How can I improve? Or what do i need to improve?

[lowfat]

I want to be able to take close up pics fully zoomed in while having a good depth of field.
A few sample pics of the same thing, shot with 3 different f stops and exposure lengths.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/tulcakelume/f5-6.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/tulcakelume/f11.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/tulcakelume/f36.jpg

The f/36 picture has a good enough DOF, as the waterblock is still in focus. However it is very noisy.

Also on the f/36 picture there are little dots on the picture you can see. Is this a cause of a dirty sensor? As I've taken more pics, and when i use f/36 they show up in the same place every time.

If I need to buy a better lens, it is fine. I just don't know what to look for.

I am shooting with a Canon 350D/DXT w/ 18-55 kit lens.

[MasterOfTheReal]

Couple of quick points:

1. On that lens you wanna stop down as much as you can but somewhere around 5.6-8 should be ok unless your gonna blow them up for posters.
2. Light light light. You wanna get as much light into your shots as possible. Go down to Home Depot and buy 3 big-ish (5x5 or something similar in case you ever do cases :P) pieces of white foamcore. Use these to bounce sunlight onto where your shoting at an angle that looks pleasing.
2. Try and shoot in sunlight in themorning gives the nicest light. If your stuck in the evening try anf get some nice Halogen light or if your shooting in Tungsten be careful with your white balance.
4. Some clever artifical ligting can be sourced again in Home Depot with the cheap "Site Lights" big 250-300w Halogens that you can get for like 30 bucks.

Shots look good tho. Adding some vignetting around the edges and a logo will make em look vey professional if thats the look your going for.

[Nate P.]

Yes, the thing you need most is light.

[[XC] 2long4u]

I forget the term for the loss of quality at small apertures but you only want to use very small apertures when absolutely necessary. Personally I don't go below f/16

[Nate P.]

2long4u;3178011']I forget the term for the loss of quality at small apertures but you only want to use very small apertures when absolutely necessary. Personally I don't go below f/16
http://kenrockwell.com/tech/diffraction.htm

[MasterOfTheReal]

http://kenrockwell.com/tech/diffraction.htm

Oh god quote anyone except :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:bo y on matters of photography.

[Nate P.]

I know, not a fan of Ken myself, but it's the only article on diffraction I could find. Sorry.

[[XC] 2long4u]

He listed the nikon 18-55 kit lens as a top 10. He must be going by expense to quality of picture. Because the build quality sucks.

[Soulburner]

I know, not a fan of Ken myself, but it's the only article on diffraction I could find. Sorry.

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffraction-photography.htm

:)

Try to stay at f/16 and below. Aside from that, focal length affects depth of field much more than aperture. If you are as wide as you can be you don't need to stop down nearly as much.

For these kinds of shots though, you will simply have to accept the fact that longer focal lengths will give less depth of field. One trick some people use is called stacking, which is much like multiple exposures only you are combining multiple focus distances to get a single image with everything in focus.

As for the spots, that is likely on either the sensor or the lens. You have such a small aperture that even the dust is in focus :)

[Wolf_Rider]

I was reading through and thought I would ask about a Nikkor 16-85mm AF-S f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lense.

I used to run a Nikon f2 a while back, before somebody else thought they were more entitled to it than I was, with a Vivitar 70 -210mm zoom lense... all of which I thoroughly enjoyed using.

In being new to digital, I was thinking the Nikon D80 and the lense I mentioned, with the lense being the more important concern.

is anyone running one that could give me a quick run down on usability and performance? (the reviews i've seen all seem to be a c/p of the same review.

Thanks in advance

[Magnj]

Make sure you lock your ISO down too, if it's on auto that could be part of your noise issue.

[stalin12]

If your stuck in the evening try anf get some nice Halogen light or if your shooting in Tungsten be careful with your white balance.