SPOT 5's instruments and ground processing systems deliver imagery with significantly better resolution and quality than previous SPOT satellites.

Satellite	SPOT 1-4			SPOT 5
Instrument	HRV/ HRVIR			HRG				HRS
Spectral band	PAN	B1, B2, B3	SWIR	VHR	PN	B1, B2, B3	SWIR	PAN
Swath	60 km	60 km	60 km	60 km	60 km	60 km	60 km	120 km
Resolution	10 m	20 m	20 m	2.5 m	5 m	10 m	20 m	5 m * 10 m
Absolute location accuracy (without ground control points)	350 m	350 m	350 m	50 m	50 m	50 m	50 m	20 m
Geometric accuracy	5 m	5 m	5 m	< 3 m	< 3 m	< 3 m	< 3 m	< 3 m
Signal-to-noise ratio (L2)	260	380	360	170	170	240	230	190
MTF (fn/2)	0.3	0.45	0.35	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.45	0.3

The real SPOT 4 and simulated SPOT 5 images shown here illustrate the advances made with the new HRG instruments and Supermode sampling concept:

Comparison of SPOT 4/5 imagery of Perpignan, France:

More examples

Spot 5, Perpignan (other district) - 248 ko
Comparison Spot 4/5,imagery of Nice, France- 256 ko
Comparison Spot 4/5,imagery of Toulouse, France- 135 ko

VEGETATION images of the globe