Discussion
What you are referring to is "depth of field", which is a product of the focal length and the aperture.
In simplest terms to get the result you want, zoom the camera as far as it will go, and set the aperture on the lens to the widest (lowest number) value.
If this isn't enough of an effect for you, you need either a longer lens or a lens with a larger maximum apeture.. or both!
In simplest terms to get the result you want, zoom the camera as far as it will go, and set the aperture on the lens to the widest (lowest number) value.
If this isn't enough of an effect for you, you need either a longer lens or a lens with a larger maximum apeture.. or both!
And try to get as much distance between your in-focus subject and the background as you can. The further apart they are, the more the background will be out of focus. This will help particularly if your lens has a smaller max aperture (bigger number e.g. f5.6)
Your Sony camera is typical of most non-SLR digicams in that it is designed for maximising depth of field to make sure most stuff is in focus. It also doesn't appear to have an aperture priority mode allowing you to override this setting to achieve your aim. Therefore the zoom in fully and keep as much distance between subject/background is your best bet.
Your Sony camera is typical of most non-SLR digicams in that it is designed for maximising depth of field to make sure most stuff is in focus. It also doesn't appear to have an aperture priority mode allowing you to override this setting to achieve your aim. Therefore the zoom in fully and keep as much distance between subject/background is your best bet.
Portrait mode will do whats been said.
Wide open apature (i.e. lowest f number, biggest hole, lets in as much light as it can, F1.8 or whatever..)
Close focus point - i.e. be as close to the person you can be.
Long zoom - some trade off between that and the previous one.
And a background further away. Try Find a background without too much contrast with itself and one contrasting with the subject.
DOF depends on apature, focus point & focal length.
Wide open apature (i.e. lowest f number, biggest hole, lets in as much light as it can, F1.8 or whatever..)
Close focus point - i.e. be as close to the person you can be.
Long zoom - some trade off between that and the previous one.
And a background further away. Try Find a background without too much contrast with itself and one contrasting with the subject.
DOF depends on apature, focus point & focal length.
aspender said:
Your Sony camera is typical of most non-SLR digicams in that it is designed for maximising depth of field to make sure most stuff is in focus. It also doesn't appear to have an aperture priority mode allowing you to override this setting to achieve your aim. Therefore the zoom in fully and keep as much distance between subject/background is your best bet.
[pedant]The sony H5 very much does have aperture priority. Scroll to the bottom of this page:
www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonyh5/page2.asp
[/pedant]
omohat said:
The sony H5 very much does have aperture priority. Scroll to the bottom of this page:
www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonyh5/page2.asp
www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonyh5/page2.asp
Whoops, my mistake. I did a quick google and based my statement on a shopping site spec list.
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