Camera Resolutions

This note describes some tests to assess the resolution of three cameras.

• a Samsung S10 mobile phone using the x2 telephoto lens (52mm in 35mm equivalent)
• a Panasonic TZ70 point-and-shoot camera with a x10 optical zoom lens (24-720mm in 35mm equivalent)
• a Sony NEX-5 half-frame mirrorless camera with a 16-50mm zoom lens (24-75mm in 35 mm equivalent)

Set up

A series of images were taken of an ISO 12233 test chart and text at a series of font sizes at a distance of 6 metres at a range of focal lengths. The test charts were printed on sheets of A4 paper.

Extract from ISO 12233 Test Chart

In the A4 line chart "10" corresponds to 30 lines per cm. So

• "2" => 0.6 lines per mm
• "4" => 1.2 lines per mm
• "6" => 1.8 lines per mm
• "8" => 2.4 lines per mm
• "10" => 3.0 lines per mm

The Panasonic TZ70 can resolve 3 lines per mm at 6 metres with the 830 mm focal length setting.

• 3 lines per mm is a spacing of 0.33 mm
• 0.33 mm at 6 metres is 1 in 18,000 or 0.000055
• this corresponds to 0.0033° or about 1/300^th of a degree

The Samsung S10 can resolve 0.6 lines per mm at 6 metres with the x2 zoom setting setting.

• 0.6 lines per mm is a spacing of 1.75 mm
• 1.75 mm at 6 metres is 1 in 3,500 or 0.0003
• this corresponds to 0.02° or about 1/60^th of a degree.

For comparison 20/20 vision is when, at 6 metres, a human eye is able to separate lines 1.8 mm apart (~ 0.6 lines per mm). Thus the TZ70 is about five times 'better'.

The images below are 512x384 pixel extracts from original images that were about 4000x2672 pixels. The extracts are shown full-size i.e. one pixel in the original images appears as one pixel below.

Samsung S10 52mm - 2x 'telephoto' lens

Sony NEX5 63mm

Panasonic TZ-70 55 mm

Panasonic TZ-70 100 mm

Panasonic TZ-70 100 mm

Panasonic TZ-70 290 mm

Panasonic TZ-70 290 mm

Panasonic TZ-70 600 mm

Panasonic TZ-70 660 mm

Panasonic TZ-70 830 mm

Panasonic TZ-70 830 mm