depth of field

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "depth of field" is correct and usable in written English.
It is primarily used when referring to photography, and refers to the area of a photograph that is in sharp focus. For example, "The photographer adjusted the camera settings to increase the depth of field of the image."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

53 human-written examples

The same goes for depth of field.

The New York Times

"The shallow depth of field adds drama.

The New York Times

They have a huge depth of field.

The New York Times

Flexible Depth of Field Photography.

Columbia University

I wanted a huge depth of field".

The New York Times

This narrows our critical depth of field.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

7 human-written examples

In terms of depth-of-field, existing headsets don't give users multiple focal lengths.

TechCrunch

A "super-focus" mode lets you add depth-of-field to images.

TechCrunch

Creating a bokeh depth-of-field effect has become commonplace with twin-camera phones.

Forbes

A shallow depth-of-field can create striking photographs of a subject with a blurry background.

BBC

It's got absolutely beautiful depth-of-field effects.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the adjectives "deep" or "large" to describe images where everything from the foreground to the horizon is sharp.

Common error

Avoid using "depth of field" when you actually mean "field of view". The former refers to the range of sharpness along the distance axis, while the latter refers to the angular extent of the scene captured by the lens.

Linguistic Context

As noted by Ludwig AI, "depth of field" functions as a compound noun and a technical term in the fields of optics, photography and cinematography. It quantifies the distance between the nearest and farthest objects that give an image judged to be in focus.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Academia

25%

Science

15%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

According to Ludwig AI, "depth of field" is an essential technical term used to describe the zone of sharp focus in an image. It is a highly frequent phrase in high-quality journalism and scientific literature. The analysis confirms that it is grammatically stable and universally accepted in both professional and creative industries. Writers should be careful not to confuse it with "field of view", as "depth of field" specifically concerns the z-axis (depth) of focus rather than the lateral span of the image. Its usage ranges from explaining camera settings in tech reviews to detailing complex light-field theories in academic research.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

focal range

Refers broadly to the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in focus.

focus depth

A more direct but less common synonym for the depth of focus area.

zone of focus

Emphasizes the specific area or region within a scene that appears sharp.

plane of focus

Describes the two-dimensional area that is perfectly sharp, rather than the volume.

range of focus

Uses standard English to describe the span where objects remain clear.

shallow focus

Refers specifically to a narrow depth where only a small slice of the image is sharp.

deep focus

Refers to a large depth where both the foreground and background remain sharp.

bokeh

Refers to the aesthetic quality of the blur in the out-of-focus areas.

depth of focus

Often confused with depth of field, but technically refers to focus at the sensor plane.

sharpness range

A descriptive non-technical term for the area of clarity.

FAQs

How do I use "depth of field" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe photographic settings, such as: "The photographer chose a wide aperture to achieve a shallow "depth of field"."

What is the difference between "depth of field" and "field of view"?

While "depth of field" refers to how much of the image is in focus from front to back, "field of view" refers to how much of the scene is visible horizontally and vertically.

Can I say "depth of focus" instead?

In casual conversation, people often use "depth of focus" interchangeably, but in optics, they refer to different parts of the imaging system.

What is another way to say "shallow depth of field"?

You might describe it as having a "blurred background" or a "selective focus" effect.