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I've tried many different settings for the Sigma f/1.8 14mm but if it's not set to infinity at the camera, everything isn't sharp at f/11. Now if we are at f/13+ we can be a bit below that and still have everything sharp but it looks nearly the same as f/11 set to infinity. Not the cameras hardware set to the maximum, just when it shows infinity at the OSD and on the lens dial window.
Ross, that was absolutely useful. As an amateur photographer, my key takeaways from this video were #1 - knowing why you dont want to set the aperture to the highest possible such as f22 and #2 - to set the camera to liveview mode so that it locks up the mirror. Thank you for those invaluable tips, I am going to always keep them in the back of my mind and use them when I take landscape photos., and hope to see my photos turn out to be much more sharper.
Thank you so very much for this very helpful tutorial. You teach in the concise way the exact right thing that we need to know, discussing hyperfocal and the double the distance technique. You make everthing clear and accessible.
Nicely done. Note that some modern mirror less lenses have no distance scale and therefore one must estimate the double distance point! Again...thanks for taking the time to present this valuable information.
I was looking to buy a book on landscape photography. Your name came up. I searched UA-cam and found your video. Very informative and precise. I bought your book Landscape photography workshop and subscribed to your channel. Thank you, looking forward to watching your videos and reading your book.
Thanks for the video. Was shooting landscapes today myself and thinking about these things. Your video really helped me to be one step further tomorrow.
Very "sharp" presentation, Ross! As a landscape and product photographer, image sharpness is vital to my work, and I employ most of the techniques you mention here. One other small tip might be to always use a lens hood. I've found that it maximizes overall image quality by avoiding flare, when the sun is at or near the edge of the field of view. By reducing/eliminating flare, you're also assuring that your image has the most micro-contrast possible, which in itself adds to the perception of sharpness. If you don't have a lens hood, I simply use my hand to shield any unwanted light sources, being careful to not obstruct the lens, especially when using a very wide angle lens. One more tip...If you remove any UV filter prior to the exposure, you'll also ensure the maximum sharpness that the lens is capable of. I've always used "premium" filters to protect my lens' front element, however, in some laborious testing done a while ago, I found that even the "best" filter can have a sublte, minute effect on image sharpness, ehich may not be noticeable to many, especially when the image output is online only, however, when printing very large, it can have a slightly adverse effect on sharpness. Thanks again for sharing these excellent tips!
What a breath of fresh air; a clear, informative, interesting and very professionally presented video. Ross, your presentation abilities shine in a UA-cam world of mediocrity and irrelevance (how many footpaths must I watch photographers walk until I get to a point in the video where they say something interesting about taking a photograph?). I am currently having a re-think about focus in landscape photography because of inconsistent results and I found your clear and succinct summary of the options very helpful. The double-distance technique is new to me and I will give that a try. Many Thanks.
Awesome video - landscapes are the photos I probably enjoy most looking at, but have always escaped me in how to make them more engaging. This video at least helped a lot with the technical aspects I've wrestled with.
I don't know. The stuff at the top third line is not always the same relative distance depending on the angle of the camera and the subject matter. Nor is the stuff on the bottom grid line necessarily at the distance you want to focus. I'm putting the kibosh on this method.
Thank you. A wonderfully informative piece of work. I don’t think there was any brand new information however, to have each one given in context makes this the best in class. There’s not a wasted moment here. Good luck with your channel.
Very informative Ross. I found this video a while back but didnt get around to commenting. The advice on the double distance focusing is wonderful. Works everytime. Thank you very much.
On a mirrorless camera, I would recommend using EFCS (or electronic first-curtain shutter) for maximum sharpness. This is more important on the high-res cameras than it is on the lower resolution cameras but it can help. This can reduce shutter shock, and some DSLRs also have EFCS as well (like the Nikon D800 series). Also make sure you turn off image stabilization (if it's built into the lens) and IBIS if you have those features since you are on a tripod. IF it's windy, I've found to maybe leave those on just in case there is slight vibration from the wind, but most of the time, I turn those features off.
