ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Rectilinear lens

Hey kiddo, do you know what a rectilinear lens is? It's a type of lens that helps capture pictures without any distortion or bending.

You see, when you take a picture with a camera, some objects in the picture may appear to bend or warp because of the way the lens is designed. This happens because most lenses are curved, and the shape of the lens can make things in the picture look different from how they actually are in real life.

But a rectilinear lens is special because it is designed to keep everything in the picture straight and true-to-life, like the way you see things when you're looking at them with your own eyes. It's like having a magic wand that makes all the lines in a picture completely straight, no matter how they're angled or curved in real life.

So, if you're taking pictures of a building or any photo that requires straight lines, a rectilinear lens is the go-to lens for you. It's an important tool used by photographers who want to capture the world as it is, without any funny business.