Gordon Wildman Photography < prev Tips next >
11:
Depth of Field
 Depth of field in an image is a significant tool to be used by photographers. The image on the left used an f-stop of f6.7. The image on the right used an f-stop of f13. You can see the difference in focus on the left side of the image. The more wide open the lens diaphragm - f5.6 - the smaller the f-stop # - the less depth of field, and a faster shutter speed is used. The more closed the diaphragm - f22 - the higher the f-stop # - the greater the depth of field, and a longer shutter speed is used for the same exposure. But, something else to consider about a lens is that the highest quality of glass with-in the lens shines in the mid range of f stops ie: f8 or f11. That is the sweet spot of a lens. There can be light fall-off on the edges as well as a lack of sharpness on the edges that is magnified by the extreme ends of the f-stops such a f2.8 & f22. There are many factors to consider when making a choice of what f stop to use and which lens to buy. |