A technique for the determination of dynamic lens field curvature uniquely associated with a photolithographic scanner is described. A series of lithographic exposures is performed on a resist coated silicon wafer using a photolithographic scanner. The lithographic exposures produce an array of focusing fiducials that are displaced relative to each other in a unique way. The resulting measurements are fed into a computer algorithm that determines the dynamic lens field curvature (ZDLC) perpendicular to the scanning direction in an absolute sense. Furthermore, the effects of wafer flatness, wafer surface non-uniformity, and stage error are considered. The ZDLC information can be used to improve lithographic modeling, overlay modeling, and advanced process control techniques related to scanner stage dynamics.