Lockheed Corp of the US has developed an inexpensive, part liquid, part solid telephoto lens that guarantees a sharper and better-contrasted picture than the conventional lens. Besides correcting colour distortion from light bending through glass, the new lens is unaffected by imperfections on its surface, reducing the need for polishing the lens.

Lockheed refuses to reveal the ingredients of the lens and claims its design can cut the cost of materials for a 300 mm telephoto lens from about $1100 to around $150.