Taking Better Model Pictures: Fun with f-stop!

[Guiddy]

Originally posted by Guiddy
I don't think I have that much control on my digicam! It isn't bad, but it isn't THAT good!

NO! I lie! I am reading the instructions and my digcam rocks!
I'll have a play alter when the drizzle stops!

[Jay!]

Ughhh!!!! I'm glad modeling is my hobby, and not photography! :cry:

So many of the pics I took are like the first that Guiddy posted. The near end of the car is in focus, but the far end is totally blurry.

It's even worse when the focus falls in the center of the car, so the side mirror is in focus, but both the front and back ends are out of focus.

I went all throught the manual, and it said that a lower aperature would increase the field of depth, but in Guiddy's example, and with the numbers that Lau posted, it seems to be working the other way!

Oh, jeez... this is so confusing!

[D16 V-TEC]

Increasing the depth of field is what you want to do, but that requires a smaller aperature, not a lower aperature. To get the full depth of field you want to use the smallest aperature your camera is equipped with, or the largest number you can set it to (usually 24 is the highest and 2.5 is the lowest) but for something as small as a model car you could probably get away setting your aperature to 16 (im forgetting the photo lingo). This will result in your whole subject being in focus compared to what it would look like using a larger aperature size. By decreasing the depth of field, your point of focus is much smaller (hence the mirrors being in focus and the front and tail out of focus). But that tactic might be cool in some macro shots of the engine of interior, but that is, of course, coming from a photographer's stand point . As you can see, my hobby is photography going into car modelling . Hope this helped.

[Jay!]

Thanks, that's exactly what I was missing. I thought the lower number was what I wanted. I guess that's why it didn't make sense above.

Tell me what "macro" really means in this context. I thought I knew, but now am lost once again!

Now I just have to get my Dad's camera again...

Edit: Quote from NSX thread:

Originally posted by D16 V-TEC
2) Shutter speed is dependent on the amount of light in the area you are photographing. If you know how to operate your light meter, just adjust the shutter speed accordingly .

Do you suppose I could just adjust the aperature and leave the shutter speed on 'auto'? That's how I took the NSX pics you already say, and the light seems fine...

[D16 V-TEC]

Originally posted by jay@af
Thanks, that's exactly what I was missing. I thought the lower number was what I wanted. I guess that's why it didn't make sense above.

Tell me what "macro" really means in this context. I thought I knew, but now am lost once again!

Now I just have to get my Dad's camera again...

Yea.. as I said, I am a little rusty on my terminology, but a macro shot, if you were to take one of a model car, would be using a macro lense (not sure of the lense size ) to take a very close up shot, of lets say the spark plug cover of the engine, with it being in very crisp focus but the rest of the bay, especially things deeper down and closer up (however, I'm not sure what would be higher up on a modern car) would be very blurry. It would make quite a dynamic shot, especially on one of those drags racers with all the little wiring and stuff.

EDIT REGARDING YOUR EDIT : Yea, the lighting on your pics was just dandy, so if you have an auto function, by all means, use it. It will just make life easier for you.

[Jay!]

I think I understand what you mean about the macro shots. I tried something like that to shoot the dash through the window, but because of my focus problems, it turned out like crap!