Dove prism

Reversing prism made of high-quality PMMA (acrylic glass), named after its inventor, the physicist and meteorologist Heinrich W. Dover (1803 - 1879).

Its trapezoidal cross-section optimises image reversal through total reflection , unlike rectangular prisms, where the upper half (the "roof tip") is not involved. In image reversal through total reflection, only the two sloping surfaces and the underside of the prism are optically effective.

The sides are rough-sawn. This is not a problem as they are not involved in the optical function.