Abstract: A method for determining the modulation transfer function (MTF) of a magnetic resonance system is described. The method involves recording, by means of the relevant magnetic resonance system, a cross-sectional image of stripe structure (S, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6) of a phantom (1) with a number of alternately arranged magnetic resonance device-active material layers (6) and magnetic resonance device-inactive material layers (7) with a prespecified periodicity running at right angles to the cross-sectional recording plane (BE), with the magnetic resonance device-active material layers (6) being thicker than the magnetic resonance device-inactive material layers (7). Subsequently the quotient of the standard deviation (ó) and of the mean (<|b(x)|>) of the intensity values of the pixels located in a specific Region of Interest (ROI) are determined and defined on the basis of the quotient of the modulation transfer function determined.