Photography & Imaging

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Depth of Field (approx.)

Range of distances that appear acceptably sharp.

Formula

DoF \approx \frac{2 N c\, s^2}{f^2}

Variables

DoFDepth of field (m)

NF-number

cCircle of confusion (mm)

sSubject distance (m)

fFocal length (mm)

Example

N=8, c=0.03, s=3 m, f=50 mm: DoF ≈ 1.7 m

Did You Know?

Wide apertures blur the background (shallow DoF) — the look portrait photographers chase.

photography depth of field focus

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More in Photography & Imaging

F-Number

Aperture f-number is focal length divided by aperture diameter.

Exposure Value (EV)

Combines aperture and shutter speed into one exposure figure.

Hyperfocal Distance

Focus distance that keeps everything from H/2 to infinity sharp.

Lens Magnification

Image magnification from focal length and subject distance.

Angle of View

Field of view from sensor size and focal length.

Equivalent Focal Length

Focal length on a crop sensor expressed in full-frame terms.