Is lens focus a single point or a range, and how does depth of field affect sharpness?

Asked 3/24/2019

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When a lens is focused at a given distance, is there only one exact distance that is truly in sharpest focus, or is focus effectively a small range? I'm trying to understand manual focusing and how far in front of or behind the focus distance a subject can be while still looking sharp.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

7y ago

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There's only one distance that is in sharpest focus. Everything in front of or behind that distance is blurry. The further we move away from the focus distance, the blurrier things get. The questions become: "How blurry is it? Is that within our acceptable limit? How far from the focus distance do things become unacceptably blurry?"

What we call depth of field (DoF) is the range of distances in front of and behind the point of focus that are acceptably blurry so that things still look like they are in focus.

The amount of depth of field depends on two things: total magnification and aperture. Total magnification includes the following factors: focal length, subject/focus distance, enlargement ratio (which is determined by both sensor size and display size), and viewing distance. The visual acuity of the viewer also contributes to what is acceptably sharp enough to appear in focus instead of blurry.

The distribution of the depth of field in front of and behind the focus distance depends on several factors, primarily focal length and focus distance.

The ratio of any given lens changes as the focus distance is changed. Most lenses approach 1:1 at the minimum focus distance. As the focus distance is increased the rear depth of field increases faster than the front depth of field. There is one focus distance at which the ratio will be 1:2, or one-third in front and two-thirds behind the point of focus.

At short focus distances the ratio approaches 1:1. A true macro lens that can project a virtual image on the sensor or film that is the same size as the object for which it is projecting the image achieves a 1:1 ratio. Even lenses that can not achieve macro focus will demonstrate a ratio very near to 1:1 at their minimum focus distance.

At longer focus distances the rear of the depth of field reaches all the way to infinity and thus the ratio between front and rear DoF approaches 1:∞. The shortest focus distance at which the rear DoF reaches infinity is called the hyperfocal distance. The near depth of field will very closely approach one half the focus distance. That is, the nearest edge of the DoF will be halfway between the camera and the focus distance.

We must also remember that hyperfocal distance, like the concept of depth of field upon which it is based, is really just an illusion, albeit a rather persistent one. Only a single distance will be at sharpest focus. What we call depth of field are the areas on either side of the sharpest focus that are blurred so insignificantly that we still see them as sharp. Please note that the hyperfocal distance will vary based upon a change to any of the factors that affect DoF: focal length, aperture, magnification/display size, viewing distance, etc. For why this is the case, please see:

Why did manufacturers stop including DOF scales on lenses?
Is there a 'rule of thumb' that I can use to estimate depth of field while shooting?
How do you determine the acceptable Circle of Confusion for a particular photo?
Find hyperfocal distance for HD (1920x1080) resolution?
Why I am getting different values for depth of field from calculators vs in-camera DoF preview?
As well as this answer to Simple quick DoF estimate method for prime lens

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

7y ago

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AI Answer

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A lens has one exact focus distance (more precisely, a plane of sharpest focus). Subjects at that distance are the sharpest. Anything nearer or farther is progressively less sharp.

What makes focus seem like a range is depth of field: the zone in front of and behind the focus plane that appears acceptably sharp. So the answer is both: exact focus is a single plane, but acceptable sharpness extends across a range.

How large that range is depends mainly on aperture and magnification. Using a smaller aperture (higher f-number) increases depth of field. Greater magnification reduces it, which is affected by focal length, subject distance, sensor/display enlargement, and viewing distance.

In practical terms, when manually focusing, you aim for the exact plane you want sharpest, then rely on depth of field to keep nearby distances looking crisp enough. There is no fixed millimeter tolerance that applies to every setup; it varies with lens, aperture, distance, and how large the image is viewed.

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7y ago

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