Why are my portraits out of focus?
In a portrait, the eyes must be sharp — and at wide apertures the plane of focus is so thin that the camera focusing on the nose or ears ruins the shot.
Quick answer
Use Eye AF (or a single point on the near eye), shoot around f/2–f/2.8 rather than wide-open f/1.4, and use continuous AF if your subject is moving. Avoid focus-and-recompose at wide apertures.
Causes & fixes
Focused on the nose or ears
→ Turn on Eye AF, or place a single AF point on the eye nearest the camera.
Depth of field too shallow
→ At f/1.2–f/1.4 only a sliver is sharp; f/2–f/2.8 keeps both eyes in focus.
Focus-recompose shifted the plane
→ Move the AF point to the eye instead of focusing center and swinging the camera.
Settings to check
AF: Eye AF / single point on near eye
the eyes are what must be sharp
Aperture: f/2–f/2.8
enough depth to keep both eyes sharp
Common mistakes
- Shooting groups at f/1.4.
- Focus-recomposing wide open, which shifts focus off the eyes.
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FAQ
What aperture is best for portraits?
f/2–f/2.8 is the sweet spot: a soft background with enough depth to keep both eyes sharp. Save f/1.4 for single, still subjects.
Learn more
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