Even at f/16, there is insufficient depth of field. The problem is that even at f/16, the depth of field is too shallow. But you can get a more interesting result by shooting at a low angle close to one edge of the board. This would mean most of the components would be a similar distance from the camera and in focus at the same time. It may have been easier to take this photo square onto the board. Take, for example, this macro photo of a printed circuit board. In practice, there’s more involved than blending a series of images. This ‘stack’ will produce a single sharp image where the whole subject is in sharp focus from front to back. Once you have a series of images, you can combine the focused areas from each photo. These will range from the nearest to the farthest point on your chosen subject. Alter the focus of each exposure to capture a succession of sharply focused ‘slices’. To bypass the DoF limitations, take several photos of the same subject. How to Use Image Stacking to Get Around the DoF Limitations At this angle and small distance, you will have trouble getting the whole subject in sharp focus. An auto reversing ring allows you to get very close to your subject. Instead, you need a more sophisticated approach – and that is what image stacking provides. There’s only so far you can go with camera and lens adjustments. But it has a depth of field at full magnification of 40 microns. Canon’s MP-E 65mm macro lens is capable of x1 to x5 magnifications. And a very shallow depth of field when shooting at the max aperture.Įven with the optimal aperture, the depth of field can still be small. Even when using a small aperture.įor the sharpest results, set your lens aperture to around the middle of its range.

It’s quite common for the resulting macro depth of field to be only a few millimeters. You can use a small aperture to maximize the depth of field. Obtaining a large image of a small object on your sensor means getting the camera very close to the subject. This presents a particular difficulty in macro photography. But this will go down as you move the camera closer to the subject. You might have enough depth of field for a normal subject such as a person several meters away. But it won’t be by the amount you might expect. The same adjustments will change the depth of field in macro photography as well. If your camera lacks a depth of field preview button, take a test shot. Particularly if you switch your camera to live view without exposure simulation.

More of the scene is in focus at smaller apertures. To preview the effect, use your camera’s depth-of-field preview button if it has one.

But you don’t see the effect a lower aperture has on depth of field while composing a shot. Modern DSLRs don’t shut down the lens aperture until the moment you take the photo. What Is Depth of Field and What Does It Have to Do With Image Stacking

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