Abstract

The relationship between an optical system’s circle of confusion and the quality of the image it forms is not specified by any universally accepted criterion. However, a simple geometric theory helps place the problem in perspective. As a first-order approximation, the circle of confusion is considered to be a uniformly illuminated disk. Then the illumination at a point in the image is the average of the illumination which would occur in the geometric image within an aperture of finite diameter centered at this point in the image plane. If the circle of confusion has a more complex radial illumination distribution, the image-forming process can be considered as the combined operation of a number of concentric averaging apertures of varying radii. If the circle of confusion has a Gaussian radial illumination distribution, a solution for the modulation transfer function can be obtained in closed form.

© 1966 Optical Society of America

Exact calculation of the circle of least confusion of a rotationally symmetric mirror. II

G. Silva-Ortigoza, J. Castro-Ramos, and A. Cordero-Dávila
Appl. Opt. 40(7) 1021-1028 (2001)

Focusing and the optical transfer function in a rotationally symmetric optical system

Radim Chmelík
Appl. Opt. 33(17) 3702-3704 (1994)

Exact calculation of the circle of least confusion of a rotationally symmetric mirror

Alberto Cordero-Dávila and Jorge Castro-Ramos
Appl. Opt. 37(28) 6774-6778 (1998)

Calculation of the modulation transfer function for object brightness distribution function oriented along any direction in axis-symmetrical optical systems

Psang Dain Lin and Wei Wu
Appl. Opt. 50(17) 2759-2772 (2011)

Bounds on the Modulation Transfer Function of Optical Systems in Incoherent Illumination

B. P. Hildebrand
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 56(1) 12-13 (1966)