The prestack imaging resolution capabilities of various 3-D seismic re
cording patterns are revealed when a Born-approximate theory is applie
d to backscattered waves. The 3-D imaging resolution of such patterns
is compactly studied using a constant-velocity model with a point scat
terer or a line scatterer at depth. By use of a well-known acoustic im
aging formula, it is shown that the resolution of a point scatterer in
the X and Y directions is not significantly different for various rea
listic layouts of sources and receivers in land-type recording, even t
hough the recording patterns appear to be greatly dissimilar, provided
the aperture remains constant. For marine-type survey patterns, the i
mage is almost as well-resolved in the crossline direction as the inli
ne direction. This is true whether the scattering object is a point or
a line. In marine surveying, symmetric resolution of subsurface featu
res can be achieved by conducting two orthogonal surveys at half the d
ensity of one unidirectional survey.