Still life - DOF problem

[PatrickMarq]

As test for learning how to develop my film I took a still life, also now as we cannot go out this will be my subject for a while.

The setup 4X5 Chamonix, with 150/5.6 lens Aperture f45.
Distance to te flowers about 20”
The distance between the flowers and the frame about 10”

I cannot get the two sharp, I’m I doing something wrong or is this not possible. Normally I do landscape or architecture.



First image focus on the frame, the second image focus on the flowers

Thx
Patrick

[C. D. Keth]

That may just not be possible on that lens or at that stop. I can’t think of anything in the way of movements that would help you out.


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[Dan Fromm]

You seem to have focused on the frame. At the magnification you're working at, DOF is roughly (got that, folks, roughly) symmetrical about the plane of best focus. Try focusing midway between the front of the blooms and the frame.

[Bob Salomon]

Larger aperture to avoid diffraction and take one focused 1/3rd between the flowers and the mirror and one half way between.
Focusing on the flowers means that you are loosing all of the DOF in front of the flowers.

Your lens should be diffraction limited at 22.

[Dan Fromm]

Larger aperture to avoid diffraction and take one focused 1/3rd between the flowers and the mirror and one half way between.
Focusing on the flowers means that you are loosing all of the DOF in front of the flowers.

Your lens should be diffraction limited at 22.

Bob, the 1/3d rule doesn't apply close up. It also doesn't apply at infinity.

[Bob Salomon]

Bob, the 1/3d rule doesn't apply close up. It also doesn't apply at infinity.

That’s why I also said half way.

[Chester McCheeserton]

Bob, the 1/3d rule doesn't apply close up. It also doesn't apply at infinity.

Why doesn't 1/3 rule apply close up? Or at infinity?

[Dan Fromm]

Why doesn't 1/3 rule apply close up? Or at infinity?

That's how the calculations come out. Do them.

Oh, and by the way, one third of infinity is infinity.

[Tin Can]

and beyond

[Bernice Loui]

Composition not gonna work for trying to hold focus front to back. Stopping down to f45 or using camera movements will not get front & back "in focus". In this case your best option is to move back, make the composed image smaller on the ground glass then to film. Moving in, close up will greatly aggravate this problem.

Alternative is to change the composition by placing the tall objects at the back of the image with the shorter items in the front of the image. This is more effective as camera_lens tilt produces a curved plane of focus toward what is considered the back or rear or furthest away object.

Idea is to arrange a image composition that can be held in reasonable focus with the lens wide open, then apply minimal camera movements to achieve enough improvement in overall focus at full lens aperture. Once these basic criteria are met, then stop down the lens only as much as needed to achieve good-reasonable overall focus_this is done by looking at the GG with the lens stopped down to taking aperture.


All the best and enjoy this adventure
Bernice