The paper deals with the determination of tensor of the so-called small def
ormation of an elementary area of an object surface by means of an optical
experimental method, which makes use of properties of the speckle field in
an optically free space or in an image field. The term "small deformation t
ensor" is introduced and a relationship between a small deformation tensor
of surface and a speckle field in free space or image field is analyzed. (C
) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.