Hi Ross, I dont know if you remember me, but we had a day tohether in 2016 in Cornwall. I have been searching for videos by yourself and at last found this site! Its really good to see videos by you, it reminds me of that great day we had. Still using the technics you taught me! Thanks again for the help you gave me, its paying dividend re my photography. Mike
I think one thing that's important for people to know is that they can use wide apertures like f/1.8 for landscape, as long as whatever they're photographing is 50-300ft away, depending on focal length, and will get even sharper images that way. People tend to think of wide apertures as settings you'd use for background blur, but that's only if you're focusing close. If you focus to infinite, everything after ~70ft on 28mm will be in focus at 1.8. Or everything after a few hundred ft. on 80mm+. If your subject isn't closer than that, then using a smaller aperture will only result in a less sharp image. Smaller apertures are more for landscapes when you want something really close in focus. But ~70ft at 28mm isn't really that far to get sharp focus at f/1.8. And it will be sharper than anything you can achieve at f/10 or f/16.
Ross has such a calm demeanor. He strikes me as the kind of guy who has literally never been angry in his life (or he gets mega ragey, either or). Not that it is relevant to this enjoyable video, but I just noticed 😅
Great landscape focusing tip. To make sure I have a good focus for my landscapes in the future, I will be using both the double distance focusing technique you mentioned and focus stacking. I use a twist for focus stacking. I use a wide open aperture and focus on a close point of interest then focus on a distant point of interest leaving a midrange soft gap to highlight to near and far focus points.
Nice video. Great explanation of the 2x closest desired in-focus distance. That said, you mention that you are keeping your D850 in liveview mode to avoid mirror slap. To the extent the 850 works like the 800 and 750, liveview does not avoid slap (mirror pops down on shutter press so exposure meter up in the pentaprism can get a reading, pops back up, shutter actuates). I'd suggest, instead MUP mode (one press to raise mirror, the next to actuate shutter). On the 750, the 'shutter delay' set in the menu introduces a delay between mirror up and shutter actuate. As I remember, you can set between 0 (off) and 3 seconds. MUP does not work with interval shooting, but shutter delay does, so long as you take the delay into account when you are setting up intervals. I use this for stackable star-trail-free astro shots.
Great video! To check if everything is pinsharp, you use a viewing loupe, but I wonder if you zoom in at the background and check. In my case the background it's always soft, so I will try the others methods instead of hyperfocal distance.
Excellent video... Might add to use mirror lock up and a remote release (or self timer) for long exposures with a DSLR or just use the remote release or self timer for your mirrorless cameras. Also, using an Arca Compatible clamp and a L-racket will help the stability of vertically composed shots because the camera is not hanging cantilevered over the side of the tripod head!
Hi Ross, Cant believe this video! When I had my day with you we climbed all the way up to this very spot in Boscastle. Brings back great memories of the day I spent with you. Mike
Thanks for this video with golden tips Ross. The only problem I have: how to estimate more or less exactly the distance between your lens and the focusing point in the field? It’s always guesswork for me...Thx for your reaction!
Some good tips but your double distance method does not make sense as a general rule. How can it when it doesn't factor in the variables of focal length and aperture. Obviously that technique is working for your (usual) setup here but that does not mean it will work for any other camera/focal length/aperture combination. There is nothing outdated about hyper-focal distance except (for you) the value of the "circle of confusion" (CoC) that most apps use to calculate it. Find an app that allows you to use a smaller CoC and you can fine tune that value to give the far distance sharpness you require. And with that value you can calculate the new sharper (longer) hyper-focal distance for any focal length/aperture combination.
