Measurement of Sine-Wave Response of a Photographic Emulsion*

Abstract

A method for experimentally determining the sine-wave response of a photographic emulsion is described. It consists in determining the sine-wave response of a lens, using the lens to photograph a sinusoidal test object on the emulsion under test, determining the response of the lens-emulsion combination, and dividing out the response of the lens. Since sine-wave response is defined in terms of relative exposure in the emulsion, it should be substantially independent of development conditions and the exposure level when adjacency effects are absent. This expectation has been confirmed experimentally. It is also shown that the sinewave response of a lens and the response of an emulsion can be combined to predict the characteristics of the lens-emulsion combination.