Does dof have to suffer because of low light.
oakfieldphotography.com
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Hi everyone
I was just curious to know does my dept of field have to suffer if i am working in dull light. It is just that when i take pictures of vintage and classic cars comming towards me on cloudy dull days the headlamps are out of focus and the rest of the car is sharp. I do struggle with my camera on manual mode but i cant seem to find the shutter speed on dull days to keep those lamps sharp. I am using a 5d2 and a canon f1.8 lens.
Regards
Pat:D
I was just curious to know does my dept of field have to suffer if i am working in dull light. It is just that when i take pictures of vintage and classic cars comming towards me on cloudy dull days the headlamps are out of focus and the rest of the car is sharp. I do struggle with my camera on manual mode but i cant seem to find the shutter speed on dull days to keep those lamps sharp. I am using a 5d2 and a canon f1.8 lens.
Regards
Pat:D
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Do you mean the headlights aren't in focus, but the rest, including the back, sides, and front, is? That's probably the light diffusing in the rain/fog or something? If the headlights are OOF (out of focus), then the rest of the front should be as well.
Oh, you want less DOF? That makes sense. Well, even at f/1.8, I don't think the headlights would be OOF and the rrest of the front of the car would. I'd like to see some examples
I am just about to go out soon to take pictures of the Mini Owners Club of Irelands road trip from Mitzen in Cork to Mallin Head in Donegal. I am hooking up with them in North Leitrim and i will post some pictures Late tonight or tomorrow. You will see what i mean as soon as i post some pictures here. I probably should be using AI Focus or i will try AI servo which ever is the best for cars coming towards my lens. I am trying to capture the landscape in the background as well. I know that the 5d2 is slow to focus but i will try my best. Any tips?
Regards
Patrick:D
Just the opposite is true. Larger apertures, for instance the f1.8, produced "limited" DOF. Smaller apertures, bigger numbers like f5.6, produce "deeper" or "extended" DOF.
Here is example showing, from top to bottom, limited through extended DOF:
http://www.wildlife-photography-tips.com/images/dofEg.jpg
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
In low light one tends to use larger apertures in order to allow either lower ISO or higher shutter speeds. If you need more DOF you must choose a smaller aperture. In order to maintain the same exposure that means either you need a higher ISO or a longer shutter speed, or some combination thereof. Usually subject motion or camera motion will determine the need for a particular shutter speed, leaving ISO as the only variable.
It is always a challenge to try to maintain proper exposure, but like all challenges it can be both frustrating and rewarding.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Please do post some images of the problem. I suspect that you are running into an issue with dynamic range of the scene and lens flare.
AI-Servo is best for moving subjects, or for when the subject is moving with relation to the camera (as in when "you" are moving but the subject is either in opposing motion or still.)
AI-Focus is not another mode of focus operation. AI-Focus means that you are allowing the camera to choose between AI-Servo and One-Shot focus modes. Never trust the camera to make the right decision.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Thanks Ziggy53. This is the constant battle i get into with my camera since i want to shoot in Manual mode. I thought at one stage that if i pressed the iso button on top of the camera that i was looking at the exposure the camera was taking the picture at but it looks like it was the control for my level of power i want my oncamera flashunit to work at.
It is definatly hard concerning Manual mode when i want to lock the exposure. Can the 5d2 display the exposure level before you take the picture as the light meter is confusing as it jumps up and down. Or can i lock exposure for a series of shots whilst using manual mode?
Thanks ziggy, much appreciated.
Regards
Patrick:D
The short answer is that everything will improve as you gain experience with the camera.
There is no single answer to the question of exposure. There is nothing I can tell you that works in every situation. You need to practice more with the camera and practice using the different exposure settings to understand what the settings mean for your photography and how to choose which settings and for what situations. Practical experience is what will allow you to advance more than anything I can say.
It can take years to gain this experience to a point that you can really feel comfortable about your choices. There will still be times when you question yourself and even times when you mess up. It's all part of the process. Make sure to give yourself this time to grow with your camera and don't beat yourself up when things don't go perfectly.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Choice of M/Av would be related to big changes (or not) in overall exposure conditions eg tracking a bird with vastly differing backgrounds, or just across a (constant) sky.
I don't see any mention of what focal length your 1.8 lens is - there'll be a considerable difference in dof between a 50mm and a 200mm ... should you be fortunate enough to have one of the latter
pp
edit
If circumstances allow, I also take test shots and review the histogram.
Flickr
I doubt this is related to your focus technique; AI servo is best for a consistently moving object like a car but you still need enough DOF to get everything sharp, especially when the background also has to be sharp. Perhaps you should use the lens on "infinity" and figure out how far away you need to be.
The DOF has nothing to do with poor light as such. However, to get a big DOF you usually need a small aperture and this can be challenging when you also need a fast shutter. The 5D Mk2 gives a lot of flexibility with ISO so perhaps you should start shooting with max ISO and work backwards from there until you find the right balance.
I guess i will have to travel down this road. Case closed until i post some pictures of this event for closer scrutiny.Thanks again lads your help is invaluable to me.
Regards
Patrick.
The ISO button increases the sensitivity of the "film" (in this case the sensor) to light, thus higher ISO for lower light. On the 5dII you can comfortably go up to iso 3200 and still get great, virtually noise-free shots (even 6400 is pretty good on the 5dii) - push that ISO up, and then you can stop down the lens to get a bit more dof.
If you want an easy way to learn to shoot manual... shoot in auto mode. Basically, your camera is very smart and knows how to get a proper exposure. Take a pic in auto and look at what settings the camera chooses. Then go into manual mode and adjust from those very settings. Of course the camera does not know exactly what the photographer wants as far as creativity, DOF, and other dynamics. That is up to you but you can adjust from the camera's baseline settings and it will get you there faster in most cases.
You definitely need to shoot MOVING subjects in continuous servo or whatever it's called on Canon... especially if the subject is moving towards or away from you.
Your original question has been answered but you will always lose DOF when opening up your aperture.... and gain DOF when stopping it down. A quick example is opening your own eyes as wide as you can. Not much in focus, huh? Now squint them and everything comes in focus. Also try that looking at the cars coming at you. It's all the same thing. Eyes, lens... whatever. Open wide = less focus. Close down= more focus
Yeah, FSR I was thinking he was going for less DOF. Then I realized (hence the "Oh,..." to start my last paragraph) that he wanted more DOF. And by "greater" I meant creamier bokeh, I just messed up
I am just recovering from a very hectic weekend and came up with a few shots. I think i am happier now that i mostly shoot in manual now since Ziggy said it was going to be a long learning curve. I did not have any trouble with the cars headlights since and would like to thank everyone here for their help.
Have a look and see what you think
Ansel Adams never had a Mini. by OakField Photography, on Flickr
Mini Estate by OakField Photography, on Flickr
At Last. by OakField Photography, on Flickr
Mini Adventure by OakField Photography, on Flickr
Mizen to Malin 2011. by OakField Photography, on Flickr
Finally. by OakField Photography, on Flickr
Regards
Patrick:D