ole sarg Loc: south florida

If you are using the 28-135 just set it as 28 at f11 and you will be in focus. give it a try and see if that works, it should. look at the back screen and see if this is correct.

mfrays Loc: Memphis, TN

I think the DOF master link was cool, too - even though I have not set up nikon on tripod and checked it - it looks dead on to me, and I think it will prove out very close.

this it so you, toptrainor, my suggestion of stopping down the ap to f/11 was admittedly shallow, but when I posteed I had not fully read the entire thread.

You have gotten some really well thought-out and detailed analyses from some gifted photographers - I'm sure you will get it down if you meander through all the suggested processes.

If you don't mind, please reshoot a similar pic, note your settings (inclusive of distance) post that pic or series of pics and share your new-found knowledge.
That's what it's all about anyway.

Good Luck and kindest regards

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

1.55 ft :)

mfrays Loc: Memphis, TN

One last comment to toptrainor, what you have done is unleashed a veritable cacophony of never-ending chatter, clamor, clangor, discordance, racket, rattle, roar
and argument.
Slendid. I love it

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

Yes . . I read the whole thread. His first question was to why the nearest subject is always in focus and behind it everything out of focus. DOF could be a solution, but not if he is trying to focus on a subject that is not closest to him. The goal is not always to have everything in focus, as a matter of fact that is not ideal with pictures of people. Anyway that's the way I read it, and my suggestion was to eliminate that particular problem. Just my humble opinion.

RLS Loc: Georgia

Your problem is obviously a depth of field situation. Some of the advise already given is worth checking out. Good luck!

Georgews Loc: Wellington, New Zealand

Definitely a DOF problem. Set your camera on Av and set your subjects up as with the photo you attached. No switch to manual focus and focus on one of them (Manual so you will always be focussed at the same point). Now set your aperture to its widest (smallest number) and take a photo. Set aperture to a mid value, say f11 and take another. Then set to smallest (say f22) and take another. Now load them into your PC and look at them and you yould see with the smallst f stop (f22) that they are both in focus, with the widest (f 5.6) that only one is in focus. You can use this to delibertely defocus one or keep them both in focus. Cheers

Lazy Old Coot Loc: Gainesville, Florida

The problem with this advice is that at f/11 and his focal length and distance to subject it only nets him 4.41 inches of depth of field!


THIS is what I've been laboring to explain, THIS is why a generic "just stop down the f/stop" sort of advice doesn't work.[/quote]

what is the calculation that you are doing to work this out please?

Chris[/quote]

3stripes, Go to http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html and it will show you the calculation. ...... Coot

ole sarg Loc: south florida

try camerasim.com and you can see what happens and the subject location and the camera are stationary.

pebal7-123 Loc: WPG. MB. Canada

Hello there toptrainer,
With this photo of yours, there is no doubt that you
were shooting outside but not sure what time of day.
You know, in taking photographs there are lots of
different things to consider.

Being a photographer, think where you are shooting.
whether you are outdoor, indoor, day time, night time.
There is also a term called, "GOLDEN HOUR". If you haven't
heard it yet, it means few minutes before sun rise and
few minutes before sun set.

Now back to your image. If your setting is on manual
mode try to make these settings. ISO 100, aperture f/8-
f/11, shutter speed 1/125, white balance sunny, expusure
vakue 00. On the other hand, Using Av mood, you set the
the same as above the shutter will set up outomatically.
Leave all the settings as they are. As I said try
different settings wherever you are and most importantly,
observe your lighting situations. Have fun shooting.

ole sarg Loc: south florida

You may want to try this simulation. It will really help.

http://dryreading.com/camera/index.html

Lazy Old Coot Loc: Gainesville, Florida

Good grief!!! What an amazing thread this has turned into. There's a lot of well intended answers here, but most are incomplete and some are flat wrong. Confusion is running rampant.

Rpavich is, in my opinion, pretty much on the mark, but even he really hasn't really hit on the true cause of the problem.

The original poster needs about two feet of depth of field, but in order to produce a two foot DOF when you're four feet from your subject with a 55mm lens, you need to stop the aperture down to F32!!! That will give you a DOF of 1.98 feet. On an overcast day (that's what the OP stated) you simply don't have enough light to shoot at F32, unless you raise your ISO so high you that will get way too much noise. The simple fact is that you can't shoot a satisfactory photo with that lens on an overcast day from FOUR FEET away!!!

The practical answer is for the OP to step back to EIGHT FEET from his primary subject and shoot at F8. This will give him DOP of 1.94 feet and with a reasonable boost if his ISO he should be able to use a 1/60 shutter speed and he can then crop down to the frame he wants in post processing. ......... Coot

enee

Simple answer

Toptrainer

Press the Depth of field button on your camera ; ) You will see exactly who and what is in focus. Page 18 , 98 your manual. See link
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/lit_files/16003.pdf

Then if someone is out of focus, ask them to move in closer.

Or, you move farther away an Stop down the Aperture Value (AV), say from F2.8 to f5.6.

At f16. The distance meter on the top side of your lens will show you the depth of field. Left bracket is closest in focus distance and Right bracket is farthest in focus distance.

Please see blanket; Taken Aperture Priority, D7, Sigma 85mm 1.4
JPG6002 Shutter speed 1/100 Aperture f16
JPG6003 Shutter speed 1/800 Aperture f1.4

These were taken about 4ft from focal point at 30 % angle.
As you can see; 5-6ft in focus at f16
And 1ft depth of field at F1.4

Blanket F16 Full closed aperture


Blanket F1.4 Full open Aperture

toptrainer Loc: Wellington

wow, I guess you woke up today with your head up your ass. I am a Certified Personal Trainer, Weight Management Instructor, P.T. Aide, Senior Strength Trainer and Performance Nutrition Coach. I never said I was an expert in photography, or I probably would not have asked the question. Remember when your mom said 'if you have nothing nice to say........'

toptrainer Loc: Wellington

thank you, who knew.