Hedgehog family,
My question is this......if you are on f/2.8, everyone on that same focus plane should be in focus, correct?
Sounds like you might have an example you can post and store that demonstrates your question?
I thought so but wanted to get confirmation. I'm a rookie (18 months) DSLR photographer but have done quite a bit of reading, watching videos, studying and loads of practice so I'm very familiar with the exposure triangle and different lighting situations; however, taking photos of groups is still a challenge for me at times. I think my problem is a lack of confidence so I tend to bump up the aperture in group settings to ensure sharpness but end up introducing noise from too hight of an ISO setting. I'll put in some much needed practice with this scenario to help boost my confidence.
Thanks a bunch.
A. T. wrote:
I thought so but wanted to get confirmation. I'm a rookie (18 months) DSLR photographer but have done quite a bit of reading, watching videos, studying and loads of practice so I'm very familiar with the exposure triangle and different lighting situations; however, taking photos of groups is still a challenge for me at times. I think my problem is a lack of confidence so I tend to bump up the aperture in group settings to ensure sharpness but end up introducing noise from too hight of an ISO setting. I'll put in some much needed practice with this scenario to help boost my confidence.
Thanks a bunch.
I thought so but wanted to get confirmation. I'm ... (
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Photos of groups generally do need to be stopped down some as it's difficult to get multiple people into the same plane of focus. If stopping down enough to get the DOF you need is making your ISO too high, consider some extra lighting, like a bounced flash.
I was shooting outside and lighting really wasn't the issue, I was just trying to ensure that everyone was sharp. I realize now that I could have used f/2.8 and kept my ISO low enough to eliminate any noise. Also, I was shooting with a D500 and could have used more focal points but at the time I had shot over 700 photos all day and was tired and ready to get home and was rushing instead of taking a few extra minutes to get the proper settings.
JohnSwanda above is correct. You might want to stop down the aperture. The lens can have field curvature that would alter what's in focus across the frame.
Also, if you are photographing groups of people, there can be volume deformation near the edges of the frame. I have DxO Labs ViewPoint3 and PhotoLab3 software. ViewPoint3 can correct volume deformation. The lower photo is their example. The photo below it is one I took. I made a before and after diptych in Photoshop.
DxO Labs example
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I took this photo with the lens at 16mm. Notice how the side buildings are stretched horizontally in the upper photo. DxO ViewPoint 3 fixed the volume deformation in the bottom photo.
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A d500 at 10 feet at 50mm will give you about 3 feet of depth at f 5,6 but only a foot and a half at f 2.8. If the people are in a nice straight line you are ok, but better to have some insurance. Besides only the best lenses are at their sharpest wide open, most do better a stop or so down.
A. T. wrote:
Hedgehog family,
My question is this......if you are on f/2.8, everyone on that same focus plane should be in focus, correct?
In a way yes, but not by much, it also depends on the distance! Its more like part of everyone but not everyone!
Don't forget to focus one third of the way into the depth of the subject so you use the DOF in front of the plane of focus.
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
A. T. wrote:
Hedgehog family,
My question is this......if you are on f/2.8, everyone on that same focus plane should be in focus, correct?
NO, lenses are curved, so even at 2.8 (which is wide open on many lenses) things on the edges of your frame may not be in focus because lenses are not flat, they are curved, so if the middle is in focus, the edges may or may not be, it depends on a lot of variables.
A question begats a question. Doesn't using multiple focal points cause the autofocus to search and acquire constantly thus making acceptable focus in a group shot less likely?
joer
Loc: Colorado/Illinois
A. T. wrote:
Hedgehog family,
My question is this......if you are on f/2.8, everyone on that same focus plane should be in focus, correct?
Its unlikely that all will be exactly on the same plane but it will depend on the subject distance. The further the distance the more likely all will be acceptable sharp.
A. T. wrote:
I was shooting outside and lighting really wasn't the issue, I was just trying to ensure that everyone was sharp. I realize now that I could have used f/2.8 and kept my ISO low enough to eliminate any noise. Also, I was shooting with a D500 and could have used more focal points but at the time I had shot over 700 photos all day and was tired and ready to get home and was rushing instead of taking a few extra minutes to get the proper settings.
D500 is one of the best cameras out for ISO. What was the ISO set at ?
Yes, provided everyone is still enough for the aperture you're using.
That could make a funny group picture. Use a fairly slow shutter speed, and have one person move his head around quickly. The result would be a picture featuring one person with a fuzzy head.
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