Calibration of a polarization image sensor and investigation of influencing factors

Polarization measurements conducted with a polarization camera using the Sony IMX 250 MZR polarization image sensor are assessed with the super-pixel calibration technique and a simple test setup. We define an error that quantifies the quality of the polarization measurements. Multiple factors influencing the measurement quality of the polarization camera are investigated and discussed. We demonstrate that polarization measurements are generally consistent throughout the sensor if not corrupted by large chief ray angles or large angles of incidence. The central 600×400pixels were analyzed, and it is shown that sufficiently large f-numbers no longer influence measurement quality. We also argue that lens design and focal length have little influence on these central pixels. The findings of this study provide useful guidance for researchers using such a polarization image sensor.