Forum Search for "depth of field photography"

Jeez! I can't believe this thread (and Duncan) is still going on! Duncan, give it up! Realise that it isn't actually the sensor size, but the magnification of the image that is causing the apparent loss of DOF.

Another thought.. since you are on about macro photography, lay out a flat ruler and photograph that at various apertures.. that'll give you a better idea of dof and distances that are involved. Also when looking at near and far dof the usual maxim is that dof is 1/3 in front and 2/3 behind the point of focus. In macro photography however dof extends more like 1/2 in front and 1/2 half behin...

PMSL! I have actually met him before at the Edinburgh meet in March I should point out... I think that you need to point this out on another thread as there are doubts as to whether Realestate is a pseudonym of one of the more famous jokers on here, especially as Realestate is an anagram of Tease Alert :-) Mike

Mike - yes, I see your reasoning. And I agree that it does not explain why it's not sharp, and the pic is too small anyway :)

Another important thing to pay attention to is how close the background is to the subject. The further away it is the more the background will blur. On your butterfly shot example the grass behind the butterfly was probably a foot or more away which is why it's blurred into a solid green. If the background grass was only an inch or so behind the butterfly it would look blotchy rather than sm...

Sensia as good as Provia- very little between then, - as good as Velvia- no, but I want the extra stop. Once you take price and handiness into the equation there is no contest. That lens does sound good value, but check around the other main shops in town before buying. If any shop has a sigma 70-300 apo for a similar price give it serious consideration too. (try them on the camera, the Sigma ...

Perhaps it helps someone: the depth mask (pdf) lens blur simple one

A really usefull trick when using the preview is to use a bare torch bulb (I use a maglight) and move it through the image from front to back, doing this lets you see exactly when the focus starts to fall off. Very usefull when photographing plastecine models and have one chance of getting them right.

How can it be considered cheating? Like the hilariously funny thread about HDR, ANY technique to strengthen the impact of an image is just that - a technique... And it all started with Fox-Talbot!!! Ever since the Ab Initio days, photographers has sought to enhance their work!!! Can we close BOTH threads now please!! Why the heck shouldn't we discuss these things?! Some of us are n...

I was not being argumentative Stan, just making a valid point, that may not be appreciated by beginners. We are not all 'experts' on this site. One further point ;o) It's not much use being awash with theory and technical jargon if you can't see or compose a picture. PS Who mentioned Aston Martins? Didn't know they made cameras ;o)

A lot of creative focus is waaay overdone IMHO. It doesn't need an awful lot of blur to make your intended object of attention the only one the viewer looks at. The eye is drawn naturally to the sharpest point of the image, especially if it has lead lines or is on a point of thirds. OK theres a problem if you have glaring highlights - but then that's your fault for not composing better ;)

Fantastic advice - many thanks all. Have printed out 'Focus Stacking' info ...

For a given angle of view, medium format will always have less depth of field because you are working with a longer focal length lens. If you are comparing identical focal length lenses I'm not so sure. I've just had a quick look through my Mamiya and Minolta and can see little if any differences between 80mm lenses on both at the same aperture. At the end of the day, just use the DoF preview...

Yes, I've been weighting up upgrading, and will soon have the funds to do so, and all the Canon options (1d2n, 1d3, 7d, and 1d4) have their pros and cons. Just been using the time from postponed events last weekend and this week to reflect on my current level of ability and see where I can improve. So it looks like stick with the individual shots for the moment, and revisit group shots when I h...

What it comes down to is acceptable sharpness. The only point that would actually be in focus would be the point on which you had focussed. However, a limited range either side would have acceptable sharpness that would appear to be in focus. example of small aperture giving large depth of field. example of large aperture giving shallow depth of field.