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[OM] Theoretical Lens Resolution.

Subject: [OM] Theoretical Lens Resolution.
From: "Mark Hammons" <astair@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 22:54:10 -0500
I just completed a 4 day class this week I was taking for work
that covered Image processing.  It was a fantastic class,
taught by a Swiss Gentleman that used to be a professor
at USC until some years ago when he started his own
company developing Image processing algorithms on
PC's ( back in early 1980s)

In addition to learning a whole bunch about different
methods and purposes of image processing, he also
covered elementary optics as well as the physiology of
human sight.

One of the things we talked about on our last day (today)
was the diffraction limited resolution of lenses.  He gave
us an equation and we worked through an example with
a 50mm F2 lens.  It turns out that the resolution limit
DUE TO DIFFRACTION is on the order of about
500 line pairs per millimeter.  Thats right -- 500!!!!

He then had as part of his presentation "typical" values
of various lenses.  For 35mm lenses, the typical values
given were 50 to 100 lp/mm.  He mentioned that there
ARE lenses in this focal length that go up to around 500 lp/mm
for specialized applications -- so they CAN be constructed
for several tens of thousands of dollars he claimed.

I mention this becuase I had NO idea that even our
sharp Zuiko lenses could, theoretically, stand so
much improvement.  I had never done the math
( cause I hadn't bothered to find the equation ) but
had always assumed that our lenses were at least
NEAR being diffraction-limited.

Thought this would be of academic interest to many
in this group.


Mark Hammons


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