Film and Resolution Limitations

We have all seen how resolution limitations of ordinary video tape recorders are clearly unacceptable compared to modern technology of even DVD in our own home. There are now a plethora of solutions.

However, one of the most important aspects that is overlooked by 90% of the people who desire or design systems is the field of view and the depth of field.

These actually go hand in hand.

The depth of view or field of focus is the height vs width or the millimeter of the lens and its equivalent field of view.

A wide angle lens will be just that – a wide angle. The focal length determines the magnification or angle of view.

A telephoto lens will magnify and telephoto the image.

To capture an entire scene may require a wide angle lens; however what use will it be when you cannot see the background in great detail?

This is field of view.

Thus, they are inversely proportional and inversely related.

Your depth of field is deep for the field of view being wide.

For the field of view being narrow or telephoto, your depth of field is very narrow.

These provide constrained limitations for both sets of circumstance.

A wide field of view gives a good depth of field; the resolution of the elements in the picture that are required to be magnified will be small and possibly unusable.

On the other hand, the telephoto image will hone in on the most important data but have a poor field of view.

The trade-offs are obvious; the compromises are significant.