Sensor size and depth of field: A closer look at what affects depth of field

 

 

Larger sensors produce images with shallower depth of field, right? Fstoppers states that there's more to it than that. In important ways, depth of field depends on much more than sensor size and maximum aperture, situations such as focal length and focus distance matter as well.

In the video below, Lee Morris of Fstoppers starts by breaking down how a lens works. In a simplified sense, light rays are reflected off of objects and a lens can focus light rays from a single specific point onto the digital sensor. Even if more than that single point appears to be in focus, technically speaking, only one precise distance can be in focus while other areas near that distance can appear to be sharp. This introduces issues such as the presentation size of an image, what you consider "acceptably sharp" and more when considering the depth of field of an image.

Now, the next question is "do larger sensors produce shallower depth of field?" This is a common remark and it is certainly widely-believed. To find out Morris' take on the issue, watch the video below. His conclusion may very well surprise you.

If you'd like further information on depth of field or perhaps just get a refresher on exactly what it is, there's an excellent video by Dylan Bennett below which explains depth of field in a simple and informative way.

(Via Fstoppers)