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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by dthurman I wanted to bring the photography section back up, as I am really getting some enjoyment out of taking shots of the layout and weather work I am ATTEMPTING [;)] A couple of questions on getting depth of field, I seem to be struggling on this, I am leaving macro off, I have my F-stop at 8.0 that's as low as it will go, or am I backwords on that? I set the shutter speed at 1.6 or up to 2 depending on the amount of light the camera is getting. But I still seem to get blur. It's a basic Canon Powershot 95A which has some decent control on manual settings, but not in the SLR line. Any recommendations on a better DOF? Or am I trying to achieve something that isn't possible? Would using more light and lowering the shutter time help? I let it auto focus as the little focus window is pretty tough to judge the perfect focus. Also on close ups, say for showing weather or other details, should a person always use macro, or would a natural, ie not digital zoom be better. Also what are tips to keep better track of how I am shooting, such as note taking? Is that something you guys that get the "mag quality shots" do? [/quote] The macro off and f/8 is the best you can do with most point and shoot cameras, so you are doing the settings right. Could you post a photo as an example of the blur you are experiencing? You do not mention if you are using a tripod or not. If not, the shutter speeds that you are using will cause the blur due to camera movement during the exposure. More light and lowering the shutter speed would only make a dark photo brighter. I had fairly decent results with my first digital cameras, which were basic point and shoot models, not as fancy as the one you are using. I could not set anything other than macro on or off. It could be that you are not within the focus range of the camera. To find out where my camera would focus, I placed a yardstick next to the lens, pointing away from the camera. I took a photo and took note at what inch mark was in focus. I did this for the macro and non macro settings, and with my add-on closeup lenses. I kept a record of the focus points and used measurements to ensure my photos would be in the best focus. As I noted in the clinic, the macro setting is best used for extreme closeups of weathereing, details, etc. The camera should indicate when it is in focus. Depending upon which software program you are using to view your digital photos, you may be able to acces the "EXIF" data that is built into the image file. This tells you the lens opening, shutter speed, and a whole lot of other information that you may or may not need. Each program accesses this data different , so I cannot tell you how. Really with digital cameras, you can see the results almost immediately, so just shoot until you get what you want. Good luck! Bob Boudreau
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