Post Depth of Field, Blurred Hard edges, common issue

[Daniel Doerksen]

A troubling issue I've had for quite some time now. I think the image frames the question well enough. Created using a V-ray depth map, how can I fix this issue.

 

it seems to be a question that has come up quite a few times but without a solid clear answer.

[Ricardo Eloy]

Depth maps are not going to give you the same quality as real DOF. Since you're using a map that shows distance data, you will eventually bump into situations like this. I may be missing something obvious here, but I only use depth maps for very subtle DOF and for a fog pass. Otherwise, real DOF it is (and you can speed it up quite a bit using VRay's stereo rig to calculate a real depth map to be used by your camera when rendering DOF).

[spunk91]

I don't know if this will work. But what happens if you blur the Zdepth before using it to make DOF?

[Ricardo Eloy]

You'll get a different error on the edges of objects, especially when you have a distant background (the pic Daniel posted above is an example). Remember, DOF is an optical phenomenon, so describing it with a map is no piece of cake.