How can I get a shallow depth of field with a point-and-shoot camera?
Asked 7/15/2010
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I can get some background blur in macro mode if the background is far enough behind the subject, but I struggle to get that same shallow depth-of-field look in normal shots with my compact camera. Even using the widest aperture and zooming in, I’m not getting the strong background blur I can get easily with a DSLR.
Why are DSLRs so much better at this, and what techniques work best on compact or superzoom cameras to maximize background blur in non-macro photos? Is simulating the effect afterward a practical option?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
16y ago
2 Answers
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There's a good answer from Brian Auer, which I'll reproduce here, as it pretty much covers the problem you're trying to solve:
Ooh, good question. Yes, but how much will depend on the camera.
If the camera has manual controls for aperture, that definitely helps. It also helps if the camera has zoom, as most P&S cameras do. The problem with creating a shallow depth of field comes from the fact that the sensor is so small, and as a result the lens is close to the sensor — thus creating very small focal lengths. My P&S has a focal length range from 6mm to 18mm — which is very small. They create an effective focal length much higher due to the small sensor size. As I said in the tips, a short focal length will produce an image with nearly everything in focus.
So to blur the background using a P&S, you’ll get your best results if you zoom in all the way, focus on something close (you don’t want to focus out to infinity), and have a background that is much further away. So your two points of control are focal length and subject distance. I just gave it a shot with my camera, and it does work.
Originally by user14. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user14
16y ago
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Yes, but compact cameras are limited. The main reason DSLRs do this more easily is their much larger sensors, which use longer actual focal lengths and produce shallower depth of field for the same framing.
With a point-and-shoot, the best ways to maximize background blur are:
- use the widest aperture available
- zoom in toward the telephoto end
- get as close to the subject as the camera will focus
- keep the background as far behind the subject as possible
Macro mode works because focusing very close reduces depth of field, which is why it’s easier there.
On most small-sensor compacts, strong “DSLR-style” blur in normal portraits is difficult or impossible unless the camera has a relatively large sensor. You can still improve subject separation with distance and composition, even if the blur is modest.
Simulating shallow depth of field in post is possible, but convincing results are hard because blur should vary with distance from the focus plane. Simple uniform blur often looks fake.
So: yes, you can get some background blur with a compact camera, but small sensors make it much harder than with DSLRs.
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