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Curvature of Field
This page discusses curvature of field using the Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 Distagon: it is a rearward curve of the zone of sharp focus at the edges and corners.
Most lenses are corrected optically to yield a flat field, meaning that the image formed by the lens focuses on a plane—the flat surface of a sensor or film. A lens with curvature of field forms a “curved” image in which the corners focus at a different distance than the center, thus making it impossible to record a sharp image across the sensor, though the curved image might itself be quite sharp. Many lenses have some field curvature, though usually it is so minimal that it is hard to distinguish from the typical falloff in optical quality away from the optical center.
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Diglloyd Guide to Zeiss offers comprehensive integrated coverage of Zeiss DSLR lenses for Canon and Nikon. Nearly a decade in the making, it covers everything you need to know for every lens in the ZF.2, ZE, Milvus and Otus lines. Guide to Mirrorless and Zeiss ZM rangefinder lenses in Guide to Leica.
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