Mama Swoo Uses a Depth of Field Calculator

Описание: Jiro and Mama Swoo Use A
Depth-of-Field Calculator
To Determine the Zone
of Near and Far Objects in
Acceptable Sharp Focus

Welcome to another episode of Tea Time with Mama Swoo

Do you know the depth-of-field when you are shooting? Answer: You can use a Depth-of-Field calculator on your computer or smartphone.

According to wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_o...)

Depth of field is the distance between the nearest and the farthest objects that are in acceptably sharp focus.[1] "Acceptably sharp focus" is defined using a property called the circle of confusion.

Most of the time you may already know that in order to have a very wide depth-of-field (DoF) please shoot with a wide angle lens and stand more than 10-20 feet away. I do this when I’m taking group photos, landscape photos, or street photos with people moving (also with a high shutter speed such as 1/250 seconds). Use aperture like F8 or smaller.

In order to have a very shallow DoF to achieve bokeh or other creative reasons you can shoot with a telephoto lens and stand closer than 10 feet away. I do this when I am taking headshots or environmental portraits.

Please note that the depth-of-field is a function of your camera sensor size, such as full-frame (shallower DoF at the same field of view), APS-C, to micro 4/3 (wider DoF) or my film negative size going from large format 4x5 inches (shallower DoF), medium format 6x6cm, to 35mm (wider DoF). Use aperture like F2.8 or larger.


Question: In addition to knowing how to achieve desired DoF intuitively is there a more precise way to calculate the DoF?
Answer: You might consider using a Depth of Field Calculator or Table

Recently I shot a group photo of 20 high school cross-country runners. I used my full frame Canon R6 with a 35mm wide angle. They were standing about 20 feet away. I set my aperture to F8.

Let’s calculate the DoF with one of the many websites or app’s.

https://www.photopills.com/calculator...

On a computer or a smartphone you could use the browser-version for free.

His smartphone app is $9.99 if you rather use an app on your Apple and Android phones: https://www.photopills.com/

There are other smartphone apps that are free, such as Digital DoF.

In the calculator, just set your camera type (sensor size), aperture, focus distance, focal length (the real one! not the equivalent in 35mm) and teleconverter to calculate the depth of field

According to Phil
Hyperfocal distance: The closest distance at which a lens can be focused while keeping objects at infinity acceptably sharp. When the lens is focused at this distance, all objects at distances from half of the hyperfocal distance out to infinity will be acceptably sharp.
Hyperfocal near limit: The distance between the camera and the first element that is considered to be acceptably sharp when focusing at the hyperfocal distance.
Depth of field (DOF): The distance between the farthest and nearest points which are in acceptable focus. This can also be identified as the zone of acceptable sharpness in front of and behind the subject to which the lens is focused on.
DOF near limit: The distance between the camera and the first element that is considered to be acceptably sharp.
DOF far limit: The distance between the camera and the furthest element that is considered to be acceptably sharp.
Depth of Field (DOF) In Front: Distance between the DoF Near Limit and the focus plane.
Depth of Field (DOF) Behind: Distance between the focus plane and the DoF Far Limit.
I also shot headshots of 14 teachers for inner city youth with my full frame Canon R6 with a 135mm telephoto. I placed the subject on a posing stool about 5-6 feet away. I used F2.8

Let’s calculate the DoF.

This video is not sponsored by Phil. There are many other versions of the DoF calculator.

By following the instruction in wikipedia (Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_o...
) You can calculate your own table for those of you who like math or Excel spreadsheets

In summary, you can use a DoF calculator to determine the distance between the nearest and the farthest objects that are in acceptably sharp focus depending on camera sensor size, aperture, focus distance and focal length.

In practical terms, I can maximize the depth of field by shooting with a wide angle lens at a distance from the subjects.

For landscape and street photos I often shoot at the hyperfocal distance, especially with a manual-focus vintage analog film camera with an aperture ring with DoF indicator.

For headshots and environmental portraits I shoot with very shallow DoF with a telephoto lens standing just 5-10 feet away and with the background more than 10-20 feet behind the subjects.

Thank you for having tea with Mama Swoo.
Good luck and have time. Have a beautiful day.