BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: New Answers

Ben F		Manual Focus Help Okay, so im still confused about this manual focus stuff. At least I understand DOF and how to set for hyperfocal distance etc etc etc.. Now.. back to manual focus. I have just read on a post that : When trying to obtain the maximum depth of field, particularly with wide angle lenses, you must rely on using the "hyper focal" distance in your scene. This means you DO NOT focus the lens per say, but using the scale on your lens ring, you position your near and far subjects you want in focus between the two aperture markings that will allow both to be in focus. So, if I was shooting a landscape using hyperfocal distance and had set this on my lens, and lets say that I look in the viewfinder and it looks completely out of focus. Because I have set the details of hyperfocal distance on my lense it will take a perfectly focussed picture regardless of how it looks through the viewfinder? ??? So if this is correct, basically you only have to look into the viewfinder to compose the scene, the focus in the viewfinder therefore is not a "preview" of the final product/picture? Is this correct? And... does this still apply to manual focus rangefinder cameras? Thank you... To love this question, log in above July 30, 2005

Tom Walker		hyperfocus puts the maximum DOF on the camera, How could you possibly look in it and it be out of focus? To love this comment, log in above July 30, 2005

Terry R. Hatfield		Sounds Like You Need To Adjust The Diopter On The Camera For Your Eye Ben! To love this comment, log in above July 30, 2005

Tom Walker		Terry, didn't think about that, I focus with my glasses on, but that would make the viewfinder blurry. To love this comment, log in above July 30, 2005

Jon Close		Ben, when you look through the viewfinder it's at the lens's maximum aperture, which has the shallowest depth of field around the focused distance. When you take the picture the camera quickly closes the aperture down to the f-stop you've selected, and the depth of field captured on the film will be what you wanted. If your camera has depth of field preview, it will close down the aperture so that you can see how depth of field changes with the aperture you've set. The closed down aperture lets less light through the lens, so the viewfinder goes very dark, but let your eyes adjust and you'll see the effect. Note that all objects within the depth of field will not all be equally sharply focused. Critical focus will still be at the focused distance only. Objects in front and behind will gradually become more out of focus the farther they are from critical focus. To love this comment, log in above July 30, 2005

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