Thanks a lot for this excellent explanation. I only have one question: if apertures smaller than f/13 provoke diffraction and create visible softness.... why do modern cameras can go down to even f/22? Is there any situation where such small apertures can be useful anyway? Thanks
Well we should be very clear that aperture is a facet of lenses, not bodies. While all lenses perform differently, they all tend to produce their sharpest results somewhere in between their maximum aperture and minimum aperture. One lens may produce sharp results at f2.0 but start declining after f11, while another may have peak sharpness between f8 and f16. Naturally, as with all things, lenses tend to perform best in the sweet spots for which they were designed rather than at their limits. So really it's just about figuring out what you need out of your lens and getting the right one for the job. Small apertures are good for increasing the distance/range within the image that can be in focus at once. So, it naturally tends to be useful for landscapes, where you often want everything from the foreground to the background to be sharp. As gayathri mentioned above, it's also useful for certain effects like the "starburst" effect, where you will see the sharp geometric burst effect from lights rather than a soft, round glow.
Thanks for the advice, Ross. Wondering if you've tried the Panasonic G9. With it's high res mode, I've been getting some great landscape shots - as long as all in the frame is still. If not, one gets some weird, but "artsy," ghosting of moving objects.
Great tutorial, thank you. I know that, at least on Nikon bodies, the Self-Timer doesn't lock up the mirror prior to the exposure, but I wonder whether entering Live View when using the Timer would negate the effects of mirror-shock? Exposure Delay Mode (EDM) is another option I don't think you mentioned, whereby vibrations from both the mirror and pressing the shutter are eliminated. One can turn on yet another option when EDM is active, namely Electronic First Curtain Shutter, which eliminates vibrations from the shutter as well. Options, options!
Hello, a question if i may, if you choose a focuspoint in the foreground, that can also influence your composition. If you focus, hold, and recompose you have a change in depth. How do you focus in the foreground and aim the lens center higher up for the desired composition?
Gidday Ross, 1st time to your channel, really informative and educational... i instantly subscribed and hit the notification button... i will probably binge watch all videos today, keep up the great work.
By definition, when focusing hyperfocally, everything from 1/2 the hyperfocal distance to infinity will be acceptably sharp. "Double distance" focusing is primarily the same as shooting hyperfocally (I've been using this method for years). In this manner, I'm better able to control the composition. I simply compose the scene, check the distance of the nearest object in the frame that needs to be in focus, double that distance, then check my chart to select the aperture based on that doubled distance and lens' focal length. Of course, a lot depends on the Circle of Confusion variable that you use to set up the double distance focusing charts.
Brilliant video, very informative I will be trying your tips on pin sharp landscapes in the Atlas Mountains this week. Thanks again can’t wait to watch the rest of your tutorials.
Just a point, when you us stack focus and combine the pictures, you have optical sharpness through your picture, not actually what depth of field is as what is call reasonable sharpness. Also, some mirrorless cameras have quite good focus peaking, like Fujifilm’s xt3. Based on aperture, this will share a very good telling of depth of field. Oh, and if you have you camera up high on a tripod and the tripod is light weight, the wind can catch it and blow it over.
When you say the Depth of field is 1/3rd behind and 2/3rd ahead of the point of focus - does that mean the area 1/3rd behind and 2/3rd ahead will be sharp and everything else may be little out of focus? If yes, why don't we always point the focus 1/3rd into the scene?
Very nice and useful discussion, although it’s not obvious why the double distance method should be better than the 1/3-2/3 method. Also, worth noting that anti-alias filters which many/most cameras have, deliberately introduce some blur. Hence the need for sharpening in post. More cameras are starting to lack the aa filter.
I enjoyed this and have a question. You say the hyperfocal distance method compromised the focus of the background, due to the formula being outdated. Are you sure it is not because you are focusing a little too close? On my Fujifilm X-T4 the hyperfocal distance is 3.62 meters, at 24mm and f/8. However, if I - mistakenly - focus at 3.5 meters (just 16 cm too close) the far limit is no longer infinity, but only 101.61 meters.
You forgot to talk about focus stacking which imo is the absolute king of techniques for front to back sharpness. But, still a very well presented and informative video. Take care bud.
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I've tried many different settings for the Sigma f/1.8 14mm but if it's not set to infinity at the camera, everything isn't sharp at f/11. Now if we are at f/13+ we can be a bit below that and still have everything sharp but it looks nearly the same as f/11 set to infinity. Not the cameras hardware set to the maximum, just when it shows infinity at the OSD and on the lens dial window.
