Haven't been on here for a while but I have a seemingly simple assignment that I am getting stuck on. Assignment is...using my 'nifty fifty' (F/1.4) take one correctly exposed photo at maximum aperture (so F/1.4 obvs!), one correctly exposed photo at minimum aperture (F/22)- I'm working with a full frame 5D only a mk II but still it's my baby! I'm having real problems with getting the settings right. The objective is to demonstrate depth of field which I get, put one object slightly behind to show big aperture big depth of field and vice versa! But getting the shots in focus at these extreme apertures is befuddling me. Granted I have only been trying for an hour but I just can't get the focus spot on. I do have ADHD; inattentive subtype so I'm quite impatient lol!! But any advice GREATLY appreciated! Also any other canonphiles on twitter my handle is @AmyWalt02503072, so come and geek out about cameras on twitter with me!!
If you could arrange some props (your lenses perhaps) in a v shape with the point of the v nearest you, using single spot focus and centre weighted metering on the point of the v maybe you could get what it is you want. Try other metering if the exposure is incorrect or use the bracketing shooting option. You could use a tripod to keep the camera steady, aperture priority and focus using f5.6 then open and close up the aperture electronically.
Hello Amy , both my Son and Grandson have ADHD and use Riddlin so some non photo advise. If you have reach the point of frustration walk away from what you are doing and have a cup of tea or coffee away from the camera. Then go back and restart, a small break sometimes refreshes the mind. Robert's advice is very good or if you have notes written down review them and go back to it, keep at it and you will get there. regards Craig
You have a great camera body and a couple of great lenses there, it will not be long before forum members are complementing the images you post.
For your shallow depth of field portion of the assignment, you'll have to attack it from a subject matter and composition solution. 50mm @ 1.4 at 20 inches you have just shy of 1/3 of an inch of depth of field. Id aim for a large subject if you aren't already. With 6ft of distance you almost 4 inches depth of field.
On a side note i feel like the nifty fifty has become a looser term. You have a nice solid 50mm, same one I have, I just cant subscribe to cost vs performance difference of the 1.2. The Nifty 50 was always the 1.8 since it was actually pretty sharp for a $100 lens, and hence was touted to anyone starting out as a good intro lens. It worked alright, was rather soft wide open... hence why I upgraded to the 1.4.
What settings are you struggling to get right? But just to add what has already been mentioned. To get your focus bang on, I would focus using live view, and not the viewfinder for starters. Switch from auto focus to manual focus. Mount your camera on a tripod so you are not moving around too much. At f1.4, you are not going to get a lot of your subject in focus. Especially if your subject is close. Remember that at f1.4, the lens is wide open, and the image is not going to be pin sharp. I don't own a Canon 50mm EF, but there are the f22 DOF (depth of field) guides next to the distance scale on top of the lens. This will give you an idea of what will be in focus at f22 if you use manual focusing. I hope that this helps. Gary
Amy, check out the DOF Master interface above. more about it at the end of what I have written, next just a thought on what Gary has told you, I use a lot of old film lenses and the only way to get pin sharp focus is to use the live view screen and hit the + button a couple of times to zoom in on the subject to get the focus spot on and then recompose. This will work just as good with your EOS lenses as Gary has stated. Now to add a bit more confusion to what has been thrown at you. I find it is not easy to work out the depth of field on modern lenses for the marking are not there or too small. Now type into your internet browser DOF MASTER. This will take you to a site that lets you put in your camera make and type, lens length etc and gives you depth of field info such as distance to subject, what is in focus from subject and back to you, what is in focus from subject and past it and the total amount of depth of field. It is easy to find and read. should be helpful in setting up your depth of field photos.
