We performed contrast-sensitivity measurements using rotationally symmetric, variable contrast difference-of-Gaussians targets, viewed through specially designed telescopes that presented various amounts of monochromatic aberrations. The contrast-sensitivity ratios between aberrated and unaberrated cases were correlated with instrument-based measures of image quality. The radius that encircles 84% of the energy of the point-spread function was found to give the best correlation with the subjective data.