Depth of field
Also known as: DOF, shallow depth of field, bokeh
The range of distance in a shot that looks sharp. Action cameras have a deep depth of field, so almost everything from near to far stays in focus.
Updated
What it means
A lens can only focus perfectly at one distance, but objects slightly in front and behind still look acceptably sharp. That zone is the depth of field. A shallow depth of field isolates a subject against a soft background, while a deep one keeps the whole scene crisp.
Three factors control it: aperture, focal length and sensor size, along with distance to the subject. Wide apertures, long lenses and large sensors give shallow depth of field. Small sensors and very wide lenses, exactly what action cameras use, give very deep depth of field.
That is why action cameras can use fixed focus: nearly everything beyond a short distance is sharp anyway.
How it works in practice
For action and POV footage, deep depth of field is an advantage. The trail, the rider and the mountains stay sharp without any focusing, even in fast, unpredictable movement.
If you want the cinematic look of a blurred background, use a camera with a larger sensor and a wider aperture, such as a mirrorless camera or a phone portrait video mode. These shots work well as B-roll, interviews or detail shots between action clips.
Getting close to a subject also reduces depth of field, which is why close-ups from a phone can show some background blur.
What to watch out for
Objects very close to an action camera, closer than about half a meter, can be soft, because they fall in front of the sharp zone. Hands, handlebars and the nose of a board may look slightly blurry. Keep important close subjects a little further away.
Software background blur, as in phone portrait video or AI effects, can create halos and odd edges around hair, helmets and fast motion. Check the result carefully before using it in action scenes.
Shallow depth of field on a moving subject makes focus mistakes obvious, so use it for calm shots rather than fast action unless the camera tracks focus reliably.
How RawClip handles it
RawClip uses your clips as they are and does not add or remove background blur. Mixing deep-focus action clips with softer cinematic shots in one order gives your highlight more variety.