of misalignments on the modulation transfer function measurement of camera lenses analyzed in optomechanical simulations," Opt. Eng. 59(3), 034101 (2020), Abstract. The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt has developed a reference setup for measuring the modulation transfer function (MTF) of camera lenses with the goal of reaching an expanded measurement uncertainty of 0.01 (coverage probability of 95%) for various measurement configurations. We present optomechanical simulations of the setup behavior, which are used to investigate the influence of the combined mechanical misalignments on the MTF depending on the lens under test. The investigations are carried out as part of Monte Carlo studies for different sample lenses and field heights considering the correlations between the effects of different positioning errors on the MTF measured. The results of the sensitivity analyses have allowed appropriate alignment strategies to be identified that significantly reduce the uncertainty contribution of the positioning errors. By implementing these strategies, the target measurement uncertainty can be achieved for most of the desired measurement configurations. In addition, the comparison of three different sample lenses shows that the MTF sensitivity to misalignments strongly depends on the characteristics of the lens to be measured. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.Recent developments in the use of camera lenses-e.g., in smartphones, professional cine cameras, or cameras used in advanced driver-assistance systems-necessitate high-precision quality control procedures to ensure high performance, cost-effective production, and compliance with safety aspects. 1-3 Since the theory of optical transfer function was described and the first measuring devices were developed in the 1950s, 4-7 specifying the imaging performance of optical components by a modulation transfer function (MTF) became a widely used technique in optical design and quality testing. Although the MTF is commonly used to specify the quality of imaging systems, at present, there is a lack of services offering traceable MTF calibrations.Motivated by the increasing demand in the industry, the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), in cooperation with an industrial partner, is developing an MTF reference setup for camera lenses with the aim of reaching an expanded measurement uncertainty of 0.01 (coverage probability of 95%) for various measurement configurations. The aims of the project are that an accredited laboratory for MTF calibrations of camera lenses is established and the traceability will be supported by this reference setup. 8 According to our knowledge, there is currently no commercial MTF measurement setup available offering the desired accuracy for different field heights (on-axis and off-axis).