Adjusting the depth of field

Balerogg

Hi all.
I have what is probably a stupid question, but I've tried everything I have read and cannot make it happen. I am taking stills of small to mid size items such as a 5" round clock. The shot has to be at an angle, but I cannot get the front of the clock and the back of the clock (lets say the number 3 and the number 9) to both be in focus. I have tried increasing my f-stop from f/11 all the way to f/36 and still cannot get a sharp focus all over the subject. Is there a combination of focus modes, focus types and aperture? Am I way off?
Thank you

PBked

Hi,
A lot depends on the lens you are using. The depth of field for a 50mm lens set to f/8 at a distance of 1 foot is only about 2 inches and at f/36 is only about 3 inches. You can see then why your depth of field is not covering the 5" face of your clock. If you move further away from your subject your depth of field will actually increase slightly. Unless you want to invest in macro lenses or close-up attachments, I would suggest you try cropping your pictures which will have the effect of enlarging your subject.
Regards, PBked

Balerogg

Thank you for the tips!
I think I have it now. I decreased the angle of the product by 1", moved back about 6" (1.5 ft total), DOF at 26, and I found out poor lighting was a problem as well. Camera couldn't focus correctly on the darker part in the back. At ISO 400, f/26, 1/15 sec exposure it all came into focus. Thank you for your help!

PBked

You are most welcome.
PBked