Getting the whole group in focus

[ginger71]

What is the best way to get everyone in focus? Even when I take a photo of two people the one standing behind the other is slightly out of focus. If I make the aperture smaller, then I need to slow the shutter speed and I don't want to go below 80. What is the best lens to use for family portraits and/or portraits of 2 kids? I use a Canon 7D and usually use a 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. I'm willing to buy a new lens, but I just want to buy the right one! Thanks!

[Stryker]

How many people will be there in the group photo?

If it is a small number like four or five and if you want a simple "standing next to each other" kind of shot, it should be pretty simple. Focus on any one and if all are in the focus plane all of them should be mostly in focus.

If it is a large number like fifteen or twenty arranged in say two lines one behind the other, your best bet would be to move quite a bit back, zoom in to get all of them in the frame and focus on the middle of the first row. If you are sufficiently away from them, the focus should be pretty even across all of them.

Your lens seems quite good to me, you should try it out first before deciding on buying a new lens just for this reason. Of course, if you have the money to spare...

[scootermcq]

Originally Posted by ginger71

If I make the aperture smaller, then I need to slow the shutter speed and I don't want to go below 80.

Increase your ISO so you can go with a smaller aperture and keep the shutter speed up.

[John Hendry]

Or more light.

And all of the above

The more light there is the smaller the aperture the greater the depth of field.

All the best

[intrepidstu]

Originally Posted by Stryker

How many people will be there in the group photo?

If it is a small number like four or five and if you want a simple "standing next to each other" kind of shot, it should be pretty simple. Focus on any one and if all are in the focus plane all of them should be mostly in focus.

If it is a large number like fifteen or twenty arranged in say two lines one behind the other, your best bet would be to move quite a bit back, zoom in to get all of them in the frame and focus on the middle of the first row. If you are sufficiently away from them, the focus should be pretty even across all of them.

Your lens seems quite good to me, you should try it out first before deciding on buying a new lens just for this reason. Of course, if you have the money to spare...

As said above. Depth of field (the amount of the photo in focus) depends on a few things..one of them being the distance you are from the subjects. All other things being equal, the further away you stand, the more will be in focus. This will also stop the people in the front looking bigger than the people behind (to a certain degree).

Stu.

[pegmiester]

My husband and I have been having the same issues so we will try these suggestions tonight. I tested using my husband and a football (as the second head) using both my 18-135 kit lens and the 50mm macro lens this week and seem to get one in focus, but not the other. I guess if all you are going to do is print 4 by 6 pics the picture is ok, but we don't want just ok....we want great. We were even taking the pictures using a tripod too! We did step back a little last night with the macro, but that didn't seem to work either. We used every f stop there is thinking that was the issue. We will definitely try the standing back a little with the 18 - 135mm tonight and see where that gets us. Do you think I should have the focus mode on quick mode or live mode on my Canon 60d? The guy at best buy told me that I should have it on Quick Mode. I am using auto focus. Any other suggestions?

[wulf]

If you use a depth of field calculator (searching will bring up various online ones - I normally go to Online Depth of Field Calculator) you can figure out what parameters of distance, focal length and aperture will give you a usably deep area of focus.

For example, if I used the kit lens on my D40 at 30mm and aperture at f/5.6, I would have a sharp zone from about 7' - 16' away. If I changed to my 50mm lens, that would drop to from about 9' - 12', still just enough for a couple of people but giving a much smaller safety margin.

Wulf

[intrepidstu]

Originally Posted by pegmiester

My husband and I have been having the same issues so we will try these suggestions tonight. I tested using my husband and a football (as the second head) using both my 18-135 kit lens and the 50mm macro lens this week and seem to get one in focus, but not the other. I guess if all you are going to do is print 4 by 6 pics the picture is ok, but we don't want just ok....we want great. We were even taking the pictures using a tripod too! We did step back a little last night with the macro, but that didn't seem to work either. We used every f stop there is thinking that was the issue. We will definitely try the standing back a little with the 18 - 135mm tonight and see where that gets us. Do you think I should have the focus mode on quick mode or live mode on my Canon 60d? The guy at best buy told me that I should have it on Quick Mode. I am using auto focus. Any other suggestions?

Use the view finder, not live mode. The trick is not just to step back a little...step back ALOT and use the loner focal length lens. The macro is made for close ups of things like flowers and bugs, not portraits unless you are going for specif artistic effects. Use the highest Fstop number you can that gives you a fast enough shutter speed. the shutter speed you need should be at least the inverse of the focal length you are using, ie, if your lens it at 100mm (look un the lens dial) then you need AT LEAST a shuter speed of 1/100 sec but preferably more (because of the crop factor of the sesor..not important to learn). I will defo be using the table that the other poster suggested though. You can also use the depth of feild preview if your camera has one. This will darked what you see through the viewfinder but not on the final image.

Stu.

[pegmiester]

I wanted to thank you for your advice. I went home last night and did a couple of tests and my focus issues are definitely not a problem anymore.