Visual-perception depth of field as a function of external conditions

Based on an analysis of Campbell's fundamental data on how the depth of field depends on the diameter of an artificial pupil, it is determined how the depth of field for a natural pupil depends on the adaptation luminance and the contrast of a test object. The resulting model data are compared with the diameter of the diffraction aberration circle of confusion and the visual acuity. The depth of field is regarded as the zone of indistinguishability, in which stimuli that are objectively distinguishable in their intensity are not distinguished by the observer. From the viewpoint of psychophysics of perception, the depth of field is the critical index that determines the dual perception of a luminance gradient. The proposed model makes it possible to synthesize the luminance distribution in the image of a test object with various defocusing values and thereby to simulate the depth of field for a given accommodation range. This makes it possible to investigate the formation of zones of excitation and signal summation in various sections of the visual system. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America