# How to solve this focus issue? (pictures)



## zolito (Mar 12, 2015)

I am a beginner, trying to take a photo for my cactus plant with canon 600D, every time the camera focuses on certain points and the rest of the plant is blurred, tried several modes, manual and auto focus...etc

Here are the photos:



























Last question, what is the function of that button laid on the tripod camera footing, the bolt at the center is for tying the camera, the other one scratches the camera base while tying it.






Thanks in advance.


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## Vtec44 (Mar 12, 2015)

You need to close down your aperture.


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## waday (Mar 12, 2015)

Use a smaller aperture?



zolito said:


> trying to take a photo for my cactus plant



I've tried taking pictures for plants, but they never appreciate it.


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## zolito (Mar 12, 2015)

Vtec44 said:


> You need to close down your aperture.



Will try.



waday said:


> Use a smaller aperture?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



 plants don't like photos.


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## weepete (Mar 12, 2015)

You need to read up on depth of field, this is the thing that detemines how much of a photo is in acceptably sharp focus in front of and behind your subject. It's not only got to do with aperture but also subject to camera distance.

I don't really know about your tripod but would guess that it is some kind of locator pin. What model/make is it?


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## tirediron (Mar 12, 2015)

As others have said, adjust your aperture for an appropriate depth of field.  Read more here, and learn how to calculate it here.  As for the pin, it is indeed a locator pin, used commonly with consumer grade video cameras (handy-cams).


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## KmH (Mar 12, 2015)

Understanding Depth of Field in Photography

The closer you get to your subject (close point-of-focus (PoF)), the shallower the DoF becomes, unless the lens aperture is made smaller.
At some point, a small lens aperture causes a loss of focus sharpness due to diffraction regardless the DoF.
Understanding Depth of Field in Photography

Understanding Camera Autofocus


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## Vtec44 (Mar 13, 2015)

On second thought, you should just put it on  full auto-mode.  The camera will make the best picture for you.


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## Designer (Mar 14, 2015)

zolito; first; see if you can remove that extra bolt from the tripod plate.

Second; you can try several things to photograph the cactus.  Using your tripod, make progressively smaller apertures until you begin to see diffraction in the photographs.  You will have to upload them to your computer and look at them full size or zoom in larger than full size to judge the diffraction.  The ISO may have to be increased, and the shutter will have to be open longer unless you can get more light on the cactus.  Also, move the camera back away from the cactus to increase the DOF.  If you take good photographs when the cactus is vary small in the frame, just crop the photo in your computer to get the cactus to fill the frame again.

Third; advanced shooters with certain editing software can do "focus stacking" where they take several photographs of the subject focusing on progressively more distant parts of the subject until they have 10 or more photographs showing a different part in focus.  Then blend all of the photographs using the advanced technique on the computer.  This takes special software, practice, and time to do it.


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## Designer (Mar 14, 2015)

Just "disagree"?  No correction?  Where did I go wrong?


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## soufiej (Mar 14, 2015)

" ... every time the camera focuses on certain points and the rest of the plant is blurred ... "


And the problem is?  The camera/lens was doing exactly what you said you wanted according to the instructions you provided to the camera.   Yes, the above posts address how to change the result but they don't explain, IMO, how to really instruct the camera to do this when you want it done.  Which might be quite often.   

The solution is to read your owner's manual first.  You can change the aperture but, if you don't also comprehend how the camera's focusing systems operate, you'll still have shots which don't achieve the results you desire.  

Do you know how to achieve this effect when you want this effect?  

The extra pin both locates the camera body in a position parallel to the front of the tripod and also keeps the camera body from moving while you are handling the camera.  It should be removable or, if you wish, you can order another part without the pin.


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## Vtec44 (Mar 14, 2015)

bigal1000 said:


> Vtec44 said:
> 
> 
> > On second thought, you should just put it on  full auto-mode.  The camera will make the best picture for you.
> ...




You obviously missed zolito's other thread lol


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