When shooting with a given lens, how do you know which aperture is optimal for your creative vision?

Let’s say you want shallow dof, is there a place where you can learn that the sweet spot for dof and sharpness for a given lens model is when it’s stopped down by 1/2 stop?  

Conversely, where would you go to learn that a given lens model goes soft after f/11?

Sure, you could create a test rig, take tons of pictures with each at every aperture and inspect them with a magnifying glass, but that seems awfully inefficient.

Thanks and I look forward to everyone’s guidance and insights…

  • Dense_Surround3071@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    Granted this is more for landscape photography, but what you are describing is kinda like a hyperfocal length chart.

    Try the DoF tab in the PhotoPills app. You can set your specific camera model and lay in your distance from subject, aperture, and focal length. This is really designed to get EVERYTHING in the field of view acceptably sharp and isn’t really used for bokeh. However, this may help to fill in some of the technical numbers stuff you are trying to iron out.