Ross, that was absolutely useful. As an amateur photographer, my key takeaways from this video were #1 - knowing why you dont want to set the aperture to the highest possible such as f22 and #2 - to set the camera to liveview mode so that it locks up the mirror. Thank you for those invaluable tips, I am going to always keep them in the back of my mind and use them when I take landscape photos., and hope to see my photos turn out to be much more sharper.
Thank you so very much for this very helpful tutorial. You teach in the concise way the exact right thing that we need to know, discussing hyperfocal and the double the distance technique. You make everthing clear and accessible.
Best 8 Minutes on this subject. Thanks.
Thanks for the mirror lockup tip to eliminate anti-shake and also for the double focus distance- great tutorial.
Nicely done. Note that some modern mirror less lenses have no distance scale and therefore one must estimate the double distance point!
Again...thanks for taking the time to present this valuable information.
I was looking to buy a book on landscape photography. Your name came up. I searched UA-cam and found your video. Very informative and precise. I bought your book Landscape photography workshop and subscribed to your channel. Thank you, looking forward to watching your videos and reading your book.
Excellent explanations and tips! You're a great presenter.
What a crisp image 👌brilliantly taken
Thanks for the video. Was shooting landscapes today myself and thinking about these things. Your video really helped me to be one step further tomorrow.
Very "sharp" presentation, Ross! As a landscape and product photographer, image sharpness is vital to my work, and I employ most of the techniques you mention here. One other small tip might be to always use a lens hood. I've found that it maximizes overall image quality by avoiding flare, when the sun is at or near the edge of the field of view. By reducing/eliminating flare, you're also assuring that your image has the most micro-contrast possible, which in itself adds to the perception of sharpness. If you don't have a lens hood, I simply use my hand to shield any unwanted light sources, being careful to not obstruct the lens, especially when using a very wide angle lens. One more tip...If you remove any UV filter prior to the exposure, you'll also ensure the maximum sharpness that the lens is capable of. I've always used "premium" filters to protect my lens' front element, however, in some laborious testing done a while ago, I found that even the "best" filter can have a sublte, minute effect on image sharpness, ehich may not be noticeable to many, especially when the image output is online only, however, when printing very large, it can have a slightly adverse effect on sharpness. Thanks again for sharing these excellent tips!
What a breath of fresh air; a clear, informative, interesting and very professionally presented video. Ross, your presentation abilities shine in a UA-cam world of mediocrity and irrelevance (how many footpaths must I watch photographers walk until I get to a point in the video where they say something interesting about taking a photograph?). I am currently having a re-think about focus in landscape photography because of inconsistent results and I found your clear and succinct summary of the options very helpful. The double-distance technique is new to me and I will give that a try. Many Thanks.
Awesome video - landscapes are the photos I probably enjoy most looking at, but have always escaped me in how to make them more engaging. This video at least helped a lot with the technical aspects I've wrestled with.
Some solid advice there from Ross. Didn't know about double distance focusing...a top tip!
Very useful tips and very well presented video. I've learnt a few new things. Thank you
If your camera has live view and shows the three composition grid lines, simply focus at the bottom third grid line, works like a charm.
I don't know. The stuff at the top third line is not always the same relative distance depending on the angle of the camera and the subject matter. Nor is the stuff on the bottom grid line necessarily at the distance you want to focus. I'm putting the kibosh on this method.
This is pretty much the double distance focusing method that Ross mentions. As in, it is likely to fall into the same pattern.
Very clear explanation and demonstration
Absolutely amazing video, and extremely helpful. Thank you
Did not know about double distance focusing method. Thank you.
Thank you. A wonderfully informative piece of work. I don’t think there was any brand new information however, to have each one given in context makes this the best in class. There’s not a wasted moment here. Good luck with your channel.
Thank you. I found this very helpful.
Best video on the topic hands down
Very informative Ross. I found this video a while back but didnt get around to commenting.
The advice on the double distance focusing is wonderful. Works everytime. Thank you very much.
