How can I get a blurred background with a Nikon Coolpix P100?
Asked 4/22/2011
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I’m using a Nikon Coolpix P100 with a 1/2.3-inch sensor and a 26x zoom lens (26–678mm equivalent, f/2.8–5). I’d like to photograph subjects from about 3 to 5 feet away and blur the background as much as possible. What camera settings should I use, and roughly how far behind the subject should the background be to show noticeable blur?
Originally by user4846. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4846
15y ago
2 Answers
4
To get bokeh or the "blurred background" you will want to set your camera to the largest aperture setting such as f/2.8-5. It will also help if you zoom into the subject more.
Try a setting such as f/4.5 at 150mm or so, with the subject a few feet away, and the background 10 or more feet past that. This should give you a good amount of bokeh and give you an idea of where to start with your settings.
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — with the P100, the best way to maximize background blur is to use the widest available aperture and a longer focal length.
Start with these guidelines:
- Use the largest aperture available at your chosen zoom setting.
- Zoom in rather than shooting at the wide end.
- Keep the subject fairly close, around 3–5 feet away.
- Place the background as far behind the subject as possible.
A practical starting point from the community answers is around 150mm equivalent at about f/4.5, with the subject a few feet away and the background at least 10 feet farther back. That should produce some noticeable blur and help you judge how far to push it.
In general, more blur comes from this combination:
- wider aperture
- longer zoom
- closer subject distance
- greater subject-to-background distance
Because the P100 has a small sensor, it won’t blur backgrounds as strongly as a larger-sensor camera, but you can still improve the effect by following the setup above.
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