Point Spread function and optical transfer function.

Hey, Can you tell me what is difference between point spread function and optical transfer function?

Answer 1

[Matt J]

OTF is the Fourier transform of the PSF.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_transfer_function

Answer 2

[Image Analyst]

The point spread function tells you how much a point will spread - what a point in your detector would look like (a fuzzy spot) given an infintesimally small point input to your imaging system.

The optical transfer function tells you how well each spatial frequency (like a grid of parallel sine waves or stripes) will make it through your system - like how much the peak-to-valley contrast will get reduced.

That's a layman's description - if you want a mathematical description, there are web sites that do a deep dive into the math.

And check out the links on the right hand side of this page.