Reading mode: Light Dark

sd500 DOF on Canon's site...possible?

Go to last post
L

langdonauger

Member
Messages
38
Reaction score
0
Location
Pottstown, PA, PA, US
The first link below, the picture of the fellow in the blue shirt...such thin DOF is not at all possible on my s230, are owners really getting their subjects to pop like this? The second link is an s230 shot my daughter put through PS7 with a similar DOF (took me about half and hour). I think digital progress=small-sized cameras, and I'm willing to PP a great deal for that convenience, but if I can avoid time-consuming photoshop selections in certain circumstances, I would put my s230 out to pasture. I'd love to see your sd500 portraits.

thanks, Steve

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelFeaturesAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=11157#f4

http://home.earthlink.net/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=560&linkpath=http://home.earthlink.net/~smotter/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hellogreta.jpg&target=tlx_new
 
langdonauger said:
The first link below, the picture of the fellow in the blue
shirt...such thin DOF is not at all possible on my s230, are owners
really getting their subjects to pop like this?
Click to expand...
Yes. You are right. It's not possible. Canon didn't say the picture is taken by s500 either. You need a DSLR if you want to achieve DOF effect.

The second link is
langdonauger said:
an s230 shot my daughter put through PS7 with a similar DOF (took
me about half and hour). I think digital progress=small-sized
cameras, and I'm willing to PP a great deal for that convenience,
but if I can avoid time-consuming photoshop selections in certain
circumstances, I would put my s230 out to pasture. I'd love to see
your sd500 portraits.

thanks, Steve

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelFeaturesAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=11157#f4

http://home.earthlink.net/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=560&linkpath=http://home.earthlink.net/~smotter/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hellogreta.jpg&target=tlx_new
Click to expand...
 
Thank you.
bibi0012 said:
langdonauger said:
The first link below, the picture of the fellow in the blue
shirt...such thin DOF is not at all possible on my s230, are owners
really getting their subjects to pop like this?
Click to expand...
Yes. You are right. It's not possible. Canon didn't say the picture
is taken by s500 either. You need a DSLR if you want to achieve DOF
effect.

The second link is
bibi0012 said:
an s230 shot my daughter put through PS7 with a similar DOF (took
me about half and hour). I think digital progress=small-sized
cameras, and I'm willing to PP a great deal for that convenience,
but if I can avoid time-consuming photoshop selections in certain
circumstances, I would put my s230 out to pasture. I'd love to see
your sd500 portraits.

thanks, Steve

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelFeaturesAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=11157#f4

http://home.earthlink.net/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=560&linkpath=http://home.earthlink.net/~smotter/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hellogreta.jpg&target=tlx_new
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
You can get DOF with these small cameras, just not as dramatic. Shoot the with macro mode, and the background will be blurred see:

Powershot S100:



Powershot S410:




bibi0012 said:
langdonauger said:
The first link below, the picture of the fellow in the blue
shirt...such thin DOF is not at all possible on my s230, are owners
really getting their subjects to pop like this?
Click to expand...
Yes. You are right. It's not possible. Canon didn't say the picture
is taken by s500 either. You need a DSLR if you want to achieve DOF
effect.

The second link is
bibi0012 said:
an s230 shot my daughter put through PS7 with a similar DOF (took
me about half and hour). I think digital progress=small-sized
cameras, and I'm willing to PP a great deal for that convenience,
but if I can avoid time-consuming photoshop selections in certain
circumstances, I would put my s230 out to pasture. I'd love to see
your sd500 portraits.

thanks, Steve

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelFeaturesAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=11157#f4

http://home.earthlink.net/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=560&linkpath=http://home.earthlink.net/~smotter/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hellogreta.jpg&target=tlx_new
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
langdonauger said:
The first link below, the picture of the fellow in the blue
shirt...such thin DOF is not at all possible on my s230, are owners
really getting their subjects to pop like this? The second link is
an s230 shot my daughter put through PS7 with a similar DOF (took
me about half and hour). I think digital progress=small-sized
cameras, and I'm willing to PP a great deal for that convenience,
but if I can avoid time-consuming photoshop selections in certain
circumstances, I would put my s230 out to pasture. I'd love to see
your sd500 portraits.

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelFeaturesAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=11157#f4

http://home.earthlink.net/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=560&linkpath=http://home.earthlink.net/~smotter/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hellogreta.jpg&target=tlx_new
Click to expand...
Hi Steve,

The SD500 won't be much better than your S230 in this respect, and in general the effect shown in the Canon picture won't be seen. Is is possible though? Yes, if you can put a lot of distance between your subject and the background.

The portrait mode does choose the widest aperture on the camera, but there are only two on most pocket sized cameras. And since the little sensors have lots of depth of field inherently, the choice between the two apertures is a choice between lots of depth of field and even more depth of field.

The portrait option does give you the shallowest depth of field, but you're still going to have to make sure that nothing but your subject is in that region. One thing that can help is getting down low when shooting children, so that there are less distracting objects in the background (particularly outdoors, where the background is often further away). If you're shooting down, the background will typically only be a few feet away since it's the area right around where the child is.
 
in portrait mode, the camera should shoos largest aperture, helping you create background OOF effect. Other variables are focal length, distance from the camera to the subject and from the subject to background. Given that optimum values of focal length, aperture and minimum distance to the subject were chosen, we still have no idea what is the distance from the subject to the background. I believe it would be possible to capture this image with this camera, provided that optimum setting were used and background was really far behind the subject. This is pure marketing to make you believe you can do this too. While it not untrue it is defiantly misleading IMHO.
langdonauger said:
The first link below, the picture of the fellow in the blue
shirt...such thin DOF is not at all possible on my s230, are owners
really getting their subjects to pop like this? The second link is
an s230 shot my daughter put through PS7 with a similar DOF (took
me about half and hour). I think digital progress=small-sized
cameras, and I'm willing to PP a great deal for that convenience,
but if I can avoid time-consuming photoshop selections in certain
circumstances, I would put my s230 out to pasture. I'd love to see
your sd500 portraits.

thanks, Steve

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelFeaturesAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=11157#f4

http://home.earthlink.net/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=560&linkpath=http://home.earthlink.net/~smotter/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hellogreta.jpg&target=tlx_new
Click to expand...
 
