Powershot S30 - Depth of Field question!!!

[sayCheese]

I've had the Powershot S30 for a few months and I can not for the life of me, get this camera to take pictures with a large depth of field. The subject and background always stay in focus as if I am taking pictures at a high Focal Length. I want the subject in Focus with the background out of focus and it seems this camera is unable to do this. I have tried to take pictures in the macro, portrait modes and have tried taking pictures with the manual focus. Even when reducing the focal length to F 2.8, I don't get any pictures that throw the background out of focus. Are other people experiencing this with the powershot s30?? I would appreciate if someone could give me any advice as to how to solve this problem (without buying any additional equipment if possible).

Thanks in advance!

[Darren K]

sayCheese wrote:
The subject and background always stay in focus as if I am taking pictures at a high Focal Length.

Actually, with a higher focal length, you will get the results you are wanting to achieve providing the subject permits this. Are you saying you're using a wider focal length? If so, I would say that is the "problem." Otherwise, sounds like you did everything else right.

[sayCheese]

Sorry, I think I got my terminology mixed up. I want to achieve a short depth of field effect - i.e. I want the subject in focus and the background out of focus. The S30 takes every shot as if it was in landscape mode - despite all my efforts to configure it to get a more "portrait" mode type of effect.

[Darren K]

Yes, I realize that is the effect you're wanting. I was saying you want to use a longer focal length as opposed to a shorter one. If you have it zoomed all the way out and still no luck, there's nothing else you can do with the camera to have a more shallow depth of field.

[Jerry Vanderberg]

By using portrait mode you are doing the right thing, as this is theoretically designed to reduce exposure time while "opening up the diaphragm" to give a shallow depth of field. The shallowness of the depth of field is even more exaggerated when you use a higher focal length (digital zoom towards the single tree) or come in close. I don't know what you mean when you say, "Even when reducing the focal length to F 2.8". F 2.8 is an "F stop" that opens up the diaphragm, as you want, but this has nothing to do with focal length, which you can achieve with the optical zoom. Finally, if nothing blurs the background as much as you want, you may need to "tweak" your portraits with a program such as PhotoShop or PhotoShip Elements.

[jackthedog]

I've experience similiar frustration. The best I know to do to achieve the shallowest depth of field (throwing the background outta focus), is 1) choose "aperture priority" mode (AP) and move the aperture f-stop setting down to it's lowest (this lowest setting will depend on the focal length (degree of zoom) at the time you adjust it). 2) select Macro mode (this was an almost accidental discovery in my quest to achieve shallow depth of field). These two simultaneous settings have proven to be the best way to throw the background outta focus with the S-30. Good luck.

[mcmurma]

Getting a nicely blurry background is a tricky thing to do with the S30. (And other digicams as well)

All of the suggestions made by jackthedog are right on the mark.

Also, you may want to try adding a closeup filter if the subject your shooting would benefit, or at least not be adversely affected, by this. The added magnification helps blur the background nicely.