Use of the Modulation Transfer Function to Measure Quality of Digital Cameras

A test system based on the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) was developed to measure the quality of the image capture in digital cameras. This method helps to describe image capture performance parameters, as linearity and spatial resolution. The system is composed of an illumination module, a multifrequency sine target, a two axis mechanical support for the digital camera, a three-axis and angular motion support for the sine target, and data processing software. The software was developed under MATLAB for the MTF determination, calculating image contrast at various spatial frequencies. Results are presented for the tests run on three digital cameras: Pentax Optio 450, Sony DSCP41 and Sony DSC-F717.