A triangulation system including a laser beam, optics focusing the laser beam on an object, a light detection unit detecting light reflected from the object due to impingement of the beam on the object, and an arrangement for determining, based on the detected light, object feature dimensions. The wavelength of the laser beam may be shorter than of infrared radiation, which allows for a reduced spot size without significant loss of depth of field. So as to reduce aberrations or a sensitivity to aberrations due to the shortened wavelength, the system may include (i) a polarization dependent coating matching the index of refraction of an element of the light detection unit to that of air for a range of angles, (ii) tilted projection optics, (iii) a prism wavefront corrector, and/or (iv) a positioning assembly, which provides for increased precision in positioning the laser diode with respect to a collimator lens.