Tom's Hardware > Forum > Digital Camera > Digital Camera General > shallow depth of field for compact digitals closeups

shallow depth of field for compact digitals closeups

Forum Digital Camera : Digital Camera General - shallow depth of field for compact digitals closeups

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!

Forum

Equivalent focal lengths

Ask the community Add a reply

Bottom Search this thread

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

What are some practical tips to achieve the most shallow depth of field
for compact digital closeups? Please add to or correct the list I came
up with. Assume there are no manual adjustments available besides zoom
and macro mode.

- Use macro mode.
- Get as close to the subject as possible.
- If subject is not in center, use focus lock.
- Zoom out so that lowest aperture is available.

Add a reply

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"Bucky" <uw_badgers@email.com> wrote in message
news:1121152624.341304.5400@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> What are some practical tips to achieve the most shallow depth of field
> for compact digital closeups? Please add to or correct the list I came
> up with. Assume there are no manual adjustments available besides zoom
> and macro mode.
>
> - Use macro mode.
> - Get as close to the subject as possible.
> - If subject is not in center, use focus lock.
> - Zoom out so that lowest aperture is available.

DOF will always be more difficult with smaller sensors.
Closer-focusing will always lead to shallower DOF.

Reply to Anonymous

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Bucky wrote:
> What are some practical tips to achieve the most shallow depth of field
> for compact digital closeups? Please add to or correct the list I came
> up with. Assume there are no manual adjustments available besides zoom
> and macro mode.
>
> - Use macro mode.
> - Get as close to the subject as possible.
> - If subject is not in center, use focus lock.
> - Zoom out so that lowest aperture is available.
>

The only things that make any difference are:
1) Distance to the subject. (Closer distance gives shallower DOF)
2) Aperture. (Wider apertures give shallower DOF)
Bob Williams

Reply to Anonymous

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Bucky wrote:
> What are some practical tips to achieve the most shallow depth of field
> for compact digital closeups? Please add to or correct the list I came
> up with. Assume there are no manual adjustments available besides zoom
> and macro mode.
>
> - Use macro mode.
> - Get as close to the subject as possible.
> - If subject is not in center, use focus lock.
> - Zoom out so that lowest aperture is available.
>
Minimum depth of field is achieved with the widest aperture setting. A
true macro lens usually has a pretty low F number, so it naturally has a
shallow depth of field (often under 1/2 inch!). I believe you have a
grasp of the matter. Now WHY do you want a shallow DOF? Sometimes you
can overdo this and make a picture that isn't all that pleasant to look at.

--
Ron Hunter rphunter@charter.net

Reply to Anonymous

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Bob Williams wrote:
> The only things that make any difference are:
> 1) Distance to the subject. (Closer distance gives shallower DOF)
> 2) Aperture. (Wider apertures give shallower DOF)

Right, but there are other factors that influence those 2 factors, so
I'm looking for any additional practical advice relevant for compact
digital cameras. Here are some specs from the Canon SD200/300:

normal: 1.0 ft to infinity, f/2.8
macro (W): 0.1 ft. to 1.6 ft, f/2.8
macro (T): 1.0 ft. to 1.6 ft, f/4.9

For example, to optimize distance to the subject, use macro mode.
Instead of using zoom to get closer to the subject, zoom out and move
the camera closer to the subject. As a novice photographer, I kept
getting in-focus macro shots of a plate of food. Finally I realized
that it was focusing in the middle of the plate, so that the depth of
field was not so apparent.

Reply to Bucky

Ask the community Add a reply

Tom's Hardware > Forum > Digital Camera > Digital Camera General > shallow depth of field for compact digitals closeups

Go to:

Help |
Forum rules

There are 926 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Page generated in 0.432 seconds

Please mind

You are about to answer a thread that has been inactive for more than 6 months.
If you still wish to proceed, please ensure that your posting is original and does not duplicate or overlap any prior responses to this thread.

Add a reply Cancel

Focus On

shallow depth of field for compact digitals closeups

Forum Digital Camera : Digital Camera General - shallow depth of field for compact digitals closeups

Please mind