Focus merging versus smaller aperture

Recent firmware update for Fuji X-T2 added focus bracketing feature, which allows to capture series of images suitable for focus merging to achieve larger depth of field. In this mode, camera captures selected number of images with every frame focused to slightly larger distance then previous one. When my colleague X-photographer Kevin Mullins released its video demonstrating this new feature, few commenters were asking if stopping lens down wouldn’t achieve the same result. I decided to show you, why focus merging cannot by substituted by stopping lens down in many cases.

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