  We study the accuracy of determining the phase space quasidistribution of a
single quantized light mode by a photon counting experiment. We derive an exact
analytical formula for the error of the experimental outcome. This result
provides an estimation for the experimental parameters, such as the number of
events, required to determine the quasidistribution with assumed precision. Our
analysis also shows that it is in general not possible to compensate the
imperfectness of the photodetector in a numerical processing of the
experimental data. The discussion is illustrated with Monte Carlo simulations
of the photon counting experiment for the coherent state, the one photon Fock
state, and the Schroedinger cat state.
