----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Lef" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Hello fellow Canon enthusiasts. I recently purchased a Canon Elan 7E,
Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5
> USM, Canon EF 85mm f1.8 USM, and Flash 420EX to take pictures of my
18-month old son. After
> shooting (Fuji Fujicolor Reala 100 and Kodak SUPRA 400 Film) about 6
rolls both indoors and out,
> I have noticed that sometimes the camera focuses on one portion of my
son's body, while leaving
> another part blurry. Or if he is in front my wife, he is in focus and she
is out. I am using AI
> focus and Auto mode. I understand how to select different focusing
planes, but needed some help.
> I wanted to ask the group several questions:
Hi Phil,
I don't think anything is wrong with your camera. What you are experiencing
is the phenomenon called depth of field (DOF), which is the part of the
subject wich will appear sharp. The DOF is related to three different
factors:
1. The aperture setting. A large aperture will give you a shallow DOF, while
a smaller aperture will increase the DOF. f/3.5=shallow DOF, f/22=deep DOF.
2. The distance to the subject. Closer to the subject means less DOF.
3. The focal length of the lens. A longer lens will give less DOF than a
shorter lens.
This is a brief explanation of how DOF can be controlled. The best way to
learn how it works is to practice and experiment with different aperures,
distances and focal lengths.
A simpler way is to try the DEP-mode of your camera. This lets you select
two parts of the subject which will be the begining and the end of the depth
of field. As in your example with the sharp son in front of a blurry wife,
you would point the camera first at your wife, and then at your son, and the
DEP program will then calculate the focus and settings needed to get them
both sharp. For more exact information on how to use the DEP-mode, check
your manual.
/Andreas
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