Ngaphambili, xa bekhetha iilensi, abathengi badla ngokubeka phambili iimpawu kuqala. Udumo lwabavelisi beelensi abaphambili ludla ngokumela umgangatho kunye nokuzinza kwiingqondo zabathengi. Nangona kunjalo, ngophuhliso lwemarike yabathengi, "ukusebenzisa ukuzonwabisa" kunye "nokwenza uphando olunzulu" ziye zaba ziimpawu ezibalulekileyo ezichaphazela abathengi banamhlanje. Ngoko ke abathengi banikela ingqalelo engakumbi kwiiparameter zeelensi. Phakathi kwazo zonke iiparameter zelensi, ixabiso le-Abbe libaluleke kakhulu xa uvavanya iilensi.
Ixabiso le-Abbe lilinganisa inqanaba lokukhanya okusasazekayo okanye okwahlulwa ngalo xa kudlula ilensi. Ukusasazwa kwenzeka nangaliphi na ixesha xa ukukhanya okumhlophe kuqhekeka kube yimibala yamacandelo alo. Ukuba ixabiso le-Abbe liphantsi kakhulu, ukusasazwa kokukhanya kuya kubangela ukungafani kwe-chromatic okubonakala embonweni womntu kufana nomnyama ojikeleze izinto ezibonwayo ngokukodwa ezibonwayo ezijikeleze imithombo yokukhanya.
Uphawu lwale lensi kukuba xa ixabiso le-Abbe liphezulu, kokukhona i-peripheral optics iya kuba ngcono; xa ixabiso le-Abbe liphantsi, kokukhona i-chromatic aberration iya kuba ngcono. Ngamanye amazwi, ixabiso eliphezulu le-Abbe lithetha ukusasazeka okuphantsi kunye nombono ocacileyo, ngelixa ixabiso eliphantsi le-Abbe lithetha ukusasazeka okuphezulu kunye nokufiphala kombala okungakumbi. Ngoko ke xa ukhetha iilensi ze-optical, kungcono ukhethe iilensi ezinexabiso eliphezulu le-Abbe.
Apha ungafumana ixabiso le-Abbe lezinto eziphambili zeelensi kwimarike:
