As you can clearly see in figure 9.4, response B is within 10 percent of response A between 350 and 400 nm. Below 350 nm, however, they clearly mismatch. This mismatch is not evident in the linear plot, figure 9.5, which is plotted with the same data. One drawback of the log plot is that it compresses the data at the top end, giving the appearance that the bandwidth is wider than it actually is. Note that Figure 9.4 appears to approximate the UVA band.
Most people are familiar with graphs that utilize linearly scaled axes.
This type of graph is excellent at showing bandwidth, which is usually judged at the 50 percent power points. This type of graph is poor at showing the effectiveness of a spectral match across an entire function. The two responses in the linear plot appear to match fairly well. Many companies, in an attempt to portray their products favorably, graph detector responses on a linear plot in order to make it seem as if their detector matches a particular photo-biological action spectrum, such as the Erythemal or Actinic functions. Both graphs were created from the same set of data, but convey a much different impression.