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How Sharp is the Sharpest Lens?

Assume ideal conditions:

  • Stable Tripod
  • Off-camera shutter release
  • Excellent focus
  • Non-moving target
  • ISO 100
  • Excellent lighting
  • Still air
  • Aperture below the camera’s diffraction limit

Is any lens /camera combination going to be able to resolve details that are a pixel’s width apart? If not, how close do the best one’s get?

Of course different cameras have different pixel sizes. Larger cameras usually have larger pixels. So perhaps the answer should be measured in microns. How many microns can the best lenses resolve?

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 29th, 2011 at 6:58 AM and is filed under Photography. You can follow any responses to this entry through the Atom feed. You can skip to the end and make a comment. Pinging is currently not allowed.

One Response to “How Sharp is the Sharpest Lens?”

  1. Dolan Halbrook Says:
    September 29th, 2011 at 11:36 AM

    Keep in mind cameras without AA filters will also have an inherent sharpness advantage over cameras with them.

    I think generally this is measured in Nyquist frequency if i’m not mistaken, as well as in LPI (lines per inch).

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