Photography is the main access to obtain geospatial information, the quality of the results will directly affect the follow-up results of the quality of surveying and mapping. Therefore, we need a comprehensive aerial photographic quality inspection results. Correct evaluation of the quality of digital images is an important but difficult to solve the research topic. Many of the current image quality evaluation mainly rely on the subjective judgments. With the rapid development of image acquisition and processing technology and people’s increasing demand for image information, It has become increasingly important economic significance and practical value to research the objective evaluation method that can accurately reflect the subjective evaluation. In this paper, I analyzed the traditional methods and several cutting-edge methods of the digital image quality evaluation. According to the analysis and comparison of image quality evaluation methods, I forecast the development of the image quality evaluation methods. The methodology, based on modulation transfer function combined HVS model evaluation methods for image quality evaluation is expected to achieve breakthroughs in difficult problems. With the development of the image analysis and processing technology, especially the development of computer vision and intelligence technology, the difficulty of image quality evaluation also will be resolved.