Choosing cheap capable camera

I like moderately-shallow DoF (say, f/4 on FF), and no, you can't get that on the 1/2.7" sensor of a point-and-shoot camera (well, you can get it, but only in very tight shots at the long end of the zoom) (for same-FoV and same-DoF as my f/4 on FF, you'd need f/0.6 on a 6.7x crop camera).
 
I shoot more than enough, thanks for asking. And regarding the technicalities, I just wanted to point out that you just won't find a 7.5mm f/0.6 for your hypothetical 6.7x crop factor camera, to match my 50mm f/4 FoV and DoF. So yes, sensor size does matter.
 
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Disease8 said:
I have never had any issues with this except maybe having TOO shallow a depth of field and getting things all out of focus. Why is everyone obsessed with shallow depth of field?
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I shoot lots of corporate interviews where I have to shoot in very ugly looking environments, so being able to use a fast 35mm to 85mm lens to blow-out the background is very handy.
 
TheDingo said:
I shoot lots of corporate interviews where I have to shoot in very ugly looking environments, so being able to use a fast 35mm to 85mm lens to blow-out the background is very handy.
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This is my style for 'corporate portraiture'.... sinister side lighting, deep DoF...

newman_gallery11.jpg


But that aside, there has been a fetishization of 'shallow DoF' among people who really don't 'need' it for some technical reason...
 
^^^^ I see this all the time ^^^^^

Hey, thought we could shoot this in my office.

Mmmm, how about we do a little house keeping and straighten things up.

Agency, we don't have the budget for the extra time, just setup and shoot.

That is when we bring out the 5DmkIII and shoot wide open.
 
Disease8 said:
Do you actually make videos or spend your time quoting technical mumbo gumbo on forums? If you want that depth of field buy a different lens. Smaller sensor means a wider depth of field. I don't know what your point is, it meaninglessness you just want to sound smart with some technicalities? It is not helpful for the thread. The thread is dead anyway.
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Wow. Samuel's been one of the great contributors here. (And he's never acted like a feminine-hygiene product, either).

Many small sensor cams don't have an available lens to give you DOF control at a reasonable focal length. And DOF isn't necessarily about having inch-thin focus. It's about being able to choose whatever focus depth you want when composing your shot.

To many of us, the stuff you call "mumbo gumbo" is very useful. If you want to be "helpful" to these threads, my best advice is to stay off them.
 
TheDingo said:
But this is a very "pretty" looking ugly background, as opposed to the super tacky environments I often have to shoot in...

View attachment 93233
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Looks like my desk... well... except I don't bring 'personal' photos and wall hanging stuff... and well... my desk/benches look like a pack rat raided Radio Shack, and then there's 'strata of projects that have been preempted by the current disaster'... but the spirit's there...
 
wow, that's a mess...


@Michael Carter: thanks for the kind words. I still think I'm just someone who happens to like this stuff, is technically minded, and has way too much time to spare. BTW, talking about time to spare and my contributions here... post about major camera shootout in 5, 4, 3, 2, ...
 
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