An imaging system is provided for a precision machine vision inspection or metrology system. The imaging system optical path includes a variable magnification lens portion and a variable focal length lens portion. The variable magnification lens portion includes various magnification states (e.g., 0.5× to 100×, using interchangeable lenses, or the like.) The variable focal length lens portion (e.g., including a tunable acoustic gradient index of refraction (“TAG”) lens) is operated at different focal length scanning frequencies depending on the magnification state. A TAG lens operated in this manner provides a relatively consistent range of focus (e.g., corresponding to a number of depths of field) with various magnification lenses, without limiting the effective numerical aperture of the imaging system.