What term describes defects in optics quality?

Aberrations refer specifically to optical defects that cause images to appear distorted or blurred, deviating from a point of convergence. These can occur due to various factors, such as design flaws in lenses or misalignments. Common types of aberrations include chromatic aberration, which causes color fringing due to different wavelengths of light being focused at different points, and spherical aberration, where light rays striking the outer edges of a lens focus at a different point than those hitting the center.

The use of the term "aberation" is more precise in the context of optics compared to other options, which are more generic. Distortions, flaws, and imperfections can refer to a variety of shortcomings in different contexts and do not specifically identify the optical principles affecting image quality. In photography, understanding aberrations is crucial for improving the technical quality of images produced by a camera system.