Depth of Field

Depth-of-field

Photopedia

18 October 2007 15:44

Depth-of-field is the amount of the image that is sharp from near to far. It is governed by the focal length of the lens, the aperture used and the distance between you and the object that you’ve focused on.

Although the science behind depth-of-field is complex and confusing, it can be simplified by a few rules. To achieve the most depth-of-field use a wide-angle lens and a small aperture (f/16 to f/32). The longer the focal length of the lens and the wider the aperture you use, the shallower the depth-of-field becomes.

Therefore a long telephoto lens set to its maximum aperture will give the minimum depth-of-field. The distance you are from the point that you’ve focused on also affects the amount that’s in focus. The closer you are to this point the shallower the depth-of-field, and the further away the more that’s in focus.