Canon Digital Rebel XTi - Need Help with Focus Problem?

Question

Hello fellow Canon users. I just got my digital rebel XTi and it takes wonderful pictures but I am trying to figure out which settings I need to play with to get everything in focus. So far, it focuses on the main subject, and everything else in the background is blurry. How do I make it where the subject and everything in the background is in focus?

So far the only way I have figured out how to do this is in landscape mode, but you can't use flash in landscape mode and I would like my indoor pictures to have everything in focus as well.

I have shot on the "green box" mode and also use the "P" mode but neither one of those modes accomplishes what I want.

Thanks much for your help =)

Answer 1

it looks that a photography class will help you tremendously.

the thing about focusing is, unless you have lots and lots and lots of light (or a tripod for a long exposure if the light condition is dim), you're gonna need to get used with the object you're not focusing being blurred. This thing is called a depth of field - and the more blurred the background/foreground is, it's called shallow depth. Having everything in focus including the background and foreground is called deep focus.

To achieve deep focus, you're gonna need to have to set your aperture small (big f number) which will help you to focus everything but will limit the amount of light entering your camera at the same time. This is the reason why you need a lot of light or a tripod.

The way I do this, I would use the Aperture Priority mode (Av) and put my flash on. Refer to your manual on how to use the Av mode. Basically you want a big f number for this kind of thing you need. Depending on the situation, an f9 can be enough, but sometimes you're gonna need more than that.

Also, the XTi have A-Dep mode to automatically set your camera so it can focus everything the best it can. So far, I would guess that this is the easiest thing for you - but you're gonna need at least a tripod for this because in low light condition the camera will need to take long exposure.

Bottom line - let me repeat - to achieve deep focus, you need small aperture. Small aperture = few lights entering your camera = long exposure/you need lots of light.

Well I hope I didn't confuse you too much. Remember that photography class will be useful for you. Good luck.

Answer 2

Step 1) select ISO 400
Step 2) select aperture preferred, labeled Av
Step 3) select a big number, like f/16 (it'll be visible in the viewfinder, as you adjust the control wheel behind the shutter release). You'll get increasingly more area in focus going from f/11 onward (i.e. f/16 has more "depth of field" than f/11).
Step 4) pop your flash up and take the photo. If you need more area behind in focus, increase to f/22.

So there you go.

Answer 3

Unless your room has a lot of ambient light, the background, when using flash, probably won't be in focus. In fact, it will likely be darker than your subject. Using bounce flash will help to some extent.

The "Inverse Square Law" applies here: as light travels it loses intensity. To demonstrate, go out late this evening and find a row of fence posts. Position yourself at a 45 degree angle to them, use your flash in Manual, and focus on the 4th. post. Make your exposure and then look at it. The post closest will be "washed out", the post you focused on will be correctly exposed and the post farthest away will be dark.

Answer 4

It is noise? Have you looked closely to see if it isn't noise but dust on the sensor? Are you in a majorly humid area and is there perhaps condensation in the camera? Is it with more than one lens? if it has taken thousands upon thousands of photos, it may be at the end of it's life. You can contact Canon and send it to them for an estimate on repairs.

Answer 5

You do not want everything in the picture to be in focus. I will tell you why:

say you go to show the picture to somebody and you tell them "look at that, isn't that picture so good?!", they wont know what to look at because everything is in focus and there is nothing to stand out and just call your name to say look at me, look at me, im in such good focus! For example; say you take a picture of a statue that is sorrounded by a bunch of other statues. In that picture you only want to see one statue in particular but they are all in focus. There is no one statue that stands out in the images, they all stand out. Because of that your eyes get confused and you can't just look at that one statue since your eyes are looking at all of them. If you have a blurred background your eyes just say 'ewwww that blurred background is so bad looking but that statue is so much in focus'. If you show that blurred background picture to someone they know exactly what you are trying to get a good picture of so they look at that one thing!

I hope i was helpful.
Best regards,
Andy