Resolution is defined as the minimum distance between two object points (or image points) that can be distinguished. This is referred to as the object-side resolution of the lens, denoted as Resolution(Object), or the image-side resolution, denoted as Resolution(Image). The unit is µm. Resolution(Object) = 0.61 × Wavelength / NA = 1.22 × Wavelength × Fno. Resolution(Image) = Lens Magnification × Resolution(Object) Resolving power is defined as the number of black-and-white line pairs within 1 mm, denoted as Resolving power. The unit is line/mm or lp/mm. Resolving power = 1 / Resolution(Image) When referring to resolution, most engineers think of camera resolution while ignoring that lens resolution also plays a critical role in the final imaging performance. In fact, optimal imaging can only be achieved when lens resolution matches camera resolution. The figure below intuitively shows the influence of lens-camera matching on imaging performance.

• If Resolution(Object) < 20 μm: the lens is over-qualified, and camera resolution becomes the system bottleneck.

• If Resolution(Object) > 20 μm: the camera is over-qualified, and lens resolution becomes the system bottleneck.

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