Why did depth of field seem shallower after switching to manual focus on my Canon RP?
Asked 2/2/2022
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I was shooting on a Canon RP at f/11 in autofocus and got a very deep depth of field, with most of the scene looking sharp. Then I switched to manual focus without intentionally changing anything else, and the background looked much blurrier. How can changing the focus ring in manual focus make depth of field appear different? Does aperture still control depth of field in manual focus mode, or was something else happening?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
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I haven't used this camera, but it has a "Manual focus magnification' feature. On my Sony Alpha a550 DSLR, it automatically sets aperture to full open to help you with precise focusing. The actual picture is taken with your chosen aperture.
Originally by user104372. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user104372
4y ago
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Manual focus itself does not change depth of field. Aperture still matters exactly the same in manual focus as it does in autofocus.
If the camera was really still at f/11, then the shallower-looking result was likely caused by one of these instead:
- you focused at a different distance
- the lens focal length changed
- autofocus had previously focused near the hyperfocal distance, which makes much more of the scene appear sharp
Also, many cameras open the lens to its widest aperture while you are focusing in manual focus assist or magnified view, so the live view can look blurrier in the background. The photo is still taken at your selected aperture.
So the key point is:
- focus mode (AF vs MF) does not determine depth of field
- aperture, focal length, and subject distance do
- moving the focus ring changes the focus distance, which changes what appears sharp in front of and behind the focus point
If you want maximum apparent depth of field, use a smaller aperture and focus farther away, often near the hyperfocal distance.
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