Group photo question...

[keller]

I was taking a group photo (my family) 6 people total with a XSI 450D, kit lense 18-55.


The setting was nothing special. A couple of full body shots and waist up shots. Camera setting was on manual with autofocus...no flash.


For some reason i cannot get all the subjects to be in focus. There is usually 2 or 3family membersthat seem slightly out of focus. Just for clarification, this is not avery noticable out of focus problem. Perhaps i am just being very picky and asking to much of the kit lense?


keller

[Dumien]

was it shot indoors? If it was, then try to use a flash to be able to narrow the aperture and get greater DOF, or higher ISO for that matter ...that might be your only problem

[RadicalTenth]

In these groups where were the people? Were they on both edges, or were they clumped together?

[keller]

They were clumped together. I wish i would have saved the pictures so i could post them for all to see what i am referring to. Sometimes all the people in the image would be focused, sometimes just 1 person or no one would be focused. Again, i am not talking blurry, but just slightly "foggy" as i like to call it. The wife calls it, slightly out of focused. She thinks a better lense (L)would correct this problem. I am hoping its the shooter's fault.


I took the photos outside with partly cloudy skies.


keller

[RadicalTenth]

At what aperture were you shooting? Dumien has a point.

[Sinh Nhut Nguyen]

Yes, it's the shooter's fault [], you need to close down the aperture to have more depth of field.

[lculpin]

Woah guys, lets slow down here for a minute. His wife thinks that he needs a new L lens. You don't argue with your wife, especially when she's telling you that you NEED to be getting a brand spanking new L series lens. CLEARLY then, the lens is the problem

[Jarhead5811]

Yes, clearly the lenses fault [].


I'd wait until you get the new "L" or a Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM and then try stopping down. A flash or flashes may be usefull at that point.

[Oren]

Oh dude... the wife is telling you that you need a new L glass and you argue with her?


It's definitely the glass, the wife is right []


Also, try to use much much faster shutter speeds when you get the new L (but close the aperture so you still get sharp, in focus pictures). When the wife asks why the pictures are so dark, tell her that you need a new lighting kit which includes few umbrellas and stands, reflectors, pocketwizards and of course, at least 2 580 EX II's.


Then, since you will be working with such high shutter speeds, shake the camera so the shots become blur - this time it's not out of focus but blur, so you will need a new top of the line tripod as well lol.

[Fast Glass]

You have real nice wife to blame the lens and not to you!