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Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300
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the value I currently use on my D300 as my diffraction limited
aperture.
I wouldn’t rule out using f/16 or f/22 to get an increased depth
of field, but be aware that diffraction “steals back” some of
the sharpness benefits of the very small apertures. If you’re
looking for absolute best possible acuity in your images, use
f/11 and make sure that the things you want “in focus” are in
the depth of field for that aperture and your focus point.
Other DOF Theories
You should be aware that depth of field is a very contentious
subject among photographers. Not only are there variants of
the circle of confusion formula and methods for using them,
but there are also alternative calculation methods that have
large followings.
The original Zeiss calculation, for example, was based upon
prints smaller than an Epson 1800 or 2400 can produce and
which are viewed from distances longer than many of us
examine our photos from. I’ve seen hundreds of
interpretations of how to deal with all the variables that come
up. When I questioned my mentor about it one day, he
showed me that he basically was always using values for one
stop faster than the calculations would indicate, “just to be
safe.”
So instead of using the depth of field charts for f/16 (if that
was the aperture he was shooting at), he always used f/11. On
top of that, he tended to always put whatever depth of field he
had at the near focus point in his shot. This was done on the
premise that things that are slightly out of focus in the
distance aren’t generally as obnoxious as things out of focus
in the near frame
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It goes further than that, actually. The human brain is wired to interpret “less
detail” as meaning “further away” (and vice versa). Having a slightly soft infinity
