Skip to content
Search

Distortion

lastmod 2024-07-03created 2023-10-244 edits

In geometric optics, distortion is a deviation from rectilinear projection; a projection in which straight lines in a scene remain straight in an image. It is a form of optical aberration.

Image distortion is one of the optical aberrations. While other aberrations relate to the focus sharpness of the image, distortion relates to the overall shape (Shape) of the image. Distortion is usually expressed as a percentage of the ideal image height for the distance deviating from the ideal image position. Distortion produces a Pincushion (spool-shaped) or Barrel (cylinder-shaped) effect that differs from an accurate image of the subject. In general, a zoom lens shows negative (barrel) distortion at its shortest focal length (widest angle) and positive (pincushion) distortion at its longest focal length (maximum telephoto).

Radial distortion

Although distortion can be irregular or follow many patterns, the most commonly encountered distortions are radially symmetric, or approximately so, arising from the symmetry of a photographic lens. These radial distortions can usually be classified as either barrel distortions or pincushion distortions.

Barrel distortion

Pincushion distortion

Mustache distortion

Camera Models

Pinhole camera model

Pinhole_camera_model.png

Fisheye camera model

Transform

Thin-Plate Spline Shape Transform

Circular hemisphere shape (think of a dome-shaped CCTV)

Thin-Plate_Spline_Shape_Transform_Example.jpeg

See also

Favorite site

References

  1. Lens_distortion_-_gaussian37.pdf ↩

author Zer0 sitemap