What does having a great depth of field imply about the camera settings?

Having a great depth of field means that both near and far subjects in the frame are in sharp focus. This characteristic is particularly desirable in many types of photography and cinematography, as it allows for a greater range of the scene to be captured in clarity.

To achieve this effect, specific camera settings are typically employed: a smaller aperture (higher f-stop number) is used, which increases the depth of field. This setting allows the lens to extend its focus range, keeping subjects at varying distances sharply defined. This is particularly useful in landscape photography, where both the foreground and distant backgrounds should be in focus to convey the breadth of the scene.

Other choices reflect misunderstandings of depth of field. Confining focus only to distant objects, limiting it to the foreground, or suggesting that adjustments can't be made would indicate a shallow depth of field or incorrect application of camera techniques. In contrast, a great depth of field is precisely about achieving the versatility of focus across different plane distances.