Aperture

[hmmm]

With a low f-stop, does it make the edges out of focus if I zoom in?

Also, with a constant 2.8 lens, If I zoom in on a large group would it make the edges out of focus?

What are the best metering and focus modes for a large group?

Thanks

[OsmosisStudios]

A small aperture will make the DoF shallow, regardless of focal length. What this means is that "focus" drops off away from your focus point. So, if you're shooting a bunch of people in a row side by side, and focus on the one in the middle, you will get some noticeable blur on the outer edges of your frame. However, DoF affects more front to back. Shooting a bunch of people standing one behind the other, focusing on the middle one, you'll notice a HUGE difference in focus.

If youre shooting a group with a f/2.8 lens, you'll likely have trouble getting them all in focus. The trick will be to stop down to something like f/8 or f/11, but that usually eats into your shutterspeed a fair bit. In this case, you'll need alot of light (ie outdoors) or flashes.

[AoxoA]

Depth of field is the distance in front of and behind the focal plane (the point of focus) and is dependent on camera type, the lens you use and the aperture it's set at.

Here is a DoF calculator to give you an idea of what is going to happen with combinations of the above.

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

AoxoA

[ricklumpas]

I use evaluative metering because I am a beginner. I use small apertures (f/11 - f/22) if I want everything in the picture to be sharp.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by ricklumpas

I use evaluative metering because I am a beginner. I use small apertures (f/11 - f/22) if I want everything in the picture to be sharp.

F/11 and F/22 will NOT get everything in the picture sharp. In fact, anything above f/11 will do the opposite because of diffraction. Stopping down past f/11 is recommended only if the DoF is needed.

Even if you mean that everything in the picture will be in focus, this isn't true. Yes, they offer a deeper DoF, but it isnt infinite.

If youre worried about DoF, the max you should go is the f/8-f/11 range.