Does a focal reducer make depth of field shallower on APS-C?
Asked 1/11/2022
1 views
2 answers
0
If I mount a 50mm f/2 lens on an APS-C camera using a 0.71x focal reducer (speed booster), the field of view becomes similar to using the lens on full frame. Does the focal reducer also make depth of field shallower and increase background blur, or does depth of field stay the same?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
5
The combined lens (50mm f/2 and a 0.71x speedbooster/telecompressor) will act like a 35mm/f1.4 lens in all regards (Same applies to teleconverters, in the other direction. lens designs exist that consist of a teleconverter or telecompressor behind a main lens, eg many 100mm macro lenses are 50mm macro lenses with a teleconverter in the back...).
DOF will be in the end dependent on aperture and magnification (subject to sensor). That truth is often arrogantly misinterpreted to say focal length doesn't matter re: background blur. It does, read on.
At THE SAME FRAMING, the actual DOF (in metres of depth) of the in-focus subject will, counterintuitively, be a bit shallower since you gained an f-stop of aperture.
A smaller acceptable circle of confusion for a smaller sensor will counteract this lightly, but in practice not by a whole stop.
The beginning and end of the DOF area around the focal plane might shift due to a change of camera to subject distance, which can also introduce apparent changes of DOF depending on what areas behind or before the focal plane matter in the picture.
Apparent background blur will still be less, since the change in distance needed for the same framing will decrease the magnification of the background.
Originally by user58185. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user58185
4y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A focal reducer changes both focal length and effective f-number. A 50mm f/2 with a 0.71x reducer behaves roughly like a 35mm f/1.4 lens.
So, no, it does not remain exactly the same. With the reducer attached, you gain about one stop of light and, at the same framing, depth of field becomes somewhat shallower than the unreduced APS-C setup.
That said, depth of field and background blur are related but not identical. DOF depends on focal length, aperture, subject distance, and the acceptable circle of confusion for the sensor format. Background blur also depends on magnification and geometry of the scene.
In practical terms: compared with the same lens on APS-C without the focal reducer, you’ll get a wider view and somewhat less depth of field. A common way to think about it is that the combo acts much like a 35mm f/1.4 lens.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI4y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Should I get a 35mm lens for Nikon DX, or use a focal reducer with a 50mm?
What happens when you mount an APS-C lens on a full-frame camera?
Do focal reducers improve sharpness on APS-C, or just restore full-frame field of view?
Does a crop-sensor camera make a lens longer, or just crop the field of view?
On APS-C, is a 50mm f/1.4 still worth keeping if I mostly use a 28mm f/1.8?