How do you get all subject in focus?

[synkronize]

Hi

I hope this is not a stupid question. I've been doing people and toy photography of late and I noticed my main mistake when taking group shots, one person tend to be in focus (sharp) whilst the rest are kinda blurred. I realised thereafter I was using the wrong aperture setting - e.g. f2.8 or f1.4

So now i'm trying to practice my photography on easier/still subject like toys .. however i don't seem to be getting it. I've moved my aperture to say f5.6 but I'm still getting one object/subject in focus.

Let me try and explain further with a picture (pls ignore the lighting for now):



My focus point was on the right toy (danbo) so it's quite obvious that the left toy was not very sharp. I couldn't use centre point focus because my camera just wont focus on a blank area.

Uhm, what am i doing wrong?

[kirbinster]

Well you don't say what camera or lens you were using or how far from the subject you were so it is hard to be very specific, but... basically it is a depth of field issue. Take a look at some of the many online depth of field calculators. What you do is enter your camera model, lenght of the lens (or the setting for the shot if a zoom lens in mm), the f/stop and the distance to the subject. It will then tell you how far infront or behind that point will still be in focus.

My assumption here is that your depth of field is just too shallow, I also think you may be having some camera movement as it does not look like anything is super sharp on my screen.

[synkronize]

Originally Posted by kirbinster

Well you don't say what camera or lens you were using or how far from the subject you were so it is hard to be very specific, but... basically it is a depth of field issue. Take a look at some of the many online depth of field calculators. What you do is enter your camera model, lenght of the lens (or the setting for the shot if a zoom lens in mm), the f/stop and the distance to the subject. It will then tell you how far infront or behind that point will still be in focus.

My assumption here is that your depth of field is just too shallow, I also think you may be having some camera movement as it does not look like anything is super sharp on my screen.

Whoops sorry. I'm using 5DMKII with a 24-70 f2.8 lens. For the picture above, the focal length was 67mm. Also the camera was mounted on a tripod but i didn't use the remote trigger.

Thanks for the tip on the DOF calculator, i'll check it out.

[Sterling]

Also keep in mind that as your subject gets closer and closer, a given aperture will give you a thinner and thinner dof.

[kirbinster]

...and adding to that as you use a longer and longer lens for the same Image capture (you move further away) you get a shallower depth of field.

[ElCapitan]

Any tips on determining exactly what focal length you are using and how to know exactly what distance you are focusing at? I've experimented with hyperfocal distance a little bit, but most of the landscape shooting I have done has been on a tight schedule, so I just follow the focus a third into the scene.

As for the hyperfocal distance, you can tell what focal length you are using if you happen to be right on a marked one, but what about when in between? Same thing for focusing.

[dai_bach]

I think that the 5D should have a depth of field preview button somewhere on it. Press this and the lens shuts down to the chosen aperture and you get an idea of what is in and out of focus.

[bikingbadger]

From what I understand the depth of focus comes from higher aperatures. Try using 16 and see what happens.

[RichardTaylor]

Two things.

If I am shooting at near minimum focussing distances I woul be think F11-F22 for enough DOF (unless I particularly wanted shallow DOF)

Re focussing.

If the camera has trouble focussing, for what ever reason, use manual focus.

[T.White Photography]

I am taking a large family shot and want all is sharp focus i have a canon rebel . I will us the 55 length. It will be a sunny day so I won't need my flash . Do I shoot at f2.8 f22. Thanks