Image-forming properties of transmitting and reflecting cone are studied. Expressions for the distribution of light intensity in the images of an ideal point source and an incoherently illuminated circular disk are derived. Results of both calculations and experiments show that, with the increase of distance from the cone, the image of the disk source changes gradually from diffraction image into geometric optical one.
It is verified that Dyson's circular grating is equivalent to a composite of positive and negative transmitting cones.