Shooting modes

How to take control over the depth of field

Your EOS camera may have a Close-up Special Scene Mode, which you can access using the SCN setting or the flower symbol on the Mode dial. This doesn’t allow you to focus the lens closer or magnify the subject more than normal, rather it sets the camera to a default configuration for close-ups – such as putting the drive mode to single shooting and automatically firing the built-in flash (where present), as well as controlling the exposure.

For more control over your pictures, it pays to shoot in Aperture Priority (Av), Flexible Priority (Fv) or Manual. These options allow you to choose an aperture, which gives you more control over the depth of field. Stick with Av or Fv if you’re using Canon’s Creative Zone modes for the first time.

Depth of field is basically the depth of sharpness, with low f-numbers, such as f/4 and f/2.8 reducing the sharpness and high f-numbers, such as f/11 and f/16 increasing it – although we’re only talking a few centimetres or millimetres difference with extreme close-ups. In fact, there are many reasons why you wouldn’t want to set a small aperture. It can add too much definition to the background, which can be a distraction. Once you start hitting doublefigure f-numbers, the effects of diffraction also become more noticeable. This is where the light rays are bent out of shape by the edges of the aperture blades, which can lead to soft, fuzzy details even though the depth of sharpness is increased. Small apertures also lead to a loss of light, which can lead to slower shutter speeds and potentially blurred shots.