[amoringello]

Also, f1.4 lens has no effect v.s. an f8.0 lens. All that does is give you a lower starting point.
A 50mm f1.4 at f8 will be pretty much identical to a 50mm f2.0 lens at f8. Or a 16-50mm f2.8 zoom lens at 50mm f8.
Given the three requirements (focal length, distance and aperture), the physics don't change.
OK, there is a bit more to it than that (pixel size on the sensor for example), but the effects are rather minor compared to these three items.

Until you are more familiar and comfortable with generalizing DOF calculations without a chart, simply focus on your subject rather than trying to get everything in focus. Your photos will look better when you do not have everything in focus. Shallower DOF is part of what sets apart photos from a SRL against those taken with a point and shoot.

[rustynail925]

its best to focus on one of the guys to be sure the subjects are on focus

[rustynail925]

I don't get it, I've been told that if I'm shooting at 5.6 I should get everything in focus....

No you cant get everything in focus. Basically there are 3 factors: the focal length, distance and the aperture.. Even if you shoot at f11 or f22

[bethtphotos]

Rustynail...thanks, I think the issue was more that I had my focus mode on SEL for earlier prop work...I was saying metering mode when I meant focus setting mode...I was frustrated this morning & made a mistake in my writing/thinking process.

amoringello...you have me the technique & tool I need for now & later (thanks again for the link). I thank you very much.

Burnie, I don't think thats relevant to my question. I believe my question has been fully answered.

[Marc Langille]

Hi Beth,

Look like it's already been covered after quickly glancing through these comments to your post - especially those comments on focusing, framing and recomposing. I can assure you that F/8 in this situation (having done studio work) will normally get the entire head in focus, but not much else. You have to use the techniques suggested...

Another option is to consider separating the AF and shutter release functions. The only downside with that kind of setup is in portrait mode, especially with a battery grip: the AF button on the back is a fair distance from the shutter button. If no grip, it's hard on the wrist if done repeatedly. However, getting this issue resolved is first priority. We can cover my suggestion and it's rationale another day...

Regards,
Marc

[Peter Zack]

As I shoot wedding for a living, you've made a common and easy mistake. This might have already been covered above as I didn't read all the responses. But you should be using the AF button on the back of the camera with the center AF point only. Point the camera at the subject and get the eye's in sharp focus using the AF button, then recompose the shot.

Clearly the camera focused on the rear flowers and the f8 setting did not allow enough DOF to get both them and the background in focus.

You need to know and understand your camera controls better so that doing this is second nature and not thinking about technical stuff while shooting. Weddings are fast paced as you have probably learned and fiddling with camera controls or forgetting to change settings is a recipe for problems.

If you are using a grip. AF on shutter button works fine and all you need to do is hold the button in the middle position (holding the focus lock) and then recompose the shot.

[mikem]

If this is indeed a lens problem and not a technique problem, your K20D is capable of adjusting the focus for particular lenses. That is, your lens may think the subject is in focus when in reality it is not. You can google or search here for focus correction methods.

Moved to Beginners Corner, where discussion about basic focusing, aperture and DOF issues like this will benefit more people.

[egordon99]

..The people are very soft focused but the flowers behind the gentleman are quite clear. @ f.8 with this much light, my thought is that the entire photo should have been in focus. Any feedback as to why it is not?

First off, the amount of light has NO bearing on your depth-of-field. At that close of a distance, f/8 does NOT render the entire photo in focus. Subject distance plays a HUGE role in DOF.

What focus point were you using? If you used the center point, the camera did exactly as instructed.

[egordon99]

can you suggest what settings, and/or lens would be a better solution to helping me get greater areas of focus even in well lit situations?

Thank you.

Use a smaller aperture.

[egordon99]

Ok, enoeske, allow me to clarify... are you saying change the metering mode, or get closer? If I'm standing about 5 ft from my subjects, I need to do what to get the entire subject area in focus? Would the 16 point metering have been the more obvious choice? Is the 1.4 lens a poor choice? I'm not trying to be dim, but I need a clear direction.

Metering has absolutely nothing to do with focus. In this situation, you just needed to select a focus point on one of the subjects. Did you just use CENTER and NOT recompose?

[egordon99]

So in summation, my problems were too low of an f stop for the distance I was shooting? Is that correct? My metering mode had nothing to do with it, and changing this would have little effect?

Nope, your problem was you focused on the flowers in the background.

Yes, there is A LOT of stuff to keep track of/buttons to press. Especially when you're in a fast moving environment like a wedding. But this is why the pros make the big bucks. They can handle all of this stuff without missing a beat.

[egordon99]

Here's some more discussion on the issue -
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/general-photography-techniques-styles/755...sues-k10d.html