new T2i user

How do I focus every thing in viewfinder I have a picture of a hawk sitting in a tree the branch he is on is nearer than the hawk and the branch is in great focus and the bird is not,even though I focused on bird

Is the dial set on the "Green Rectangle" or are you in one of the manual modes? What focus point were you using?

Make sure you have the camera set on "center point" focus mode. Try and aim the focus point on the hawk..even just it's beak or feet, to try and get around the branch. If the AF doesn't lock on the bird this way, turn off AF on the lens barrel, and manually focus.. til the bird is in sharp focus and the branch isn't.

dial was set on landscape i would like everything in focus just not the bird

turn the dial to Av (set fastest aperture (lowest number), f2.8/3.5/5.6,..) or Tv (set a fast shutter speed, atleast 1/200 and faster (1/400, 1/1000,..).. i wont go into details). leave those auto modes alone, as they are not worth jack poop.

follow other people's instructions.

edit: oooh, everything except the bird in focus? thats a weird idea. than just focus on the branches or whatever and set the F number (in Av mode) high (f8.0, f11,..)

isle wrote in post #14731765
How do I focus every thing in viewfinder I have a picture of a hawk sitting in a tree the branch he is on is nearer than the hawk and the branch is in great focus and the bird is not,even though I focused on bird

Several things...

Which focus points lit up red when you took the shot? That is the camera telling you what it is focusing on. You can change which of the focus points the camera uses, but without my camera here, all I can say is either experiment or read the manual. Perhaps others can tell you how to change the focus point(s) the camera is using.

You can also do the old focus, recompose, shoot trick, where you push the shutter part way down until the camera locks focus, noticing that it is indeed locking on your main subject, and then recompose and finish the shot.

From your later reply in this thread, what you are asking about is increasing the depth of focus, not just the focus point. To do that, switch your camera to AV mode (which means the camera will use the aperture you set and adjust shutter and ISO for exposure), and set the f-stop to as high a number as you can (using the wheel next to the shutter button) while not allowing the shutter speed to get too low... what is too low will depend on your focal length, how effective the IS is, and how steady your hands are (assuming you are not using a tripod).

Read the manual, seriously the information is there. I know nobody likes to do it but you have to, at least a dozen times.

BTW, you can only select the focus point in P, Tv, Av, M, and A-DEP modes. Since you are in Landscape mode, the camera will automatically select the focus point(s) for you, generally selecting whatever is closest.

First, read the manual, then read it again. Second, get "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. Learn to take control of your camera and get it off the auto modes.

On the level of making a concrete suggestion: in AV mode set exposure to at least f/11 to give increased depth of field. Make sure you are also on Auto ISO and Auto WB. On the back of the camera press the button farthest to the right which is above the little blue circle with the plus sign. The auto focus mode will come up on your view screen. Press the set button and it will toggle between automatic and manual. You want it to be on manual with the center point filed in in blue showing that it is selected. Looking through the viewfinder place the center point on the bird, half-press the shutter wait for the beep and take the shot. You should have the bird in focus with most of the surrounding area in focus also due to the f/11 setting. If the surrounding area is not clear enough for your taste, try f/16.

+1 - Excellent advice.... however - as you progress, you will find that "having everything in-focus" is not always the way to get the best shot. Having things in a soft-focus surrounding a subject is mostly considered to be artistic.

Thanks Vorlon that certainly helped,I have read the book a number of times and also have David Busch book on the T2i there is so much to learn once you have something figured out it leads to another way of doing things and on and on.I have so much to learn

A suggestion: don't obsess about it. You will learn as you go along... enjoy the process - shoot a bunch, change a few knobs, shoot a bunch more. You'll get there.