Depth of Field and Perspective Considerations in Wide-Screen Cinematography

To improve definition in wide-screen cinematography, negatives are often made with a frame size larger than standard. The result is to decrease the depth of field in proportion to the first power of the linear dimensions of the negative unless the lens aperture is made smaller. This reduction in depth is less than when a close-up is made on a standard negative with the same camera magnification, in which case the loss is proportional to the square of the camera magnification; it is for this situation that the usual tables are computed. The depth of field can be restored by increasing the f-number correspondingly in any case, but this introduces lighting problems. Increasing the size of the screen without changing the size of the negative also decreases the depth of field proportionately to the increase in screen size. This effect is superposed on the change in depth of field arising from a change in negative size.

Print ISSN

0361-4573

Published

1956-01

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J04793