User's Manual

The Depth of Field Scale (8)

The sharpest parts of the image correspond to objects at the exact distance (in a plane parallel

to the film) at which the lens is focused. This maximum sharpness gradually falls off in front of,

and behind, the focused distance. There is, however, a certain zone of acceptable sharpness,

known as the "depth of field." Its extent depends on the subject distance, the focal length of the

lens, and the lens aperture used. Stopping

down increases the zone of sharpness, while

the full aperture of highspeed lenses yields

only limited depth of field.

The depth-of-field scale of every LEICA lens

shows what depth you have available. At

any aperture two index lines of the same

aperture number indicate the limits of the

sharp zone. If for instance (see illustration)

you have set the 50mm Summicron f/2 lens

to 15 feet, the available depth of field with an

aperture of f/4 extends from about 12

to 20

feet. If, however, you stop down to f/11, the

depth ranges from about 9 to 40 feet.

The depth of field can also be estimated with

the rangefinder (see page 13).

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