BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: New Answers

Ben F

Landscape DOF

Hi all,

Just been browsing through the Q&A trying to understand depth of field and hyperfocal point etc etc etc. The reason for this im soon buying a manual focus camera with 45mm and 90mm lenses purely for landscape work.
(both of which have the DOF scales on them)..

I came across this ;

"In landscape photographs we generally expect extensive DOF, with sharp focus from the foreground to the background. To achieve this effect, select a wide-angle lens, set a small aperture (perhaps f/11 or higher), and focus about 1/3 of the way into the scene before reframing and shooting."

Okay, I get the setting of smaller aperture, f11 and up, but I dont understand the focusing 1/3 of the way into the scene???
If your shooting say a sunset on the horizon over the ocean, how do you focus effectively 1/3 into the scene?.. what are you going to focus on?

I know these questions have been asked a million times but im really struggling, can anyone try sort it out for me?..

thanks heaps :PPP

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July 28, 2005

Kerry L. Walker

I will try to give you a little help here. The attached picture is of a Nikkor 50mm standard autofocus lens with a limited DOF scale. To shoot a landscape with this lens with the greatest DOF, line up the infinity mark with the 22 mark on the left and you will be in acceptable focus from infinity to about 10'. With a wide angle lens, the DOF would be even greater. Without a DOF scale, you just have to guess.

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July 28, 2005

doug Nelson

See if this article makes sense to you. Be glad you have DOF scales. http://www.dougnelsonphoto.com/-/dougnelsonphoto/article.php?ID=27

Generally, remember that small apertures give more DOF. I went through a period when I had to shoot everything at f16. I didn't know that most lenses are not at their sharpest at f16, and that, with maybe a 28, most everything is sharp at f8 (from about 5 or 6 feet on out).

Also, with that 45, you can do some beautiful work by being sure the flower in the foreground is in sharp focus, and blurring out the mountains in the background. I guess I'm saying not to get carried away with the "everything in focus" trick, as I did.

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July 28, 2005

Kerry L. Walker

Ben, you have gotten some excellent advice from an excellent (but modest) photographer. Although there are times, and scenes, when you do want everything in focus, there are times, as Doug stated, where you want to blur either the foreground or the background. Sometimes you just have to shoot it both ways and see which you like the best.

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July 28, 2005

Ben F

Thanks kerry and doug for your replies, and your article doug is very helpful. I think im starting to understand it.

However I have another question..
As I have never used a manual focusing camera before, im not sure of the process. Could you run me through from "framing" up the landscape, right through to pushing the button.

What gets me is this..say for 45mm lens. after you have composed the image in the viewfinder, you then set the desired apperture on the lens. for example it is a late afternoon shot and I want to shoot at say f8 or f11. So I align f11 under the focus index, then move the infinity symbol on the distance scale to align with the corresponding aperture which im shooting at(f11). I should then be left with a hyperfocal distance for f11. Lets hypothetically say is 15 feet.
so then, everything from 7.5 feet to infinity will be in focus when I take the shot! CORRECT???? So, I am happy with that, then what?.. I can safely take the shot? If I look into the viewfinder, am I going to see this through the viewfinder? I have read that not always is it going to look in focus, even though the final product will be, and this is what tricks some people, as they try and re-focus the frame? Therefore what really tricks me is this :
is there really no need in using the focusing ring on the camera whilst composing a shot, and seeing what you deem to be acceptable and then clicking the button?.. AAAHhh so confusing.

Sorry about the long post, I tried my hardest to explain.
P.s is there a difference to manual focus methods/techniques between SLR and rangefinder cameras?..

Thanks!!!