Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/04/21

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Subject: Re: [Leica] M's and focusing
From: "Art Searle" <w2nra@erols.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 08:10:16 -0400

Duncan wrote:
>                                             A
>                                              |
>                                              |
>                                              |
>                                              |
>                                              |
>                                              |
>Camera >----------------------B  ---- center of view ( .i.e. camera is
aimed
>                                                       at B )
>
>
>Distancace to A and B from the camera are different, but if the camera has
a
>flat field, then both will be in focus.  If one recomposes to put A in the
>center of the field and B on the edge, then A will behind the plane of
focus
>and B will be in front.

You are correct but that is not the question.  The question is if you focus
on A and then recompose to B (without refocusing) then, if you assume a
flat field, A would be past the point of focus and B would be in front of
the point of focus.  Because, assuming a flat field the point of focus is
closer to the center than it would be to the 2 edges.  If you focused a 35
mm lens to 10 feet it is only 10 feet in the middle. The distance to the 2
edges is 11 1/4 feet.  If you were to take a picture of a brick building
from the middle of the one sides, you know the building is closest to you
straigt ahead and it is further away from you to the 2 corners.  You depend
on a lens's flatness of field and D.O.F. to get the whole building in sharp
focus, even though it is farther to the 2 corners.

I would bet that lenses flatness of field is somewhere inbetween.  In other
words you get some curving from the central point of focus. This would help
compensate for both situations to some degree.  I would further bet that it
is only a problem with medium wide angle and "normal" lenses.  I would
think super wides have to great a D.O.F. and teles have to narrow an angle
of view.

What can I say to get you guys to think about this.  Well, let's see!  The
first paragraph is math and not subject to interpretation.  It just is
fact.  The second paragraph is my opinion.

Art

Art Searle, W2NRA, w2nra@erols.com, Lake Grove, Long Island, NY, USA
20 miles east of Nikon USA, 70 miles east of Leica USA