The enlargement of an object by an optical instrument; ratio between the size of the image and the actual size of the object.

the enlargement of an object through the lens system. This is determined by multiplying the magnifying power of the objective by the eyepiece.

is calculated simply by by dividing the focal length of the objective lens or mirror by the focal length of the eyepiece.

The amount of lateral enlarging produced by an interferometric microscope objective.

Magnification, or in some cases lack of magnification, is equal to the telescopes focal length divided by the eyepiece focal length. For example: Take a telescope with a 1220mm focal length. When a 32mm eyepiece is used, the total magnification would be 1220mm divided by 32mm or 38 power.

ratio of the size of an image (optical) to the size of an object.

Increases the apparent size of an object. Magnification is the first number in the 8x42 formula on binoculars.

Value, determined by dividing the focal length of the objective (lens or mirror) by the focal length of the eyepiece. Often used too aggressively by beginners.

The amount of increase in apparent size of an object. This quantity can be derived by dividing the telescope focal length by the eyepiece focal length.

The degree to which the viewed object is enlarged. For example, with a 7x42 scope, the number 7 represents the scope's "power.” This scope would magnify an image by seven times. The level of magnification power affects the brightness of an image, so the lower the power of a magnifying optic, the brighter the image it will deliver. In general, increasing magnification power will reduce both field of view and eye relief.

The ratio of the size of the image produced by a mirror or lens to the size of the original object. This number is negative if the image is upside-down.

In a telescope, an increase in the apparent size of an object. The process of magnification expands the apparent size of an object by spreading the image, or light, across a large area. A large primary mirror or objective lens of a telescope focuses incoming light toward an eyepiece lens that actually magnifies what the telescope sees.

Also called "Power", this number reflects how many times the image is magnified. For example, through a 10x binocular the image will appear 10 times larger than with an unaided eye, an 8x will magnify only 8 times.With 8x power, an object which is 800 feet away will appear as if it was only 100 feet away.

Riflescopes are often described by two numbers separated by an "x". For example: 4x40. The first number is the power or magnification of the scope. With a "4x", the object being viewed appears to be four times closer than when seen with the unaided eye.

An indication of how many times closer an object appears when viewed through spotting scope or binocular. Objects viewed through a 20x spotting scope appear 20 times closer than they actually are.

Various forms of reduction and enlargement.

The factor by which an image's linear size is increased (or decreased). Cf. angular magnification.

the act of expanding something in apparent size

a photographic print that has been enlarged

A term used with regard to lenses and has evolved to be the same with “power” when describing the size of a zoom lens. A 16 to 160 mm lens is said to be a 10X or ten power zoom lens. It has a magnification of 10. The other standard is a 6X lens like a 12.5-75 mm. The largest mm is divided by the shortest mm to give the power or magnification.

The increase in the angle subtended by an object. See the tutorial on telescope function.

The magnification of a binocular refers to how many times larger an object appears. For example, with a x10 magnification an object 1000 yards away would appear to be only 100 yards away. The most common magnification is 8x. Tips: The lower the magnification the wider the field of view is and the easier it is to hold a steady image. High magnification is useful for birding and star gazing but a wide, steady field of view is more useful for hunting and general use.

changing the size of a font by expanding, or contracting, the positions of the coordinates used to draw the lines which make up the characters. Unequal magnification will change the shape of the characters making them wider or narrower than the original.

Spotting scopes are often referred to by numbers separated by an "x". For example: 15–45x60. The first number is the power or magnification of the spotting scope. With a 15–45x60 variable power spotting scope, the object being viewed appears to be 15–45 times closer than you would see it with the unaided eye.

When an object is enlarged it is magnified, magnification is the degree in which it is enlarges.

The focal length of the telescope divided by the focal length of the eyepiece. A 10-mm eyepiece in a telescope with a 900-mm focal length yields 90X magnification. The longer a telescope's focal length, the more magnification a given eyepiece will produce.

The method of describing bar code width and height in some symbologies. 100% magnification is nominal size.

The property of some optical lenses or systems of projecting a real inverted image of larger area than the object.

Different sizes of bar code symbols based on a nominal size and a fixed aspect ratio; stated as a percent or decimal equivalent of a nominal size

Enlargement of the microfilm image.

A measurable increase in the apparent size of an object. Magnification = (focal length of a telescope) / (focal length of the eyepiece).

The relationship between the length of a line or size of a feature in the object plane with the length or size of the same in the image plane. (The ratio of the image size to the object size.)

The magnifying power of the lens. Four power (4X) indicates that the image will appear four times larger than if viewed with a 1X lens.

Magnification is determined by dividing the focal length of a telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece.

Optical magnification is a ratio of image angular subtense to object angular subtense. Electronic, or linear, magnification is the ratio of monitor size to CCD sensor size. (For example, 13" monitors are between 38 and 39 times as large as 1/2" size format CCD cameras when comparing horizontal, vertical, or diagonal measures.)

Determined by dividing the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece and multiplying by any amplifiers (Barlows).

the optical image size divided by the object size.

The power rating of a riflescope indicated by the symbol "x". A 24x riflescope makes the target appear twenty four times closer than it actually is.

Relationship of the length of a line in the object plane to the length of the same line in the focal plane. It may be expressed as image magnification (image size/object size).

The first number used to describe binoculars, the power by which the image size is magnified.

The size of an image relative to that of the subject as expressed in a ratio.

An increase in apparent size of an object or its image. magnification, relative size (linear) - increasing the physical size of an object for example, enlarged print, a large faced clock; magnification , relative distance - enlarging the retina image by bringing the object closer to the eye. Plus (convex) lenses are used to accommodate for the close working distance; magnification, angular - the increasing the angular substance of an object at the eye by using multiple lenses (e.g. a telescope).

To increase the size of something

The size of the image relative to the size of the subject used to produce it. It is an expression of the ratio of the subject-lens distance to the image-lens distance. When object distance = image distance, magnification = 1.

Magnification is the process of enlarging something only in appearance, not in physical size. Magnification is also a number describing by which factor an object was magnified. When this number is less than one it refers to a reduction in size, sometimes called minification.