An indirect microwave holographic technique for the reconstruction of complex scattered fields and the imaging of objects from a single holographic intensity pattern is described. The holographic intensity pattern is constructed by combining the signal scattered from the dielectric object with a synthesised reference signal. This dispenses with the need for expensive phase measuring equipment. Reconstructed magnitude and phase patterns of the original object have been determined using an adaptation of optical techniques. This work describes how dielectric objects of low contrast to the background when viewed using reconstructed magnitude patterns can be imaged from reconstructed phase patterns © 2005 IEEE.