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Signal-to-noise ratio (imaging)

{{short description|Measure of image quality}}

{{See also|Film speed#Measurements and calculations}}

{{other uses|Signal-to-noise (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}

Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is used in imaging to characterize image quality. The sensitivity of a (digital or film) imaging system is typically described in the terms of the signal level that yields a threshold level of SNR.

Industry standards define sensitivity in terms of the ISO film speed equivalent, using SNR thresholds (at average scene luminance) of 40:1 for "excellent" image quality and 10:1 for "acceptable" image quality.{{citation |url=https://www.iso.org/standard/21020.html |title=ISO 12232: 1998 Photography – Electronic Still Picture Cameras – Determining ISO Speed}}

SNR is sometimes quantified in decibels (dB) of signal power relative to noise power, though in the imaging field the concept of "power" is sometimes taken to be the power of a voltage signal proportional to optical power; so a 20 dB SNR may mean either 10:1 or 100:1 optical power, depending on which definition is in use.

Definition of SNR

Traditionally, SNR is defined to be the ratio of the average signal value \mu_\mathrm{sig} to the standard deviation of the signal \sigma_\mathrm{sig}:{{cite book |url=https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/ebooks/PM/Photon-Transfer/eISBN 9780819478382/10.1117/3.725073 |doi=10.1117/3.725073 |title=Photon Transfer |year=2007 |last1=Janesick |first1=James R. |isbn=978-0-8194-7838-2}}{{cite book |last=Rowlands |first=Andy |date=April 2017 |publisher=IOP Publishing |title=Physics of Digital Photography |isbn=978-0-7503-1243-1}}

: \mathrm{SNR} = \frac{\mu_\mathrm{sig}}{\sigma_\mathrm{sig}}

when the signal is an optical intensity, or as the square of this value if the signal and noise are viewed as amplitudes (field quantities).{{explain|date=March 2021}}

See also

References

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Further reading

  • [https://www.iso.org/standard/28835.html ISO 15739:2003, Photography – Electronic still-picture imaging – Noise measurements]: specifies methods for measuring and reporting the noise versus signal level and dynamic range of electronic still-picture cameras. It applies to both monochrome and colour electronic still-picture cameras.
  • [https://www.iso.org/standard/37777.html ISO 12232:2006, Photography – Digital still cameras – Determination of exposure index, ISO speed ratings, standard output sensitivity, and recommended exposure index]: specifies the method for assigning and reporting ISO speed ratings, ISO speed latitude ratings, standard output sensitivity values, and recommended exposure index values for digital still cameras. ISO 12232:2006 is applicable to both monochrome and colour digital still cameras. It revises ISO 12232:1998.

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Category:Image processing

Category:Physical quantities

Category:Science of photography

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