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Possible Duplicates:
Is it possible to take shallow depth of field photos with point-and-shoot cameras?
What are the depth-of-field capabilities of point & shoot cameras?

I have seen several posts about blurring the background of photos, but I want to know how this relates specifically to my camera. The P100 has the following specs:

Megapixels, image sensor size, type: 10 megapixels, 1/2.3-inch CMOS (backside illuminated)

Lens (zoom, aperture, focal length): 26x, f2.8-5 26-678mm (35mm equivalent)

If I want to take pictures 3 to 5 feet from the subject with blurred background, what would be the best settings and how far away would the background have to be?

Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/nikon-coolpix-p100/4505-6501_7-33966421.html#ixzz1KHY0zVcz

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    See also: photo.stackexchange.com/questions/9980/… – D. Lambert Apr 22 '11 at 20:30
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    Go to dofmaster.com/dofjs.html and select your camera from the list (it's there) and you can experiment to your heart's content with the settings. – ElendilTheTall Apr 22 '11 at 20:33
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    @Misty Bancroft: there's nothing particularly strange abou your specific camera in this regard. Are the other questions not addressing what you need? – mattdm Apr 22 '11 at 20:34
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    @Misty: ...and I think your response to @mattdm was rather rude, especially since you seemed to like @ElendilTheTall's comment and the information he provided you with was available to you directly if you'd bothered to read @D.Lambert's referenced answer above. Just sayin'... – Jay Lance Photography Apr 22 '11 at 22:50
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    @Misty — the question about bokeh and add-on lenses and filters is interesting. Please do ask it separately! – mattdm Apr 23 '11 at 0:59
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To get bokeh or the "blurred background" you will want to set your camera to the largest aperture setting such as f/2.8-5. It will also help if you zoom into the subject more.

Try a setting such as f/4.5 at 150mm or so, with the subject a few feet away, and the background 10 or more feet past that. This should give you a good amount of bokeh and give you an idea of where to start with your settings.

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The answer from user4892 is a good general answer that will help you achieve what you want with any camera.

You can also get into the technical details using tools like a Depth of Field Camera. This will estimate the amount of depth based on your sensor and optics. Since you mention these technical details you might be interested in that also.

Technical information about this subject can be found at this DOF wiki. Besides all the practical information it also lists the DOF formula's.

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