control system, from raw material screening to finished product performance testing, ensures that each Paul Prism meets international high-end optical manufacturing standards, delivering consistent and reliable image erection performance with low optical loss in the working environments of consumer optics, industrial observation and scientific research laboratories.
Our Paul Prisms boast outstanding core optical advantages, with perfect image erection performance that ensures the inverted image is converted into an upright, undistorted image with high fidelity, maintaining clear image details and accurate color reproduction, which is essential for professional visual observation, binocular systems and industrial machine vision applications. The optimized structural design and advanced vacuum coating technology realize high reflectivity and low optical loss, with high-reflection (HR) coatings applied to the reflective surfaces to minimize reflection loss and maximize light energy utilization, ensuring bright and clear image quality even in low-light conditions. The high dimensional precision and excellent surface quality of the prism ensure seamless integration with various optical systems and observation equipment, avoiding image distortion, ghosting and light path offset caused by dimensional deviations or surface defects, and enhancing the stability and reliability of the entire optical setup. We also provide customized coating processes and dimensional design for Paul Prisms, including high-reflection coatings for specific visible wavelengths and custom external dimensions to match the layout requirements of different binocular and optical imaging systems, making the product more suitable for the unique application scenarios of customers. In addition, the prism features a robust and compact structural design, with excellent resistance to temperature changes, mechanical vibration and daily wear, ensuring long-term stable and reliable operation in outdoor observation, industrial field detection and daily use scenarios.
Ultraopto’s high-precision Paul Prisms are widely applied in a full range of professional optical fields that demand image erection and light path folding, including consumer optical products such as binoculars, monoculars, spotting scopes and astronomical telescopes, delivering perfect upright images and compact product design; industrial machine vision systems and visual observation equipment, realizing image erection for clear defect detection and object recognition; precision optical imaging systems such as industrial inspection cameras and professional visual observation instruments, meeting the image erection requirements of high-precision optical detection; as well as aerospace optical observation equipment, laboratory optical experiment platforms and industrial non-destructive testing equipment in the scientific research, aerospace and industrial sectors. As a leading manufacturer of precision optical prisms with mature production and R&D capabilities and rich experience in optical component manufacturing, Ultraopto offers fully customized Paul Prism solutions to meet the unique optical application requirements of global customers.
Our professional R&D and engineering team can provide personalized customization for all key product parameters, including custom external dimensions and angular design to match specific binocular and optical system layout requirements; customized high-reflection coating processes for specific visible wavelengths to optimize reflectivity and image quality; premium optical material selection (N-BK7/BaK4) based on your application’s image quality and cost requirements, ensuring optimal optical performance and product reliability; and ultra-strict tolerance control for ultra-high precision optical systems to meet the most stringent image erection standards in professional observation and aerospace fields. All custom Paul Prism orders undergo multi-stage strict optical performance testing and quality inspection, including image erection precision detection, reflectivity measurement, surface quality inspection and image quality testing, and a detailed quality inspection report is provided to ensure that the final product fully complies with your design specifications and actual optical application requirements.
Backed by advanced optical component production processes, a complete quality control system and a professional technical support team with rich optical application experience, Ultraopto is committed to providing global customers with high-quality, high-precision Paul Prism products and one-stop custom optical solutions. We have stable batch supply capacity and perfect after-sales service, and can provide professional technical consultation, optical system matching suggestions and product performance optimization solutions according to your specific application scenarios and optical parameter requirements. For more detailed technical parameters, product quotation information or custom design solutions of our Ultraopto Paul Prism, please contact our professional sales and technical team through the official website, and we will provide you with efficient, professional and personalized optical solutions to support the development, optimization and upgrading of your optical systems and precision observation equipment.
