Edinburgh Napier University

  The present invention relates to a lens system (2) suitable for substantially direct interfacing with the image sensing surface (3) of a solid state image capture device (4). The lens system (2) comprises a lens (8) and a spacer (a) in substantially direct contact with each other. The spacer (9) preferably has a refractive index not less than that of said lens (8). The lens (8) and spacer (9) have refractive indices and are dimensioned so as to form an image in a plane at or in direct proximity to a rear face of the spacer (9) element remote from the lens (8) element, from an object. In use of the lens system (2) with the lens system (2) mounted substantially directly on the image sensing surface (3) of the image capture device (4) an optical image may be captured thereby. The present invention also relates to an image capture system including a lens system of the invention, which image capture is desirably provided with a video image display device and/or a video image recording device.