Hyperfocal question

Sam · October 26, 2004

OK, I am going next week on a photography vacation and will be taking a quite a few landscapes. I want to get the opinions of the expericed photographers here on this.

If I understand this, I can use a 17mm lens at f8 and focus 5.93 feet in front of me and have everything from 5.93 feet to infinity in focus. Is that correct? Do you use this, and if not why not?

I have a copy of a chart that provides a matrix for the different variables.

If you don't answer and my whole vacation is a photo bust, I'll just lay the blame on all of you. :rofl :rofl

Thanks for any input you might have.

Sam

Andy · October 26, 2004

hyperfocal, schmyperfocal
yeah i suppose i could learn that

but here's what i do. stop down lens (f/8, f/11, maybe more, rarely less). focus 1/4 to 1/3 the way into my scene, and fire!

general rule of thumb is that there's twice more dof behind the focus spot than in front of it. so don't waste your in-focus range by focusing always on infinity.

don't tell anyone but i rarely will shoot with actual calculated hyperfocal distances ... i'm more of a "feel" shooter, and i guess that it comes from experience.

but... you can for sure get great results if you follow the above advice. if you want to refer to a hyperfocal chart, well that's cool, too

whatever gets you going, sam!

good luck, share the love when you get back!

Sam · October 26, 2004

andy wrote:

yeah i suppose i could learn that

but here's what i do. stop down lens (f/8, f/11, maybe more, rarely less). focus 1/4 to 1/3 the way into my scene, and fire!

general rule of thumb is that there's twice more dof behind the focus spot than in front of it. so don't waste your in-focus range by focusing always on infinity.

don't tell anyone but i rarely will shoot with actual calculated hyperfocal distances ... i'm more of a "feel" shooter, and i guess that it comes from experience.

but... you can for sure get great results if you follow the above advice. if you want to refer to a hyperfocal chart, well that's cool, too whatever gets you going, sam!

good luck, share the love when you get back!

Thanks Andy,

I have been kinda doing it the way you sugested. I just wondered what the result might be if rather than focus on a point say 1 mile into a 3 mile view, could I focus on a leaf or rock 5 feet in front of me and have the leaf / rock and the mt. top 3 miles in the distance in focus.

OH, and to clarify, I won't be measuring out the exact 5.93 feet.

I would just guess, but would be different than focusing a mile away.

I will try f11 or f16 as well.

I just got a 17-40mm f/4L for this trip. (So much for thinking this digital camera hobby / sickness was going to be economical. The damn lens cost more that the camera I thought I was originally going to buy.)

Sam

cmr164 · October 27, 2004

Sam wrote:

OK, I am going next week on a photography vacation and will be taking a quite a few landscapes. I want to get the opinions of the expericed photographers here on this.

If I understand this, I can use a 17mm lens at f8 and focus 5.93 feet in front of me and have everything from 5.93 feet to infinity in focus. Is that correct? Do you use this, and if not why not?

I have a copy of a chart that provides a matrix for the different variables.

If you don't answer and my whole vacation is a photo bust, I'll just lay the blame on all of you.

Thanks for any input you might have.

Sam

Just remember that the whole concept is derived from making an assumption about an acceptable size for the circle of confusion and that assumption depends on how you are going to view it, how much it is enlarged and the viewing distance.

Also, if your chart says 5' - infinity that does not happen if you focus at 5' or at infinity. It happens if you focus on a point out there somewhere. Your chart will tell you.

cletus · October 27, 2004

!!!Thread Hijack Warning!!!

How long has Nikon had the D series lenses out??? I would guess at least 10 years. So for the last 10 years SLRs (at least Nikons) have been able to read the focused distance from the lens. The camera can obviously read the aperature the lens is set to. The lens manufacturer provides you with the hyperfocal info for the lens. Why not digitally store the hyperfocal info in the lens and have a mode on the camera where it automatically jumps to the hyperfocal distance?

cmr164 · October 27, 2004

cletus wrote:

!!!Thread Hijack Warning!!!

