I have a Canon Rebel XTi 450D and a Tamron AF75-300mm F/4-5.6 LD Macro (1:3.9) Zoom lens and a Sigma 28-70 F2.8-4 DG lens.

My problem is getting everything in focus especially with the Tamron. I have used tripod and can get the subject in focus but generally the background is not crystal clear. I have experimented with different settings until my mind is quite befuddled. (Not difficult by the way) I have the same problem on AF or Manual. Any ideas appreciated.

I fear it is "You get what you pay for!"

Tick

Try closing your aperture , it will increase your depth of field .( go to a bigger number )
f 2.8 means you get a soft background .
f 22 means you get a sharper background .

Kristof .

Thanks Kristof, I will give that a try. Much appreciated.

Tick

i would say the same thing. try this.....set your aperture to 16, focus on a spot about a fourth of the way into the picture. i use canon lenses. jerry (digi) uses the other lenses. so do pj and cindy (i think).

Thanks Jen. I will give it a go. Love this site and the help you can find.

Tick

Everything you wanted to know about DOF (according to cambridgeincolour.com), but, were afraid to ask:

Understanding Depth of Field.

A fav bookmark of mine (finally found in and amongst the myriad of favs), here is their index on photography related tutorials.

It looks great Les and I am sure there are others who will enjoy it as well. Thanks for sharing.

Tick

I've had trouble with this as well and I'm wondering if it's the camera itself. I just have a Canon Powershot.

Seems to be very painstaking to me to get the focus perfect on it. That's problematic because by the time I actually get it perfect, I may have missed the shot.

Thanks for the link, I've a lot of learning to do ready for when I finally get a decent camera.

Point and shoots are somewhat notorious for their AF inconsistencies. They do great most of the time but they are usually not really fast and more often don't always pick the right spot. If you want more control with the ease of a PAS camera, try getting a more advanced one. If you like your Canon they do have powershots that are pretty control oriented.

Thank you for the links Les.
I have the same Canon as Tick, but using only the kit lenses.
I am finding it a very steep learning curve - those tutorials are a good encouragement.
I still tend to use the Auto settings - and there are times I believe I should have stayed with point and shoot.
:)

Les,I think you are helping a lot of people. Thanks.

Tick

UPDATE: I had a friend use the lens on his camera and he too couldn't get it to focus throughout the shot. I sent it to Tamron today and they are going to check it out. Thanks for all your help.

Tick