The AWMC metric for zoom lens assessment

Abstract

High density digital sensors combined with "digital zooming" have eliminated the need for many small magnification range zoom lenses. Instead, lens designers now must design and assess zoom lenses for ever-increasing magnification ranges. The number of zoom positions for designing and assessing must increase as well, but assessing multi-spectral Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) data for many zoom positions becomes overwhelming. In this paper an efficient and effective metric, Area-Weighted Modulation-Cycles (AWMC), is proposed and reviewed for assessing imaging properties efficiently in a zoom system.gh density digital sensors combined with "digital zooming" have eliminated the need for many small magnification range zoom lenses. Instead, lens designers now must design and assess zoom lenses for ever-increasing magnification ranges. The number of zoom positions for designing and assessing must increase as well, but assessing multi-spectral Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) data for many zoom positions becomes overwhelming. In this paper an efficient and effective metric, Area-Weighted Modulation-Cycles (AWMC), is proposed and reviewed for assessing imaging properties efficiently in a zoom system.