This invention relates to a microscope having an infinity-corrected objective
and providing a flat field of view. The present invention is an optical arrangement
that broadly comprises a first lens element having positive power and comprising
at least one lens, a second lens element having negative power and comprising at
least one lens, a third lens element having positive power and comprising at least
one lens, a fourth lens element having positive power and comprising at least one
lens, and a fifth lens element comprising at least one lens and having positive
power, and, in addition comprising a configuration in which the radius of curvature
of the surface of the fifth lens element proximate to the object plane is less
than the radius of curvature of the surface of the fifth lens element distal to
the object plane, with the optical arrangement arrayed such that the distance from
the first lens element to the second lens element is sufficient to reduce a ray
height of a light ray entering the second lens element from the ray height of the
same light ray entering said first lens element.