How long has Nikon had the D series lenses out??? I would guess at least 10 years. So for the last 10 years SLRs (at least Nikons) have been able to read the focused distance from the lens. The camera can obviously read the aperature the lens is set to. The lens manufacturer provides you with the hyperfocal info for the lens. Why not digitally store the hyperfocal info in the lens and have a mode on the camera where it automatically jumps to the hyperfocal distance?

Canon has had that for years. The call it DoF mode and you focus on the front point and the back point and the camera sets to keep everything inbetween in focus. Nikon probably has it too.

cletus · October 27, 2004

cmr164 wrote:

Canon has had that for years. The call it DoF mode and you focus on the front point and the back point and the camera sets to keep everything inbetween in focus. Nikon probably has it too.

Thanks Charles!

I haven't come across that feature in with any of the Nikons that I've shot, maybe they have it in the D-1/2 family

Shay Stephens · October 28, 2004

Just say no to HF
This is one of those esoteric procedures that is supposed to provide sublime quality, but in reality it just wastes time and mental energy. Elitists love it because it makes them look so smart and snappy.

You can get the same or better resuts by using small apertures and focusing on your subject of interest. It's true, no special slide rules, no need to grow white wild hair and speak with an accent, no need to try and figure out how to focus. Just focus and forget about it.

Hyperfocal...just say no.

Ask me how I feel about other stupid redherring ideas some time hehehe

GREAPER · October 28, 2004

Sam

I never learned how to figure this stuff out so I use the Depth of feid preview on my camera to see if I like what it shows me before I shoot.

When I shot this photo another photographer was watching me do it, sitting in the road shooting these flowers at 4 feet with the mountains behind them (hand held). The other shooter asked me which I was trying to get in focus, the flowers or the mountains? I looked up at him, then back through the camera and took my shot.

I stood up and looked at him and said "All of it".

When I walked away I glanced back and saw him squating in the same spot. I wonder how he did.

This is what I got, Velvia ISO 50 slide film, f/22, 1/30th, 28mm lens.

Sam · October 28, 2004

GREAPER wrote:

Sam

I never learned how to figure this stuff out so I use the Depth of feid preview on my camera to see if I like what it shows me before I shoot.

When I shot this photo another photographer was watching me do it, sitting in the road shooting these flowers at 4 feet with the mountains behind them (hand held). The other shooter asked me which I was trying to get in focus, the flowers or the mountains? I looked up at him, then back through the camera and took my shot.

I stood up and looked at him and said "All of it".

When I walked away I glanced back and saw him squating in the same spot. I wonder how he did.

This is what I got, Velvia ISO 50 slide film, f/22, 1/30th, 28mm lens.

This is exactly the results I have in mind! I must admit I haven't used the DOF preview. I tried once but all I remember seeing was that some of the view seemed to dim a little.

Do you remember by chance where you were focusing?

I will have 4 or 5 days to figure this out.

Thanks,

Sam

GREAPER · October 28, 2004

I focused on the flowers.

Shay Stephens · October 29, 2004

See, what did I tell ya

GREAPER wrote:

I focused on the flowers.

Nothing fancy needed. Focus on your subject. All the other fancy hocus pocus is just a waste of time. Thank you for the example Greaper. That was a gem.

ginger_55 · October 29, 2004

Sam wrote:

This is exactly the results I have in mind! I must admit I haven't used the DOF preview. I tried once but all I remember seeing was that some of the view seemed to dim a little.

Do you remember by chance where you were focusing?

I will have 4 or 5 days to figure this out.

Thanks,

Sam

This is late on this subject, but I bracket. If I want the flowers in focus, that is the first image, then one for both, a bit behind the flowers, whatever I feel is right. I used to use the DOF on my old Nikon, haven't used it in Digital. F22 one could expect good DOF, but I still bracket.

Film has always been cheap, with digital, well, it has never been cheaper.
(I even bracket when not using a tripod, when I am really serious about wanting a keeper, can't always count on my vision on the DOF thing)

g

Sam, can't wait to see your shots from this trip, hehe. I, for one, expect great things.............

Hyperfocal question

Comments