Needed some Butong bamboo for a new section of fence. A Little trouble with DOF

[JBW]

[NorthernFocus]

Interesting and creative.

[JBW]

Interesting and creative.

Thanks. Butong can reach 30 or so meters tall and and 25 Cm wide which is impressive for a blade of grass.

[Inkanyezi]

This is the type of situation where a tilt lens can make a difference, getting objects sharp from very close to far away. I don't know all possibilities there are to apply tilt on the Alpha, but its manual focus help devices are excellent for tilting. There seems to be at least a Samyang/Rokinon lens available:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ilt_shift.html

[JBW]

This is the type of situation where a tilt lens can make a difference, getting objects sharp from very close to far away. I don't know all possibilities there are to apply tilt on the Alpha, but its manual focus help devices are excellent for tilting. There seems to be at least a Samyang/Rokinon lens available:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ilt_shift.html

For now any improvement will have to come from the skill set rather than the bank.

[Shadowman]

Nicely captured.

[xpatUSA]

For now any improvement will have to come from the skill set rather than the bank.

Some study of the dreaded "hyperfocal distance" might help with the skill aspect, unless you already have done so. Or, failing that, focusing about 1/3 of the way up the frame often works for me.

That is by no means a rule. For higher f-numbers, say 11-16, maybe a 1/4 of the way up and for lower f-numbers, say 2.8 - 5.6, maybe a 1/2. By focusing thus, some of the scene betwixt you and the focal point will still be in focus and the rest of the scene to infinity would be "in focus" all the way - by which I mean acceptably sharp on your monitor or in your A4 print.

The above suggestion is based on the sharpness of the extreme left side of your image.

Pardon me if I am reaching Granny to suck eggs . . .

[Inkanyezi]

For now any improvement will have to come from the skill set rather than the bank.

I fully understand that the budget often won't permit buying stuff. I am very aware of it, as I am myself in that situation, but to somewhat illustrate what tilt can do to an image where part of the subject is very near, I present this picture of a small dead worm on a park lane: