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Depth of Field: How Cinematographers use it in Film

Alex Zarfati explains depth of field as a storytelling tool: shallow focus to isolate, deeper focus to connect people with their world, and how focal length, aperture and distance control it.

Alex Zarfati · 10 min · Beginner · CIN · Cinematography · 2025

What you take away

Choose how much of the world a character is allowed to see.

Watch it

Filed under

Oscar winners for cinematography

Books on cinematography

Kit for this lesson

Canon RF 50mm F1.2 L USM — The portrait-adjacent normal
Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 — The swirly Soviet prime — a look for the price of a meal
Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 — Warm, cheap, and everywhere — a first vintage prime
Minolta MC Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 — Glowing highlights wide open, pin-sharp stopped down
Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II — The standard zoom most FX bodies wear
Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II — The wide end of the same set

More Cinematography

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The Pros & Cons Of Film Vs Digital: Featuring Robert Yeoman — In Depth Cine · 15m · Advanced
Mother (2009) - The Telephoto Profile Shot — Every Frame a Painting · 4m · Advanced
How Cinematographers Set Their Exposure — In Depth Cine · 13m · Intermediate
Making THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (with Wes Anderson & Robert Yeoman) — Cinematographers on cinematography · 27m · Advanced
Cinematic Film Composition — Roger Deakins on Blocking, Staging & Composition in Cinematography — StudioBinder · 7m · Intermediate
Depth of field | Virtual Cameras | Computer animation | Khan Academy — Khan Academy Labs · 3m · Intermediate
Roger Deakins on "Learning to Light" — Cinematography Techniques Ep. 1 — StudioBinder · 9m · Intermediate
Shooting “Moonrise Kingdom" (with Wes Anderson & Robert Yeoman) — Cinematographers on cinematography · 17m · Advanced
Ultimate Guide to Camera Lenses — Every Type of Camera Lens Explained [Shot List Ep. 7] — StudioBinder · 20m · Beginner
Depth of Field Explained: Ultimate Guide to Camera Focus [Shot List Ep. 4] — StudioBinder · 15m · Beginner

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