An extended depth of field (EDOF) imaging system (10) is disclosed that has an optical system (20) consisting of a single lens element (22) having a focal length (F), a thickness (TH) between 0.25F and 1.2F, and an objectwise aperture stop (AS). The optical system has a select amount of spherical aberration (SA) that allows for correcting coma by positioning the aperture stop. The optical system has an amount of field curvature (FC) such that 20 microns≦FC≦300 microns, which is made possible by the thickness of the single lens element. The imaging system has an image sensor (30) and an image processing unit (54) adapted to process raw images to form contrast-enhanced images.