Check a depth-of-field prediction with your own camera.
The simulator predicts an acceptable sharp range. This worksheet helps you compare that prediction with photographs you actually make. No photograph is uploaded or analyzed here.
Open the worksheet ↓Set up a repeatable photograph
- Place the camera on a stable support. Choose a stationary subject with fine detail and two other details at measurable distances, one near a predicted focus limit and one beyond it.
- Measure distances from the camera's sensor-plane mark when possible. Record the lens, focal length, aperture, focus distance and acceptable circle of confusion you chose. A tape measure or rangefinder gives a better check than guessing from a preview.
- Focus on the same subject for every exposure. Turn off continuous refocusing between frames. Take one frame at your planned aperture, then change only the aperture and adjust shutter speed or ISO to keep exposure usable. A moving subject or camera invalidates a focus comparison.
- Inspect both details at the same output size and viewing distance. Decide whether each is acceptably sharp for your intended use, then enter those observations below.
The default worksheet uses an illustrative 50 mm, f/1.8, 3 m setup with a 0.030 mm criterion. Choose your actual camera and lens in the simulator, then open “Test this prediction” from its field guide cards to bring your current numbers here.
Record your shot
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Compare prediction and observation
How to interpret a mismatch
“Inside” and “outside” are classifications under your chosen CoC threshold. Sharpness changes gradually, so a detail close to a limit is especially sensitive to measurement error and how large you view the image. If a detail looks softer than predicted, check that you focused where intended, that it did not move, and that the lens did not breathe or curve the focus field. Also check shutter speed, ISO noise reduction and whether the source detail had enough texture to judge.
If a detail looks sharper than predicted, you may be viewing a smaller image, using a less strict sharpness standard, or measuring distance differently. The worksheet does not diagnose a lens or establish an empirical accuracy score. It records evidence you can repeat. For the model and its assumptions, read the published equations; for a reproducible calculation error, contact the maker.
Verify the numbers: reproducible reference examples · equations and limitations · publisher and corrections.