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@balls187Photoshop cannot replicate the depth of field control that a tilt/shift lens provides. Tilting the lens causes a corresponding tilt in the plane of focus. This is called the Scheimpflug principle.Read this pdf to learn about it:<a class="user" href="http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/SHBG05.pdf&quot;&gt;http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/SHBG05.pdf&lt;/a&gt;

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@invaderI agree Depth of field (I assume this is what u meant when i said focal length) IS very important, which is why I use aperture priority. This allows me to set the aperture I want (this gives me the DoF i desire) and the camera sets the shutter speed according to the light meter. If I feel that the light meter is wrong (there are certain lighting conditions that I know confuse the light meter) I use exposure compensation.in other words I use aperture priority because I want control over the DoF.Depth of field is distances from the film that will be in focus in you picture (I assume that’s what you meant).

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I use Aperture Priority mode on my Canon EOS Elan 7NE 35mm film camera (that's right, film). I set the aperture based on the DOF I want, and let the camera suggest the shutter speed. But at the same time, I know the approximate shutter speed I have in mind to control the exposure and the manner in which time is frozen. I just find it faster to let the camera get me close and then adjust it from there.CypherXero: "What you need is a camera that can correctly handle Depth of Field (DoF). Professional SLR cameras are quite good at the DoF and focusing on foreground/background subjects, where as point-and-shoot cameras have pretty much zero DoF."your point stands, but i think you mean point-and-shoot cameras have only full DoF.ArchieAndrews: "Interesting. I have messed with my DoF setting but didn't think it had the control needed to generate the images I have seen like I linked. Perhaps I just don't have a good enough camera. Can you set DoF to focus on a centre band and move the lower and upper thirds of the image out of focus, for example?"you're thinking in terms of a 2d image like you would when you work with it in an image processor. that's not how depth of field works. instead, it's the distance away from the lens that matters. when you focus on a subject and use a large aperture (lower number f-stop), you are setting your lens to recieve light most accurately from your subject so its image appears crisply on the film. the areas farther away and closer to you than the lens end up out of focus because the light doesn't have a chance to resolve on the film. when you set a small aperture (larger number f-stop), it restricts the rate at which light can enter the camera, and allows the light from more areas to reach the film plane, resulting in an overall sharper image.in other words, if you have three people in your image with one at 1 foot, one at 5 feet, and one at 20 feet, and you set a large aperture (like f1.8), and focus on the person at 5 feet, the people at 1 and 20 feet will be out of focus. if you have the same setup but set a small aperture (f22), everyone will be in focus. since most point and shoot cameras, especially smaller ones, can only open up to f3-4 at their widest, pictures are almost always mostly in focus.hope that helps.

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XeMacs?! NotePad?Why don't you compile the code yourself save the hassle of actually using processor?I know, write it out the code in machine code for your specific processor and get it over with?What, you write assembly too? Burn it on to a PROM?That's ridiculous to boast that you write code in notepad. Efficiency shot down the tube.

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I agree with the original poster. Having and old-school film SLR with minimals bells-and-wistles and a 35mm prime lense is a greate way to help people practice good photogrpahic techniques. A good book on basic photgraphy technigues is also essential. People will spend more time establishing thier shots too becuase there most people don't want to shell out $8.00 to develop a roll of bad pictures.Before going digital, I had 70's vintage Pentax K-1000 with a 35mm prime lense I inherited from my parents. The only things I could adjust on the camera were the aperature, shutter speed, and focus...all manual.Even so, I love my new Rebel XT :-)

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