A comparative study on camera calibration algorithms

In the recent decade, buildings 3D models are in a high demand by many public and private organizations. The extraction procedure of high accuracy measurements from images is one of the principal tasks of close-range photogrammetry. The particular techniques used in buildings 3D models creation mostly require an accurate calibration process of metric or non-metric digital cameras. Over the years, there were developed many calibration algorithms by several authors, such as: Tsai, Heikkilä & Silven, Bakstein & Halir, Zhang, etc. This paper aims to present a comparison between the intrinsic calibration parameters determined using the Tsai calibration algorithm, respectively the Heikkilä & Silven algorithm and their influence on building 3D model accuracy. In order to obtain the results, the 3D model of the historical monument “Dosoftei House” from Iaşi-City was created, based on image – data acquired with the Nikon Coolpix L810 digital camera. The camera calibration process, was performed using a 3D calibration object and the two algorithms mentioned above