In
optics, defocus is the one
aberration familiar to nearly everyone who has ever needed eyeglasses or used a camera, videocamera, microscope, telescope, or binoculars, as it simply means out of
focus. Optically, defocus refers to a
translation along the
optical axis away from the plane or surface of best focus. In general, defocus reduces the sharpness and
contrast of the
image. What should be sharp, high-contrast edges in a scene become gradual transitions. Fine detail in the scene is blurred or even becomes invisible. Nearly all image-forming optical devices incorporate some form of focus adjustment to minimize defocus and maximize image quality.
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