Depth of field

Description

The depth of field is the range of distances or thicknesses of an object that are simultaneously in good focus. The depth of field decreases as the distance from the object to the lens decreases. Thus, the depth of field for objects viewed with an optical microscope is very small. The depth of field increases with decreasing numerical aperture. The depth of field is frequently, but incorrectly, termed the depth of focus.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Tiefenschärfe (Deut.); profondeur de champ (Fr.);

Authority

• ASTM, Standard Terminology of Microscopy, Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Section 14, General Methods and Instrumentation, ASTM, E175, 75-78, May 1982

• Walter C. McCrone, John Gustave Delly, The Particle Atlas, W. McCrone Associates, Chicago, IV, 1972