A molding machine for making an optical element by introducing an optical raw material into a mold assembly comprising first and second molds, heating to soften the optical raw material and applying pressure to the softened optical raw material. The machine comprises a measuring instrument for measuring either the amount of displacement of the optical raw material or the temperature of one of the optical raw material and the mold assembly during a course of molding, and an arithmetic unit for selecting molding conditions during steps subsequent to the measurement and to transmit to a machine control unit molding conditions to be modified. The machine control unit is operable to transmit to the molding machine the molding conditions to be modified which have been selected by the arithmetic unit. A method executed by the molding machine and an optical element obtained therefrom are also disclosed.