How do I get entire frame in focus?

briankbl

New member
I shoot real estate. I don't have a dedicated wide angle lense, just the wide angle/macro kit lenses. But I use these with my 18-55mm kit lens to capture an entire room.

My problem is, my Galaxy S7 Edge takes pictures that are completely in focus. My Nikon will focus on the center, then everything around the outside is super blurry. No amount of editing in Lightroom can fix my photos after the fact. I've tried different settings on the dial, like landscape, and that helps a tiny bit, but I still get blurry pictures.

Anyone have any advice? Would a lume cube help to brighten up dimly lit rooms inside the home(maybe that's what's causing the blurriness)?

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I shoot real estate. I don't have a dedicated wide angle lense, just the wide angle/macro kit lenses. But I use these with my 18-55mm kit lens to capture an entire room.

My problem is, my Galaxy S7 Edge takes pictures that are completely in focus. My Nikon will focus on the center, then everything around the outside is super blurry. No amount of editing in Lightroom can fix my photos after the fact. I've tried different settings on the dial, like landscape, and that helps a tiny bit, but I still get blurry pictures.

Anyone have any advice? Would a lume cube help to brighten up dimly lit rooms inside the home(maybe that's what's causing the blurriness)?

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
There is no super-simple answer to this. What you need to understand is that when you step into using a DSLR, versus a point-and-shoot (like your cell phone), you are taking the reins over an ENORMOUS amount of creative control that your cell phone does not offer you. It's like going from a single gear bicycle to a Formula 1 racing car. But more to the point of your question, what you need to understand in order to get the shots you want with your DSLR is the concept of Depth of Field. I suggest the following articles:

Understanding Depth of Field - From Photography Life (start here, this is an excellent article.)

Understanding Depth of Field for Beginners

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I don't have a dedicated wide angle lense, just the wide angle/macro kit lenses. But I use these with my 18-55mm kit lens to capture an entire room.

This is part of the problem. these screw in kits are never going to give you the quality of a dedicated lens. You need to invest in a real wide angle lens. I have the Tokina 11-16 that I used when I was shooting in indoor areas where I needed to show the entire room.
 

Samo

Senior Member
Your phone can do it because it has an effectively super wide angle lens. So like Don says you need the right lens to get what you want. The wider the lens the more dof you are going to be able to access as well.
 

Sandpatch

Senior Member
Hi briankbl, furthering the excellent suggestions above, set your D5300 to [A]perature Priority and use the highest f/ you can muster, such as f/16 or higher. You may need a tripod for best result in a dim room, as by consequence you'll be shooting at a lower shutter speed and you may not be able to hold the camera steady enough. In your instruction manual, you might also want to read about setting your ISO to provide even greater range in limited light.

Paul sums it up well -- your DSLR offers all sorts of wonderful options for shots. It'll likely do all that you want with great results, but the [Auto] setting will not often be the best route. Enjoy your D5300!
 

briankbl

New member
Thanks everyone for the tips and advice, it's much appreciated! I also ran across a blog post stating to try and keep iso at 100 or 200 and aperture at F8. Then compensate for any overexposed windows by adjusting the exposure settings in camera.

With the F16 suggestion, what would the benefit be rather than F8?

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RobV

Senior Member
The higher the f-number, the smaller the aperture in the lens, and the greater the depth of field.

And if your camera came with adapter lenses that screw on the end of your kit lens, I (my opinion) would just throw them away. As you have already found out, they are inferior optics trying to give you something for nothing.

If you want good interior shots, look at the lens suggested above, use a tripod, and get yourself a ML-L3 remote trigger. And turn off the VR when you are on the tripod.
 
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