short D.O.F. with canon powershot s60

[emblaz]

Is it possible to blur the background of a photo with a Powershot s60? I tried widening the aperture, I fiddled around with the depth of field scale, but to no avail. The things far away from where I stood were as sharp as ever.

[tim]

Cameras with small sensors have a much greater depth of field. It might be possible, or it might not. There's a lot of mathematics behind the explaination for why, which I don't fully understand, but has to do with circles of confusion compared with the sensor size.

[rent]

there should be a portrait mode in your camera. the camera would select an optimal aperture to produce the (almost) best DOF possible.

if you want to experiment in M mode, you should try a combination of the following and see which combination gives you the best result:

1) longer focal length (use as much zoom as practical)
2) larger aperture (f2.8 or largest possible, depending on how much you have zoomed it)
3) making sure your subject is as further away as possible from the background

even so, you may not achieve the nicely blurred background produced with an SLR/lens. this is just a physical limitation of your equipment.

-alex

[CyberDyneSystems]

You won't get a shallow DOF with a small P&S camera :(

[slin100]

Your best bet is to shoot wide open ( f/8 ) at the max zoom (20.7mm). This will give you a DOF of 5 ft at 10 ft.

[tim]

Your best bet is to shoot wide open ( f/8 ) at the max zoom (20.7mm). This will give you a DOF of 5 ft at 10 ft.

I find it hard to believe F8 is wide open, and I don't know how you manage to calculate DOF without knowing the distance from the camera to the subject. Also are you aware of the effect of sensor size on DOF? I think your post is somewhere between misleading and incorrect.

[slin100]

I find it hard to believe F8 is wide open, and I don't know how you manage to calculate DOF without knowing the distance from the camera to the subject. Also are you aware of the effect of sensor size on DOF? I think your post is somewhere between misleading and incorrect.

I was incorrect about the wide open aperture. The S60 has a 5.8-20.7mm/2.8-5.3. So, wide open is f/5.3 at 20.7mm. This still yields a DOF of 4-5 ft at 10ft.

You, apparently, didn't notice that I stated the subject distance was 10ft. I am quite aware of the effect of sensor size on DOF. I obtained the DOF from http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html, one of the better calculators that takes sensor size into account.

Next time, go check your facts before making accusations. My advice to shoot wide open and at max zoom is sound. It usually yields the narrowest DOF on a P&S.

[tim]

Sorry about that, didn't notice the 10ft, what you say is true. It's possible to get some blurred background, but it's difficult with a P&S - I never managed to get my A70 to do it well at all.

[lostdoggy]

I was incorrect about the wide open aperture. The S60 has a 5.8-20.7mm/2.8-5.3. So, wide open is f/5.3 at 20.7mm. This still yields a DOF of 4-5 ft at 10ft.

You, apparently, didn't notice that I stated the subject distance was 10ft. I am quite aware of the effect of sensor size on DOF. I obtained the DOF from http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html, one of the better calculators that takes sensor size into account.

Next time, go check your facts before making accusations. My advice to shoot wide open and at max zoom is sound. It usually yields the narrowest DOF on a P&S.

With total DOF at around 4.5ft and hyperfocal at around 48ft, I can't see how you plan to blur the background much unless you're in a very open area. Hyperfocal does matter, doesn't it???

[tim]

IIRC the hyperfocal distance is 1/3 of the way into the scene. The rule is that 1/3 of the DOF is in front of the focus point, 2/3 is behind.

[slin100]

With total DOF at around 4.5ft and hyperfocal at around 48ft, I can't see how you plan to blur the background much unless you're in a very open area. Hyperfocal does matter, doesn't it???

Hyperfocal distance doesn't matter unless the subject is close to that distance from the camera. 4.5 ft is not great, but I believe that's as good as you'll get when shooting a head and shoulders portrait. You can get even less DOF at closer distances.

IIRC the hyperfocal distance is 1/3 of the way into the scene. The rule is that 1/3 of the DOF is in front of the focus point, 2/3 is behind.

This is an old wive's tale. For each focal length and aperture, there is only one distance at which this is true. Click here (http://dofmaster.com/dof_imagesize.html) for DOF plots of a couple of lenses.

At the hyperfocal distance, the DOF in front is 1/2 the hyperfocal distance and the DOF behind is infinite. At very close distances, approximately 1/2 of the total DOF is in front and 1/2 in back.

[likophoto]

there should be a portrait mode in your camera. the camera would select an optimal aperture to produce the (almost) best DOF possible.

if you want to experiment in M mode, you should try a combination of the following and see which combination gives you the best result:

1) longer focal length (use as much zoom as practical)
2) larger aperture (f2.8 or largest possible, depending on how much you have zoomed it)
3) making sure your subject is as further away as possible from the background

even so, you may not achieve the nicely blurred background produced with an SLR/lens. this is just a physical limitation of your equipment.

-alex

what alex (RENT) said is the best thing you can do to get a shallow dof. One other thing, if it's bright outside make sure to use the smallest ISO setting (usually 100) that why the shutter doesn't reach it's max speed and then decrease the aperture size (higher F number) to compensate for the brightness. Beyond this you'll have to use Photoshop to blur the background.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Seems we have a few misunderstandings of the basics here...

1. Wide Open means as large an aperture as the lens will allow.
2. Larger aperutre means smaller (lower) f/stop #
3. therefor in this case f/2.8 is "wide open" at the short end,.
.f/5.3 zoom out to it's longest focal length. (this is really poor)
4. Stopping down to f/8 (the smallest aperture available) will increase DOF.. not reduce it.

... pause,. Boss.. (at work) will finish later...

[jfrancho]

Has the entire forum had an aperture brain fart?

[lostdoggy]

Oh just crop it out in PS and Gaussian Blurr the background out!!!

[tim]

This is an old wive's tale. For each focal length and aperture, there is only one distance at which this is true. Click here (http://dofmaster.com/dof_imagesize.html) for DOF plots of a couple of lenses.

At the hyperfocal distance, the DOF in front is 1/2 the hyperfocal distance and the DOF behind is infinite. At very close distances, approximately 1/2 of the total DOF is in front and 1/2 in back.

I've been told the 1/3 2/3 by a professional photographer, and i've read it many times. I'm not 100% sure that what the hyperfocal distance is, but i'm pretty sure the 1/3 2/3 thing is true.

[slin100]

I've been told the 1/3 2/3 by a professional photographer, and i've read it many times. I'm not 100% sure that what the hyperfocal distance is, but i'm pretty sure the 1/3 2/3 thing is true.

It's not true. You only have to look at the link I gave you or to play with a DOF calculator. Don't worry about being wrong. I used to think it was true. That the misconception is so prevalent is what makes it a wive's tale.

[tim]

It's not true. You only have to look at the link I gave you or to play with a DOF calculator. Don't worry about being wrong. I used to think it was true. That the misconception is so prevalent is what makes it a wive's tale.

Well look at that, you learn something every day, thanks! Looks like it might be a rule of thumb, because it's close to right in some cases, but in others it's not at all.

[slin100]

You're welcome!