Depth of Field Quest. From Newbie, Please

Hello:

Newbie Photographer.

Have a question about depth of field.
Have been experimenting a bit, but haven't been able to reach any firm
conclusion on this.

Let's say I have a subject in the foreground, perhaps six feet or so away,
and also some
real pretty mountains at infinity that I would also like to be in focus, and
clear.

I would like the close in subject and also the mountains to both be in
focus.

For a sunny day, am I better off focusing on the subject, or setting my
distance to infinity ?
Why ?

Does the answer change if it is cloudy out, and i guess my aperture would be
much larger ?

Thanks,
Bob

"Robert11" wrote in
:

Let's say I have a subject in the foreground, perhaps six feet or so
away, and also some
real pretty mountains at infinity that I would also like to be in
focus, and clear.

I would like the close in subject and also the mountains to both be in
focus.

For a sunny day, am I better off focusing on the subject, or setting
my distance to infinity ?
Why ?

Does the answer change if it is cloudy out, and i guess my aperture
would be much larger ?


There is a setting called hyperfocal distance that you shall
use if you want both the background and the foreground to
be sharp. This setting is a compromise between infinity
and the nearest sharp object.

You can find a calculator for the hyper focal distance here
http://www.tangentsoft.net/fcalc/

You have to remember to use the actual focal length and the
actual sensor size.

And - yes - the focal depth is much larger in bright weather,
i.e. when you step the camera down.


/Roland

"Robert11" wrote in
:

Let's say I have a subject in the foreground, perhaps six feet or so
away, and also some
real pretty mountains at infinity that I would also like to be in
focus, and clear.

I would like the close in subject and also the mountains to both be in
focus.

For a sunny day, am I better off focusing on the subject, or setting
my distance to infinity ?
Why ?

Does the answer change if it is cloudy out, and i guess my aperture
would be much larger ?


There is a setting called hyperfocal distance that you shall
use if you want both the background and the foreground to
be sharp. This setting is a compromise between infinity
and the nearest sharp object.

You can find a calculator for the hyper focal distance here
http://www.tangentsoft.net/fcalc/

You have to remember to use the actual focal length and the
actual sensor size.

And - yes - the focal depth is much larger in bright weather,
i.e. when you step the camera down.


/Roland

Roland Karlsson wrote in
:

You can find a calculator for the hyper focal distance here
http://www.tangentsoft.net/fcalc/

Oops - I downloaded the calculator. Hmmm ... it is not the
easiest thing to use. And it does not give the nearest
distance that i supposed to be sharp. So .... not all
that useful.

Here you have the actula formulas
http://www.vividlight.com/articles/2314.htm
http://tangentsoft.net/fcalc/help/DoF.htm



/Roland

Roland Karlsson wrote in
:

You can find a calculator for the hyper focal distance here
http://www.tangentsoft.net/fcalc/

Oops - I downloaded the calculator. Hmmm ... it is not the
easiest thing to use. And it does not give the nearest
distance that i supposed to be sharp. So .... not all
that useful.

Here you have the actula formulas
http://www.vividlight.com/articles/2314.htm
http://tangentsoft.net/fcalc/help/DoF.htm



/Roland

Take the DOF preview walk and all will be revealed.
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/mani/techs/mdofwalk.html

--
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com
home of The Camera-ist's Manifesto
The Improved Links Pages are at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/links/mlinks00.html
A sample chapter from my novel "Haight-Ashbury" is at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/writ/hait/hatitl.html
"Robert11" wrote in message
...
Hello:

Newbie Photographer.

Have a question about depth of field.
Have been experimenting a bit, but haven't been able to reach any firm
conclusion on this.

Let's say I have a subject in the foreground, perhaps six feet or so away,
and also some
real pretty mountains at infinity that I would also like to be in focus,
and
clear.

I would like the close in subject and also the mountains to both be in
focus.

For a sunny day, am I better off focusing on the subject, or setting my
distance to infinity ?
Why ?

Does the answer change if it is cloudy out, and i guess my aperture would
be
much larger ?

Thanks,
Bob

Take the DOF preview walk and all will be revealed.
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/mani/techs/mdofwalk.html

--
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com
home of The Camera-ist's Manifesto
The Improved Links Pages are at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/links/mlinks00.html
A sample chapter from my novel "Haight-Ashbury" is at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/writ/hait/hatitl.html
"Robert11" wrote in message
...
Hello:

Newbie Photographer.

Have a question about depth of field.
Have been experimenting a bit, but haven't been able to reach any firm
conclusion on this.

Let's say I have a subject in the foreground, perhaps six feet or so away,
and also some
real pretty mountains at infinity that I would also like to be in focus,
and
clear.

I would like the close in subject and also the mountains to both be in
focus.

For a sunny day, am I better off focusing on the subject, or setting my
distance to infinity ?
Why ?

Does the answer change if it is cloudy out, and i guess my aperture would
be
much larger ?

Thanks,
Bob

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 21:28:28 GMT, "Tony Spadaro"
wrote:

Take the DOF preview walk and all will be revealed.
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/mani/techs/mdofwalk.html


Amusing.

But a little misleading in a digital group. With the toughly 5X
greater DOF that most of have over 35 mm film, manually focusing in
the aperture priority mode becomes a very useful technique. Got
shutter lag problems when the grandkids are dashing about in the back
yard. Disable autofocus and you'd be surprised how fast your camera
responds.

jpc

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 21:28:28 GMT, "Tony Spadaro"
wrote:

Take the DOF preview walk and all will be revealed.
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/mani/techs/mdofwalk.html


Amusing.

But a little misleading in a digital group. With the toughly 5X
greater DOF that most of have over 35 mm film, manually focusing in
the aperture priority mode becomes a very useful technique. Got
shutter lag problems when the grandkids are dashing about in the back
yard. Disable autofocus and you'd be surprised how fast your camera
responds.

jpc

Newbie,

Keep it simple.....

Depth of field depends only upon the size of the camera's aperature,
sunny day, cloudy day, indoors or underwater, no matter.

The smaller the aperature, the greater the depth of field. The larger
the aperature, the less depth of field. F22 is a small aperature, F4
is a large aperature.

This is because light is infinately in focus thru a pinhole. Make
your aperature like a pinhole in order to gain maximum depth of field.

Demonstrate the above principle to yourself.... poke a pinhole thru a
blackened piece of cardboard or piece of black paper and peek thru the
hole.....the mountains in the background, the car across the street
and the person standing right in front of you will all be in focus.

To capture the shot you describe with all in focus, set your aperature
as small (f22 or smaller) as good exposure will permit....you will
have to use a slow shutter speed to maintain good exposure with such a
small aperature.

Shoot for the smallest aperature you can, and you will be happy with
the depth of field.

Hope this helps!

Mark