I hope you do NOT get too surprised with the title of this blog , NO , there is no typo error of any kind !!
I just realised that I can actually use the FOCUS SHIFT feature of the D850:
1. to obtain excellent background bokeh while at the SAME time
2. get max. DOF to ensure petal to petal sharpness for the entire flower being photographed.
This would be the best of both worlds then, the following example is what I mean ..........
Shoot Location : Singapore Botanic Gardens
This 1st Orchid image was captured at f29 with my Nikkor 60mm f2.8 micro to try to get the entire orchid to be sharp, however you will notice that :
a) even at an aperture of f29, the orchid petals are still not totally in focus or sharp
b) using the aperture of f29 to maximise DOF SACRIFICES bokeh causing a very messy background lacking the soft bokeh which would create a better background while providing less distractions
This next image of the SAME orchid has been created with the following Focus Shift settings:
- F5.6
- 13 stacked images
- Focus step width of 8
Using the shallower aperture of f5.6 now provides a much better bokeh background , yet providing significantly better image quality without any Diffraction issues if compared to using the previous aperture of f29
Now isn't that cool and incredible.
Now I can :
a) stack more (the right amount) images which could be captured at a wider open aperture to get better background bokeh
b) yet stack enough in-focus captures to get maximum Depth of Field of the main subject
c) use the shallower aperture of f5.6 or f8.0 to get the lens to perform at its best to generate the best image quality.
So to all the D850 users who are still experimenting with the Focus Shift feature or have not tried this feature yet, please do so !!! There are many advantages to be gained from using this feature with the appropriate setup.