focal plane
noun
: a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of a lens or mirror and passes through the focus
Examples of focal plane in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The instrument contains 189 individual 16-megapixel sensors arranged across a 2-foot-wide focal plane and uses six massive optical filters to observe the universe in different wavelengths of light.
—
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Second focal plane scopes with MOA turrets and reticles still dominate the hunting market, however.
—John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 15 Jan. 2026
Traditional lenses are limited to sharpening one focal plane (the distance between an object and your camera) at a time, blurring everything behind or in front of that object.
—Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 29 Dec. 2025
Similarly impressive, the LSST camera has a massive focal plane that can cover an area of the sky 45 times larger than the full moon with every exposure, building an ever-expanding record of a universe in motion.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2025
The ring turns smoothly with enough resistance to make precise changes to the focal plane, and shows no lag between action and focus drive.
—PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025
This focal plane was installed within a vacuum chamber that was sealed by a 3-ft-wide lens – the first of three, with the outermost increasing the diameter to 5 ft.
—Paul Ridden
june 28, New Atlas, 28 June 2025
Its focal plane is just over two feet wide: a grid of sensors sealed in a vacuum and supercooled to minus 148 Fahrenheit to prevent grainy or speckled images.
—Jonathan Corum, New York Times, 19 June 2025
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Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Second focal plane scopes with MOA turrets and reticles still dominate the hunting market, however.
—John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 15 Jan. 2026
Traditional lenses are limited to sharpening one focal plane (the distance between an object and your camera) at a time, blurring everything behind or in front of that object.
—Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 29 Dec. 2025
Similarly impressive, the LSST camera has a massive focal plane that can cover an area of the sky 45 times larger than the full moon with every exposure, building an ever-expanding record of a universe in motion.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2025
The ring turns smoothly with enough resistance to make precise changes to the focal plane, and shows no lag between action and focus drive.
—PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025
This focal plane was installed within a vacuum chamber that was sealed by a 3-ft-wide lens – the first of three, with the outermost increasing the diameter to 5 ft.
—Paul Ridden
june 28, New Atlas, 28 June 2025
Its focal plane is just over two feet wide: a grid of sensors sealed in a vacuum and supercooled to minus 148 Fahrenheit to prevent grainy or speckled images.
—Jonathan Corum, New York Times, 19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Focal plane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/focal%20plane. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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