How to Change the Depth of Field With a D80
- 1). Rotate the mode dial on the top of the Nikon D80 to either the Aperture-Priority ("A") or Manual ("M") mode.
- 2). Rotate the sub-command dial located in front of the shutter button to select your aperture. A small aperture (a large f/stop number) will produce a greater depth of field than a large aperture (a small f/stop number). For instance, while a setting of f/22 will keep almost the entire scene in focus, a setting of f/2.8 will typically keep only a small amount in focus.
- 3). Zoom in or out by turning the zoom ring on your lens. Longer focal lengths (such as 200mm) will produce a narrower depth of field than shorter focal lengths (such as 50mm).
- 4). Depress the shutter button halfway to autofocus on your subject. Your depth of field will be a plane extending behind and in front of your focus point. The width of your depth of field will be based on your aperture setting, focal length and the distance between you and your subject.
- 5). Hold the depth of field preview button located on the bottom right side of the D80's lens mount. This button will set your lens to your chosen aperture setting to allow you to preview the depth of field through the viewfinder before taking the shot.
- 6). Take your photograph, and press the "playback" button located on the top left corner on the back of the D80 to review the most recent photograph.
- 7). Press the "zoom" button located on the bottom left corner on the back of the D80 to zoom into your photograph. Examine the depth of field in the photograph to make sure your chosen settings were correct.
