[BasilG]

re: 1

 

Sin(0x) is 0.  Sin(0x + pi/2) is 0.  Sin(0x + pi) is 0.  Without phase information you still have an image.  It is most likely that all imaging devices you have ever used are "phase blind."  Unless you do holographic imaging there is no phase information recorded. 

 

re: 2

 

It's constructive/destructive interference patterns, as I have said previously.

 

 

Re 1 - While you may not directly record the phases when recording a 2D image, the phase information still contributes to image formation. Otherwise you could calculate the original image from the amplitudes (without phases) of the Fourier transform of that image.

 

Re 2 - I remember what you claimed. But I have not seen any reasonable explanation for why your hypothesis would be true, while you seem to be really quick to dismiss any evidence presented be me (well, I agree it's not great evidence, but it's what was available on the web). In particular, I don't understand why your statement that "microscope objectives are different than camera lenses" would in any way falsify the idea that the transfer function can cross zero when the lens is defocused, giving rise to both effects observed in the images.