I just used ps7 in the plodding, archaic manner I know how : ) Selected background w/magnetic lasso, then gaussian blur, I forget the ratio (probably could've gone a bit further). Then I used the magic wand and blurred parts of her hat. Then I added a tiny bit of diffuse glow. If I were doing this pic again, I would maybe soften the highlights through layers and darkened the background layer...I think the overall diffuse glow washed her out too much. I'm in the midst of a Photoshop class, so hopefully I'll get more efficient at working with these Elph captures, at least until the Ricoh Digital GR-1 comes out, with a full-frame sensor : ) The sd20 probably would have worked great here too though. I really dig small cameras.
bibi0012 said:
bibi0012 said:
langdonauger said:
The first link below, the picture of the fellow in the blue
shirt...such thin DOF is not at all possible on my s230, are owners
really getting their subjects to pop like this?
Click to expand...
Yes. You are right. It's not possible. Canon didn't say the picture
is taken by s500 either. You need a DSLR if you want to achieve DOF
effect.

The second link is
bibi0012 said:
an s230 shot my daughter put through PS7 with a similar DOF (took
me about half and hour). I think digital progress=small-sized
cameras, and I'm willing to PP a great deal for that convenience,
but if I can avoid time-consuming photoshop selections in certain
circumstances, I would put my s230 out to pasture. I'd love to see
your sd500 portraits.

thanks, Steve

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelFeaturesAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=11157#f4

http://home.earthlink.net/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=560&linkpath=http://home.earthlink.net/~smotter/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hellogreta.jpg&target=tlx_new
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I need to see more of your work.

It looks like that outlet on the right was messing with Apollo Creed ("Cut it Mick!").

I had been thinking of considering the "expressions" of outlets but you beat me to the punch. Thanks for sharing those. I do macros with the kids, haven't quite gotten the paper thin result of your bottle shot, though. I will keep messing with that.
-Steve
PhotoNUT said:
Powershot S100:



Powershot S410:




bibi0012 said:
langdonauger said:
The first link below, the picture of the fellow in the blue
shirt...such thin DOF is not at all possible on my s230, are owners
really getting their subjects to pop like this?
Click to expand...
Yes. You are right. It's not possible. Canon didn't say the picture
is taken by s500 either. You need a DSLR if you want to achieve DOF
effect.

The second link is
PhotoNUT said:
an s230 shot my daughter put through PS7 with a similar DOF (took
me about half and hour). I think digital progress=small-sized
cameras, and I'm willing to PP a great deal for that convenience,
but if I can avoid time-consuming photoshop selections in certain
circumstances, I would put my s230 out to pasture. I'd love to see
your sd500 portraits.

thanks, Steve

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelFeaturesAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=11157#f4

http://home.earthlink.net/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=560&linkpath=http://home.earthlink.net/~smotter/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hellogreta.jpg&target=tlx_new
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Gosha said:
langdonauger said:
The first link below, the picture of the fellow in the blue
shirt...such thin DOF is not at all possible on my s230, are owners
really getting their subjects to pop like this? The second link is
an s230 shot my daughter put through PS7 with a similar DOF (took
me about half and hour). I think digital progress=small-sized
cameras, and I'm willing to PP a great deal for that convenience,
but if I can avoid time-consuming photoshop selections in certain
circumstances, I would put my s230 out to pasture. I'd love to see
your sd500 portraits.

thanks, Steve

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelFeaturesAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=11157#f4

http://home.earthlink.net/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=560&linkpath=http://home.earthlink.net/~smotter/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hellogreta.jpg&target=tlx_new
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I often forget ALL of that stuff.

I had just never looked at the Canon site before and thought possibly there was some type of on-board photoshop blurring actions or something going on in this P mode, in light of the on-board color replacement stuff. Thanks for your thoughtful response.
-Steve
Rick Cameron said:
langdonauger said:
The first link below, the picture of the fellow in the blue
shirt...such thin DOF is not at all possible on my s230, are owners
really getting their subjects to pop like this? The second link is
an s230 shot my daughter put through PS7 with a similar DOF (took
me about half and hour). I think digital progress=small-sized
cameras, and I'm willing to PP a great deal for that convenience,
but if I can avoid time-consuming photoshop selections in certain
circumstances, I would put my s230 out to pasture. I'd love to see
your sd500 portraits.

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelFeaturesAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=11157#f4

http://home.earthlink.net/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=560&linkpath=http://home.earthlink.net/~smotter/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hellogreta.jpg&target=tlx_new
Click to expand...
Hi Steve,

The SD500 won't be much better than your S230 in this respect, and
in general the effect shown in the Canon picture won't be seen. Is
is possible though? Yes, if you can put a lot of distance between
your subject and the background.

The portrait mode does choose the widest aperture on the camera,
but there are only two on most pocket sized cameras. And since the
little sensors have lots of depth of field inherently, the choice
between the two apertures is a choice between lots of depth of
field and even more depth of field.

The portrait option does give you the shallowest depth of field,
but you're still going to have to make sure that nothing but your
subject is in that region. One thing that can help is getting down
low when shooting children, so that there are less distracting
objects in the background (particularly outdoors, where the
background is often further away). If you're shooting down, the
background will typically only be a few feet away since it's the
area right around where the child is.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top