DOF?

JonnyW

JonnyW

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Edit My Images
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Someone has mentioned DOF in one of my photos and I was wondering whether anybody could explain what it was and how I can improve it?
 
Depth of Field .. the distance in front and behind the point of focus that is still in focus.

Goes from being vast for wide angle lenses, to really small with telephoto lenses.

Also effected by aperture, the larger the aperture the smaller the depth of field.
 
Sorry just seen the 'how to I improve it'

To reduce DOF useful in isolating a subject use a longer focal length lens, and or use a larger aperture f2, f1.4.

To increase the DOF use a smaller aperture f8, f16
 
DOF = depth of field or depth of focus

put simply if you want to blur a background you need a wide aperture (low f number)
if you want everything in focus you need a small aperture (high f number)

The effect is more noticeable if you are close to the item you want in focus and the backgound is further away.

if you change the f number on Here it will show the effect.
 
Depth Of Field is the parts of your shot which are in focus from the near distance to the far distance. Normally with a landscape, you'd want everything sharp from that boulder 6 feet away, to those hills in the distance. You'd achieve that by using a small aperture. Think about how you squint on a bright day to sharpen things up and it's much the same principle.

For a portrait you may want only the subject in focus and the background blurred in which case you's use a much larger aperture so there's less DOF.

Small apertures = great DOF

Large apertures = shallow DOF.

Depth Of Field is greater as you focus further from the camera and reduces as you focus closer to the camera until you get down to extreme macro close up when even using very small apertures, DOF is just paper thin.

There's more to it than that, but that's the bare bones to give you a grasp. Sing out if you need any more info.
 
Toothie said:
DOF = depth of field or depth of focus

.
Click to expand...
Pedant mode 'on' Toothie:- ;)

Depth Of Field is in front of then lens - Depth Of Focus is behind the lens at the film/sensor plane.
 
CT said:
Pedant mode 'on' Toothie:- ;)

Depth Of Field is in front of then lens - Depth Of Focus is behind the lens at the film/sensor plane.
Click to expand...

i never knew that, i thought they were interchangeable and always thought depth of focus explained it a little easier if you didn't know what it ment.
 
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