Sunset advice

Kagan

I am going on a cruise this coming week and wanted to take some sunset pics from the ship. I am curious how i should take these as far as focusing. When I try autofocus with the camera I tend to get alot of blurry shots even when shutter is at high speeds using tripod. Its as if the camera cant get a good focus. I have tried manual-throught screen as well as viewfinder-I will admit I cant tell anything using the viewfinder with this camera but I try(fuji s7000). I guess my question is if i am out in the ocean with no landmarks...do I focus on the sun itself? Not like I can run back and RE-take :dunno
Just any advice on this would be appreciated.

fishlips

kagan,
i am certainly no expert on anything relating to the field of photography…but, the few time i have taken sunset pics, i use manual focus and set to infinity using the widest apeture possible or pretty close (greater depth of field). that way everything from the sunset to just in front of you will be in acceptably sharp focus.

now, please, to all the wonderful photographers on dgrin, if i have lead kagan astray, please tell both of us.

Kagan

It sounds reasonable My camera manual of course said to take the picture by setting the camera to infinite focus.....nowhere in the manual did it say how to set to infinite focus? Left me at a loss...

fishlips wrote:

kagan,
i am certainly no expert on anything relating to the field of photography…but, the few time i have taken sunset pics, i use manual focus and set to infinity using the widest apeture possible or pretty close (greater depth of field). that way everything from the sunset to just in front of you will be in acceptably sharp focus.

now, please, to all the wonderful photographers on dgrin, if i have lead kagan astray, please tell both of us.

Shay Stephens

There is a focus ring on the lens barrel.

Kagan wrote:

It sounds reasonable My camera manual of course said to take the picture by setting the camera to infinite focus.....nowhere in the manual did it say how to set to infinite focus? Left me at a loss...

gsgary

Set camera to manual focus then press the button in the middle of the focus switch that gets very near then just turn the ring on the barrel either way until you get a yellow dot. I always use the viewfinder on that camera looking at the screen looks so amateurish:D

Kagan wrote:

It sounds reasonable My camera manual of course said to take the picture by setting the camera to infinite focus.....nowhere in the manual did it say how to set to infinite focus? Left me at a loss...

XO-Studios

fishlips wrote:

<SNIP>
using the widest apeture possible or pretty close (greater depth of field).

Should be using the smalllest aperture possible (highest number f/16 f/22) for the largest depth of field.

remember WIDE OPEN is low numbers (f/1.4, f/2.8), and means very shallow DOF.

XO,

gsgary

Just tried my S7000 and it will auto focus on clouds so maybe focus and recompose, I always use the view finder, using the screen looks so amateurish

Here's one i took in Norway last month


Aperture Priority
F3.1
0.001s (10/10000)
Exposure Bias -1.33