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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Alexis Powell" data-source="post: 1355276" data-attributes="member: 5327">Users often mistake field curvature for increased or decreased DOF, depending on the circumstances.  Binoculars with fast focus ratios are also often mistakingly perceived to have narrow DOF.  That aside, the real DOF that a user experiences is strongly affected by one's accommodation (eye focusing) ability.  The ability of one's eye to bring the world into acceptable focus is itself affected by pupil size, which varies according to the brightness of the image. Some complicated interactions w/binocular specs result.I'm not sure anyone has been arrogant here, but I do wish more Birdforum participants would make better use of the message archive.  DOF in binoculars does _not_ conform to the preanalytical expectations that most folks have based on their experiences/knowledge from camera lenses. DOF has been explored in great detail by Birdforum members in archived threads. I, arrogantly, think the best summary of those results is that the only significant contributer to DOF at a given distance and eye accomodation is magnification (lower mag = greater DOF).--AP</blockquote>