focus and the 50mm

[bdj3]

I am having a problem when I shoot with the 50mm..it tends to make some of the picture oof. is there something I'm not doing? How do I guarantee the whole picture is in focus? example:
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/bdj3/088.jpg
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/bdj3/064.jpg

[ibdb]

If part of the shot is in focus, and another portion at a different distance from the camera is not, then you probably need to shoot with a smaller aperture (f/8, f/11, etc.) to increase your depth of field.

This shot was at f/3.5, which is going to give you a pretty shallow depth of field in many cases. Try searching the forums for "depth of field calculator." There are a variety of them to choose from. With one, you can put in your camera, lens, distance to your subject, and aperture and get a pretty good idea of what range of distances will be in focus for any given composition.

Another possible issue, and one that I don't have any personal experience with (I don't have a nifty 50), is that the nifty 50 has been said to hunt for focus in low light situations, which could also affect your outcome.

[ibdb]

Found a few more minutes and used Curt's Photography Calculator (http://boonecounty.info/photocalc.htm).

Assuming the subjects are 6 feet away (wild guess and just for an example), a 50mm at f/3.5 would have everything from 5.7 to 6.3 feet in focus -- meaning your total depth of field would be about 6 inches. Anything closer than 5.7 feet, or farther than 6.3 feet will start to be out of focus. Go to f/8, and you have 1.3 feet to work with; f/11 gives you 1.8 feet.

[bdj3]

thanks so much! big help!