Helpful Hints/D.I.Y.: A new tool for the production of high quality output

Hi, Bart,

Bart_van_der_Wolf said:

Since it's appreciated, thanks Doug for letting me know, I've further expanded the support for non-SI units to include the Object dimension settings.

Additionally I've changed the handling of the (optionally chosen) resulting optimized Focal length value. It formerly defaulted to nice rounded (to 5mm) focal lengths, but that also introduced slightly less accurate results for the depending parameter values. Now, one can double-click on the Focal Length field, and it will do the rounding to the nearest 5mm, and additionally recalculate the entire model where it depends on the focal length.

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Those all are worthwhile changes.

The Object dimension settings allow to automatically set all other related parameters, and can be used if the object dimensions are already known in advance. This can be used with reproduction of e.g. paintings/drawings, or when the main subject has a known size in the plane of optimal focus.

Do note that it only applies to the subject dimensions in the focus plane (that's why that is usually set first, or is optimized for), and that the use of a different focal length will produce a different rendering (size and blur) of the foreground and the background features. The photographer must still make creative choices, but won't have to worry about fitting the main subject in the frame.

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Indeed.

This still leaves the 2.7) Total Depth of Field (and it's dependents) to be enabled for non-SI unit input, but that's a tricky parameter to change anyway, because it impacts the original quality goal for the required image size. It is generally not advised to change it there, but e.g. change the Aperture if more or less DOF is needed.

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That is indeed problematical as an "input", in part because of its entanglement with focus distance

The value of the total DOF is reported at 2.1.3) anyway, and there it uses the distance units that were set for the Front or Rear DOF distance.

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That should be quite workable for the user.

But have you taken into account the fact that the blur figure at the focal plane may not be a disk of uniform luminance? And what about the aberration of Wartzenthal? (Just poking a little fun at those to your southeast.)

Thanks for your great work on this useful tool. I particularly enjoy that you begin from a rigorous model (to the extent that such is "practical") and only then configure the tool in the face of pragmatic reality.

Best regards,

Doug