On a mirrorless camera, I would recommend using EFCS (or electronic first-curtain shutter) for maximum sharpness. This is more important on the high-res cameras than it is on the lower resolution cameras but it can help. This can reduce shutter shock, and some DSLRs also have EFCS as well (like the Nikon D800 series). Also make sure you turn off image stabilization (if it's built into the lens) and IBIS if you have those features since you are on a tripod. IF it's windy, I've found to maybe leave those on just in case there is slight vibration from the wind, but most of the time, I turn those features off.
Great tips for good landscape, Thanks,
This video is the best focus related out there, clear concise and factual. Fantastic, thank you!
Ditto.
I like the technical guide.
Probably the best video I have ever watched on this important subject. So well presented. Thank you, Ross.
Hi Ross, I dont know if you remember me, but we had a day tohether in 2016 in Cornwall. I have been searching for videos by yourself and at last found this site! Its really good to see videos by you, it reminds me of that great day we had. Still using the technics you taught me! Thanks again for the help you gave me, its paying dividend re my photography. Mike
Top drawer this, thanks for sharing your knowledge Ross. Subscribed!
Shooting mirrorless or mirror up is helpful to remove shake for long exposures also!
Thanks very much. Very solid advice
Very nice video, NatureTTL. Thank you for sharing. Hugs from Brazil...
I think one thing that's important for people to know is that they can use wide apertures like f/1.8 for landscape, as long as whatever they're photographing is 50-300ft away, depending on focal length, and will get even sharper images that way. People tend to think of wide apertures as settings you'd use for background blur, but that's only if you're focusing close. If you focus to infinite, everything after ~70ft on 28mm will be in focus at 1.8. Or everything after a few hundred ft. on 80mm+. If your subject isn't closer than that, then using a smaller aperture will only result in a less sharp image. Smaller apertures are more for landscapes when you want something really close in focus. But ~70ft at 28mm isn't really that far to get sharp focus at f/1.8. And it will be sharper than anything you can achieve at f/10 or f/16.
Ross has such a calm demeanor. He strikes me as the kind of guy who has literally never been angry in his life (or he gets mega ragey, either or).
Not that it is relevant to this enjoyable video, but I just noticed 😅
Very helpful video, thank you
Great landscape focusing tip. To make sure I have a good focus for my landscapes in the future, I will be using both the double distance focusing technique you mentioned and focus stacking. I use a twist for focus stacking. I use a wide open aperture and focus on a close point of interest then focus on a distant point of interest leaving a midrange soft gap to highlight to near and far focus points.
I didn't know to shoot in LiveView, and the lens loop for viewing on the back of the camera. Thank you!
perfect tutorial, thank you sir.
Nice video. Great explanation of the 2x closest desired in-focus distance.
That said, you mention that you are keeping your D850 in liveview mode to avoid mirror slap.
To the extent the 850 works like the 800 and 750, liveview does not avoid slap (mirror pops down on shutter press so exposure meter up in the pentaprism can get a reading, pops back up, shutter actuates). I'd suggest, instead MUP mode (one press to raise mirror, the next to actuate shutter). On the 750, the 'shutter delay' set in the menu introduces a delay between mirror up and shutter actuate. As I remember, you can set between 0 (off) and 3 seconds. MUP does not work with interval shooting, but shutter delay does, so long as you take the delay into account when you are setting up intervals.
I use this for stackable star-trail-free astro shots.
Live view on the d850 uses an electronic front curtain shutter, not the mechanical shutter.
@@donaldlyons7143 Sounds like a good reason to upgrade...
Thank you Ross. Thank You very much
Great video! To check if everything is pinsharp, you use a viewing loupe, but I wonder if you zoom in at the background and check. In my case the background it's always soft, so I will try the others methods instead of hyperfocal distance.
Excellent tutorial - great tips and all well said. Thank you.
Great tips. Thanks for sharing. Top man 👍👍👍👍👍
Excellent video... Might add to use mirror lock up and a remote release (or self timer) for long exposures with a DSLR or just use the remote release or self timer for your mirrorless cameras. Also, using an Arca Compatible clamp and a L-racket will help the stability of vertically composed shots because the camera is not hanging cantilevered over the side of the tripod head!
