Hi! all. I'm helping my friends to take some photos during an upcoming outing. I'm using a Nikon D5000 with Sigma 18-250mm lens. Was wondering how i can lock focus on multiple subjects without some of my friends being out of focus. Cause from the type of focus i can see on my camera, there's the single point focus & also another type that automatically choses the focus points. How should i set my focus in order for all my friends to appear sharp & not out of focus?
focusing on multiple subjects
- Thread starter wolvie77
- Start date
Some ways to go about it:
-shoot at wider angles
-shoot at smaller aperture
-line your friends on the focal plane
You can combine the few ways to good effect. If your friends line up in a few rows, set your focus to the middle row and stop down the aperture. If the event is at night or under low light situation, you will either need a flash unit and or push the ISO to accommodate the slower aperture. At the same focusing distance, DoF at wider angle is deeper than tighter angle. But you need to be careful when framing your subjects as wide angle shots will exhibit some sort of distortion, be it perspective or barrel.
If you need to shoot at bigger aperture and or tighter angle, be sure to line your friends up on the focal plane. Avoid stacking your friends in different rows as the DoF of the bigger aperture may not be sufficient to ensure everyone is in focus.
-shoot at wider angles
-shoot at smaller aperture
-line your friends on the focal plane
You can combine the few ways to good effect. If your friends line up in a few rows, set your focus to the middle row and stop down the aperture. If the event is at night or under low light situation, you will either need a flash unit and or push the ISO to accommodate the slower aperture. At the same focusing distance, DoF at wider angle is deeper than tighter angle. But you need to be careful when framing your subjects as wide angle shots will exhibit some sort of distortion, be it perspective or barrel.
If you need to shoot at bigger aperture and or tighter angle, be sure to line your friends up on the focal plane. Avoid stacking your friends in different rows as the DoF of the bigger aperture may not be sufficient to ensure everyone is in focus.
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uh... this sounds oddly suspicious. let me arrow someone to answer this for you...
rashkae you taking this?
Unagidon said:
OK, just to be clear, focusing at a lens' maximum focus distance is not how you achieve deep depth of field for a group shot.
Also, a lens is not buzz lightyear. How do you shoot at things beyond infinity? Albert Einstein would like some words with you.
If you are referring to hyperfocal distance, then I suggest you read up a bit first before trying to dispense "advice".
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OK, just to be clear, focusing at a lens' maximum focus distance is not how you achieve deep depth of field for a group shot.
Also, a lens is not buzz lightyear. How do you shoot at things beyond infinity? Albert Einstein would like some words with you.
If you are referring to hyperfocal distance, then I suggest you read up a bit first before trying to dispense "advice".
i was thinking about Buzz Lightyear too :bsmilie:
Rashkae said:OK, just to be clear, focusing at a lens' maximum focus distance is not how you achieve deep depth of field for a group shot.
Also, a lens is not buzz lightyear. How do you shoot at things beyond infinity? Albert Einstein would like some words with you.
If you are referring to hyperfocal distance, then I suggest you read up a bit first before trying to dispense "advice".
I admit it is my mistake for typing infinity and maximum focus distance but why shooting at hyperfocal distance does not achieve the deep depth of view for group photo.
hyperfocal distance = acceptable sharpness from X 1/2 distance to infinity.
if your hyperfocal is 3 meters (aka your lens focus at 3 meters), at certain fstop, certain sensor, then from 1.5 meters to infinity will be acceptably sharp. or something liddat.
from wiki
its just terminology lah. infinity is infinity. can't go more than that. and its not maximum focus distance.
i'll leave the rest to do the fine tuning and chow the real numbers/actual science behind it.
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It does. but why do that, when you can easily stop down a little bit and get everyone in focus instead of using hyperfocal distance?
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