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Thread started 21 Jun 2011 (Tuesday) 19:08
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How to calculate focal distance and dof on my camera?

 
nmyzp22
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Jun 21, 2011 19:08 |  #1

Hello, I've been looking for the formula to figure out how any lens will act on my 7D. I recently purchase a 50mm lens, but it's not nearly wide enough for what I want. In fact, even then I zoom out on the 18-135mm, I don't get a shot quite wide enough. Is there a way to figure this out.

Also, how do I figure out what the dof will be based on aperture and focal distance. If this is posted somewhere on here, I wasn't able to find it and would greatly appreciate being pointed in the right direction.




  
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itzcryptic
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Jun 21, 2011 23:43 |  #2

There are many DOF calculators online, just do a search and choose your favorite.

As far as focal length, you can use the angle of view to determine the field of view. There may be calculators online for this as well, but I've never used any.




  
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itzcryptic
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Jun 21, 2011 23:45 |  #3

Yup, here's a page with a few different calculators on it. http://tawbaware.com/m​axlyons/calc.htm (external link)




  
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nmyzp22
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Jun 22, 2011 00:48 |  #4

Thanks, I'll check them out....




  
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Snydremark
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Jun 22, 2011 00:57 |  #5

Also, what you're describing sounds like Field of View (FoV) rather than Depth of Field (DoF). If so, check out the Angular Field of View calculator about half way down that page.


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Hermeto
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Jun 22, 2011 04:58 |  #6
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Here you go:

Focal Length Comparison Tool (external link)

Depth of field comparison tool (external link)


What we see depends mainly on what we look for.

  
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Brian05
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Jun 22, 2011 07:46 |  #7

If you have an Iphone, there's some apps, I've been using 'Field Tools' I've found it really useful and you can enter all your lenses, and camera with circle of confusion (35mm/full frame or crop body) and save them. You use the slide to set aperture and it will give you the hyperfocus, near, far, or near and far. On the last 3 you can slide rule to set distance to subject. It's free!


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led ­ hed
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Jun 22, 2011 14:30 |  #8

simple DOF is an app i use on my ipod touch.


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nmyzp22
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Jun 23, 2011 10:28 |  #9

Thank you. This is really helpful.




  
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arentol
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Jun 23, 2011 13:47 |  #10

The good thing is you have an 18-135 already. That means you can test a broad range of focal ranges on your camera to determine what the field of view will be like before you purchase another lens.

For instance, you could have set the 18-135 lens to 50mm and used it like that for a few days. That would have told you that you really want something wider and you could have tested 35mm and 30mm as well before making a purchasing decision.

Also it has allowed you to determine you need a wider lens than 18mm as well. So now you can seriously consider something like the Tokina 11-16 f/2.8, or similar lenses, for your wide-angle needs.

So because you have the 18-135 you don't need to know all this other stuff in any great detail, everything can be compared to that lens to decide how useful it will be to you, except on the very long end of course (135+). The only thing you need to know is your crop factor is 1.6 so you can translate Full Frame (FF) related discussions to apply to your camera. So if someone says 85mm is perfect for indoor portraits on FF you would do the math: 85/1.6 = 53.125mm, and so you know you need a 50-55mm lens for indoor portraits. Similarly you can multiply 50*1.6=80mm. Now you know that if you are looking at FF related articles on lenses and them mention using something in the 75-85mm range you already have a lens to cover that range.

There are differences in other things, like Depth of Field, but you don't have to worry about that, because 1.6 is close enough to FF that the basic truisims still hold true..... F/4 and below are usually for "isolating" subjects, F/5.6-F/11 are for when you don't care that much about Depth of field either way and are focused on maximum detail and contrast, and F/16-F/32 are for getting maximum depth of field.


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nmyzp22
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Jun 24, 2011 11:39 |  #11

Thank you, thank you, thank you.




  
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How to calculate focal distance and dof on my camera?
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