Can a point-and-shoot camera create shallow and deep depth of field?
Asked 3/20/2011
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Is it possible to get both of these effects with a point-and-shoot camera?
- shallow depth of field (blurred background)
- deep depth of field (most of the scene in focus)
If so, under what conditions does a compact camera make each effect easier or harder to achieve?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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I'll offer a (partially) dissenting opinion. Point and Shoots, it's true, don't have the ability to shoot as narrow a DOF as most DSLR cameras, both because of the sensor size and the aperture of their lenses.
That doesn't mean you can't get the effect you're looking for in your photos, though -- it just means you've got to be a little more deliberate in setting up your shot. The following shots were all made with P&S cameras:
(source: flickr.com)
All three of these had some things in common -- they were zoomed in, and they were all subjects that had some physical separation from their backgrounds. This allows even a P&S to show some background blurring, even if it's not the super-creamy bokeh of a 50mm f/1.2 or a 70-200 f/2.8 on a full-frame DSLR.
(edit) - For a more detailed look at DOF on a P&S, look at this online DOF calculator, which will let you select your camera from a list and shows actual DOF at various apertures & focal lengths. The basic idea here is that even though P&S cameras don't have the performance envelope that a DSLR generally has, all of these cameras have DOF capabilities that you can exploit if you understand how DOF works. You can use your camera controls and compositional techniques to make the most of whatever envelope you've got once you understand the formula.
Originally by user269. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user269
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—deep depth of field is easy on most point-and-shoot cameras, while shallow depth of field is usually much harder.
Why: compact cameras typically use small sensors and very short actual focal lengths. That combination naturally gives more depth of field, even when the lens is set to a wide aperture.
Shallow depth of field: possible, but limited. You’ll usually get the best results by:
- zooming in
- focusing close to the subject
- keeping the background far behind the subject
- using macro/close-focus distances if available
Some advanced compacts with larger sensors and fast lenses can blur backgrounds more easily, but they still generally won’t match a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a larger sensor and fast lens.
Deep depth of field: very achievable, and often one of the strengths of point-and-shoot cameras. For landscapes and general scenes, it’s easier to keep much of the image sharp than with larger-sensor cameras.
So the short answer is:
- shallow DOF: sometimes, with careful setup and usually only modest blur
- deep DOF: yes, easily
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