Does DOF change with focus points?

[timmyquest]

Just wondering if you'll have a more/less DOF if i focus to the top/bottom/right/left of the lens rather then the middle. Or does it not matter?

[BearSummer]

Hi Timmy,

DOF depends on the distance from the camera to the plane of focus (amongst other things), if the focus points are pointing at objects that are different distances from the camera then the dof will change.

best regards

BearSummer

[timmyquest]

I know that...

But it does not matter where on the lens the focus point is located then?

[RichardtheSane]

If I'm reading this right...

Say you are focusing on a wall, so all focus points will focus on something at the same distance from the camera...

If so then the DOF for all the focus points will be the same, as the DOF for all areas of the optics should be the same.

[slin100]

Say you are focusing on a wall, so all focus points will focus on something at the same distance from the camera...

If so then the DOF for all the focus points will be the same, as the DOF for all areas of the optics should be the same.
This assumes that the lens exhibits no curvature of field. Except for macro lenses, where minimizing field curvature is extremely important due to the razor thin DOF, most normal lenses have some field curvature. So, the lens may need to be focused at different distances for each focus point, which will change your DOF.