Quote:
Originally Posted by Wynder
You won't be able to get *everything* in focus -- there is a depth of field and anywhere before or after that field will begin to loose focus. Set your F-Stop at f/8 or f/11 -- if you're shooting a person, focus on their eyes. If you're shooting a group of people, focus on the eyes of the people in the first row. If you're shooting landscape, focus about 1/3 of the way into the scene.
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Wrong information! You can get everything in acceptable focus by understanding Hyperfocal distance:
You really want to have as much of the scene in focus as possible, so the obvious choice is to use a very small aperture setting to maximise depth of field. But, maximising the depth of field won't ensure that your entire scene is in focus. You need to know exactly where to focus your lens. If you select a point of focus too close , the foreground and middle-scene will be covered by the depth of field, but distant objects will be blurred.
As the depth of field extends both in front and behind the focal point, ( 1/3 in front of focal point, and 2/3 behind ) the solution is to use manual focus, and to focus on a point somewhere between the foreground and the distance, so that the extreme distance (effectively infinity) is contained in the "sharp zone", the closest object in your frame is at the nearest end, and everything in the frame is in focus. This point, at which the depth of field is maximized within the field of view, is known as the hyperfocal distance. The amount of distance that appears in acceptable focus will start at halfway from this point to effective infinity.
There is a mathematical equation for working this distance out, but as we are Keeping It Simple, Shutterbug, I’ll give you a hyperfocal distance that will include all from 750mm( 2 feet 6 inches) to as far as the eye can see. (infinity)
Use your 18mm-55mm kit lens at 18mm and F11, focused on a point 1.5 metres ( 5 feet) away from camera lens, and all will appear acceptably sharp between distances stated above. NOTE: If you are more that 5 feet (1.5 metres) tall-you can focus on your feet!
You will need to lock focus to do this- So look in your camera Menu for AF-Lock (Manual
will help you find it! By doing this you lock the focus as you focus on your feet,( usually by pushing and holding a button at back of camera) then compose your shot, then shutter
button halfway down will lock exposure, then continue with full press to make the exposure.