24/2/2020 Chart Quality Calculator | imatest

Imatest measurements). Here are a few details about the measurement:

Magni cation should be large enough (typically around 0.5x for inkjet charts and 1x for photographic charts)
so the measurement is dominated by the chart quality, not by the lens, sensor, or signal processing. (Typical
camera MTF measurements have magni cations of < 0.1 for high quality lm charts and < 0.02 for inkjet
charts.) Magni cation should be carefully measured and recorded.
The measured chart MTF is t to a function that closely approximates actual response curves at frequencies
where MTF > 0.3 (below MTF30). This function removes irregularities in the MTF curve caused by noise
(typically at frequencies above MTF30) and facilitates further processing.
The function is
2
−a1 f –(a2 f )
M T Fchart (f ) = e

where f  is in units of Cycles/Object mm (C/Obj mm). This function matches a wide range of observed
chart MTF measurements.

Projected Chart MTF

When the chart is projected (imaged) on the sensor, its spatial frequency units must be transformed to the native
units of the sensor (Cycles/Pixel [C/P]) by substituting

f (C/Obj mm) = f (C /P ) × magnification × pixels/mm –

M T Fchart−projected (f ) = M T Fchart (f (C /P ) × magnification × pixels/mm) = M T Fdiv (f )

In Imatest sharpness modules, pixels/mm is typically derived from the user-entered value of pixel pitch (in μm),
where pixels/mm = 1000 / (pixel pitch (μm)). Magni cation is either entered in the settings window or derived from
geometrical factors like the bar-to-bar spacing in SFRplus or the vertical registration mark spacing in eSFR ISO. 

If MTFdiv(fNyq) (MTFdiv at the Nyquist frequency (fNyq = 0.5 C/P)) is lower than 0.9 (90%), measurement accuracy
can be improved by dividing the measured MTF by MTFdiv, as described in Compensating camera MTF
measurements for chart and sensor MTF. If MTFdiv(fNyq) is greater than 0.9, MTF compensation o ers little
improvement.

Note that for rectilinear images (not strongly barrel distorted; i.e., not sheye)

magnification = sensor height/Vertical FoV

and

pixels/mm = Vertical pixels/sensor height  

Therefore we can say

f (C/Obj mm) = f (C /P ) × Vertical pixels/Vertical FoV

This formulation is used in the Chart Suitability display, described below.

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