The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Optical Science Laboratory (OSL) is responsible for the calibration of film mapping cameras in the United States. It has been providing this service in Reston, Va. since 1973. The impetus for a camera calibration policy came from the desire to ensure that photography acquired through contractors would meet the mapping quality needs of the USGS photogrammetric production methods.

Over the years, the USGS Report of Calibration has become the de facto requirement of other U.S. Federal agencies, as well as State and local governments. The calibration process is meticulously performed and, barring internal lens changes due to factory repair work or rough usage, provides an unbiased evaluation in a standardized, repeatable test environment that produces consistent results from calibration to calibration. The USGS Report of Calibration is valid for three years from the date of issue. To maintain calibration currency, the camera must have been calibrated at the OSL within the past three years.

The OSL also provides technical assistance to Government agencies, the private sector, and commercial manufacturers.