Is there a way to have everything in focus?

[Marburg]

Hi,

I am fairly new to Canon SLR cameras but not to other brands.

I have a Canon XSI 450D with a Canon 18-55mmIS and a Canon 70-300mm IS lens. I use UV filters on both. I have a Giotto tripod with a Manfrotto ball head.

I seem to get only the main target in focus regardless of what settings I am using. While having some foreground and background in soft focus or blurred is acceptable for a lot of types of photos, I do on occasion need to have the entire picture in focus. How do I get EVERYTHING in focus?

Thanks for your help.

Marburg

[cdifoto]

Small apertures.

[faisal]

focus stacking is another way to get everything in focus...

[Marburg]

How do you focus stack?

[faisal]

http://www.wonderfulphotos.com/articles/macro/focus_stacking/

[TheWengler]

With multiple exposures and software. You can Google it for more detailed answers. Unless you're in an extreme DOF situation (macro) then I'd just go with a small aperture as it's more practical.

[Mark_48]

Try the demos in the "Virtual Camera". When you get to the aperature demo, rotate the f/stop ring and note how changing it makes more of everything in focus.
http://www.camerasinteractive.com/index.php#

Check out this site to learn a little more about how DOF works...
http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

[Marburg]

Thank you!

Marburg

[Rhys]

Hey... This is getting daft!

The way to get everything in focus is to focus at the hyperfocal point and to use the smallest aperture. Of course with modern cameras lacking the hyperfocal markings that manual focus cameras all had, it's getting harder to do this.

Enclosed are the hyperfocal distances. The trick is to focus at that distance with each of these lenses and to stop down to the corresponding aperture to get the most out of your depth of field. For example, ages ago with a manual focus lens I had to get the subject and the background in focus so had to focus midway between them and use maximum aperture. The hyperfocal scale on the lens helped me to do this. With AF lenses, tables need to be consulted due to manufacturers reluctance to put the markings on their lenses.

[AdamW]

...or use a pinhole camera.

[cwphoto]

Hey... This is getting daft!

The way to get everything in focus is to focus at the hyperfocal point and to use the smallest aperture. Of course with modern cameras lacking the hyperfocal markings that manual focus cameras all had, it's getting harder to do this.

Enclosed are the hyperfocal distances. The trick is to focus at that distance with each of these lenses and to stop down to the corresponding aperture to get the most out of your depth of field. For example, ages ago with a manual focus lens I had to get the subject and the background in focus so had to focus midway between them and use maximum aperture. The hyperfocal scale on the lens helped me to do this. With AF lenses, tables need to be consulted due to manufacturers reluctance to put the markings on their lenses.

f/36 is going to look like shit on a stick on a 450D...

[Rhys]

f/36 is going to look like shit on a stick on a 450D...

Doesn't that rather depend on the lens used and not the camera?

[cwphoto]

Doesn't that rather depend on the lens used and not the camera?

No. I'm referring to diffraction, and diffraction is proportional to format size.

[JMWallace]

...could buy a point-n-shoot