Great video, lots of good tips. He goes right to the points without wasting time. Thanks!
This is the best video I've found so far that explains how to focus your camera. Thanks!
So much help, thanks.
That was a really enjoyable tutorial, thanks for a fab upload.
excellent guide
Hi Ross, Cant believe this video! When I had my day with you we climbed all the way up to this very spot in Boscastle. Brings back great memories of the day I spent with you. Mike
Great Video, so refreshing to hear a sensible presentation extremely articulate and no silliness or off topic. 5 star
Great overview. I had not heard of the double the closest subject distance approach. Very handy to know, thanks.
An excellent and well presented tutorial. Nice one Ross!
Excellent video, all points are well detailed. Looking forward to your new series.
Thanks for this video with golden tips Ross. The only problem I have: how to estimate more or less exactly the distance between your lens and the focusing point in the field? It’s always guesswork for me...Thx for your reaction!
Great video Ross, clear and precise.
Some good tips but your double distance method does not make sense as a general rule. How can it when it doesn't factor in the variables of focal length and aperture. Obviously that technique is working for your (usual) setup here but that does not mean it will work for any other camera/focal length/aperture combination.
There is nothing outdated about hyper-focal distance except (for you) the value of the "circle of confusion" (CoC) that most apps use to calculate it. Find an app that allows you to use a smaller CoC and you can fine tune that value to give the far distance sharpness you require. And with that value you can calculate the new sharper (longer) hyper-focal distance for any focal length/aperture combination.
Excellent video. You gave some very good and sound advice.
Good video, lucid, concise, to-the-point.
The double distance focusing is a great tip. Thanks for the info!
Nice composition.
Really helpful video, but...where did you metre and what focus point do you use, centre/wide?
Great video tutorial Ross.
Absolutely the best I’ve seen on the subject.
Fantastic video! I hope you produce more videos on technique in the future. This one was brilliant.
Very well presented and easy to follow - thankyou for taking the time to make this - subscribed
very good tutorial video!
Aye have just started doing photography and I find this very helpful and uplifting. And it gives me confident in doing so
Thanks a lot for this excellent explanation.
I only have one question: if apertures smaller than f/13 provoke diffraction and create
visible softness.... why do modern cameras can go down to even f/22?
Is there any situation where such small apertures can be useful anyway? Thanks
Emanuele Regalini i like to use small apertures to create the “starburst” effect of light sources (e.g. the sun) mainly !!
Well we should be very clear that aperture is a facet of lenses, not bodies. While all lenses perform differently, they all tend to produce their sharpest results somewhere in between their maximum aperture and minimum aperture. One lens may produce sharp results at f2.0 but start declining after f11, while another may have peak sharpness between f8 and f16. Naturally, as with all things, lenses tend to perform best in the sweet spots for which they were designed rather than at their limits. So really it's just about figuring out what you need out of your lens and getting the right one for the job.
Small apertures are good for increasing the distance/range within the image that can be in focus at once. So, it naturally tends to be useful for landscapes, where you often want everything from the foreground to the background to be sharp. As gayathri mentioned above, it's also useful for certain effects like the "starburst" effect, where you will see the sharp geometric burst effect from lights rather than a soft, round glow.
Sometimes it is just about getting the shot, not necessarily having it perfectly sharp from a pixel peeper point of view.
Thanks for the advice, Ross. Wondering if you've tried the Panasonic G9. With it's high res mode, I've been getting some great landscape shots - as long as all in the frame is still. If not, one gets some weird, but "artsy," ghosting of moving objects.
Great tutorial, thank you. I know that, at least on Nikon bodies, the Self-Timer doesn't lock up the mirror prior to the exposure, but I wonder whether entering Live View when using the Timer would negate the effects of mirror-shock? Exposure Delay Mode (EDM) is another option I don't think you mentioned, whereby vibrations from both the mirror and pressing the shutter are eliminated. One can turn on yet another option when EDM is active, namely Electronic First Curtain Shutter, which eliminates vibrations from the shutter as well. Options, options!
what a fantastic video!
