Figure 2. True and estimated precision at short exposure times.

(a) True and estimated RMSEs for MLE localizations in different imaging conditions. Precisions are estimated using the CRLB and Laplace estimators, and error bars (mostly smaller than the symbols) indicate bootstrap s.e.m. Dashed and dotted lines indicate 0% and ±10% bias, respectively. (b) Conditional RMSE (cRMSE) normalized by estimated RMSE. Symbols, boxes and lines show the median, 25% and 75% quantiles, and the whole span for all localization conditions. (c) Distribution (probability density function, pdf) of fitted spot widths σ for the MLE and MAP fits, and spot width prior. The theoretical minimum width σ₀ is indicated by a vertical line. (d,e) Same as in a,b, but for MAP localizations. (f) Probability plots of localization errors normalized by Laplace RMSE estimates for MLE and MAP fits. Only spots with estimated RMSE smaller than 3 pixels are included, and a standard normal distribution, N(0,1), is included as reference.