....I use the depth of field electronic scale in my Fuji GFX and just choose the start and ending points... it's easy, simple and efficient!!!
Thank you for sharing!
Hello, a question if i may, if you choose a focuspoint in the foreground, that can also influence your composition. If you focus, hold, and recompose you have a change in depth. How do you focus in the foreground and aim the lens center higher up for the desired composition?
Gidday Ross, 1st time to your channel, really informative and educational... i instantly subscribed and hit the notification button... i will probably binge watch all videos today, keep up the great work.
By definition, when focusing hyperfocally, everything from 1/2 the hyperfocal distance to infinity will be acceptably sharp. "Double distance" focusing is primarily the same as shooting hyperfocally (I've been using this method for years). In this manner, I'm better able to control the composition. I simply compose the scene, check the distance of the nearest object in the frame that needs to be in focus, double that distance, then check my chart to select the aperture based on that doubled distance and lens' focal length. Of course, a lot depends on the Circle of Confusion variable that you use to set up the double distance focusing charts.
Brilliant video, very informative I will be trying your tips on pin sharp landscapes in the Atlas Mountains this week. Thanks again can’t wait to watch the rest of your tutorials.
Brilliant video! Very useful tips for a complex area in photography. This is an area which I get wrong a lot, so found this very useful 🙂
Hello my friend. Is focus stacking the same as depth compositing?
Grreat and very useful video, Thanks
Just a point, when you us stack focus and combine the pictures, you have optical sharpness through your picture, not actually what depth of field is as what is call reasonable sharpness. Also, some mirrorless cameras have quite good focus peaking, like Fujifilm’s xt3. Based on aperture, this will share a very good telling of depth of field. Oh, and if you have you camera up high on a tripod and the tripod is light weight, the wind can catch it and blow it over.
Thanks for wonderful teaching. Which shutter reales is better to purchase for Sony a 7 iii?
When you say the Depth of field is 1/3rd behind and 2/3rd ahead of the point of focus - does that mean the area 1/3rd behind and 2/3rd ahead will be sharp and everything else may be little out of focus? If yes, why don't we always point the focus 1/3rd into the scene?
Great video, simple and well explained. So if you are focusing on 5 meters for max DOF do you use manual or auto focus. Thanks
Very nice and useful discussion, although it’s not obvious why the double distance method should be better than the 1/3-2/3 method. Also, worth noting that anti-alias filters which many/most cameras have, deliberately introduce some blur. Hence the need for sharpening in post. More cameras are starting to lack the aa filter.
How important is Professional glass to focus in your opinion? I find it to be very important and basic to this element of a balanced image.
I enjoyed this and have a question. You say the hyperfocal distance method compromised the focus of the background, due to the formula being outdated. Are you sure it is not because you are focusing a little too close? On my Fujifilm X-T4 the hyperfocal distance is 3.62 meters, at 24mm and f/8. However, if I - mistakenly - focus at 3.5 meters (just 16 cm too close) the far limit is no longer infinity, but only 101.61 meters.
Excellent video. I never heard of this technique. Will experiment and compare on my camera to hyper focal technique. Keep up the nice work.
Both techniques are identical. Hyperfocal theory gives the theoretical justification.
Very useful , thanks
You forgot to talk about focus stacking which imo is the absolute king of techniques for front to back sharpness. But, still a very well presented and informative video. Take care bud.
He did talk about focus stacking.
Awesome video mate. Helped me a lot today shooting in Thailand.
Question what was that thing you used to view your screen it sounds like “viewing moon” is that correct?
Great video and beautiful scenery! I would love to see the Photoshop workflow for how you got to the final image.
Thank you for this review 👍👍👍
How do you set focus to 5m away? Do you use Focus Area -> Focus point -> then point it to the edge of the rocks?
Thank You for sharing
I would like to have seen the EVF view of your camera while you executed the double-your-distance approach ..
Never heard of double distance focus, but I’ll give it a try. Thanks.