Focus problem with distant lighthouse (canon sx40)
Sep 19, 2012 17:31:29 #
Having problem with focusing in on distant lighthouse with grass in foreground. how to correct this? the grass is in focus ,while the lighthouse is not.
Lighthouse w grass in foreground
Similar picture
Sep 19, 2012 19:22:46 #
redfordl wrote:
Having problem with focusing in on distant lighthouse with grass in foreground. how to correct this? the grass is in focus ,while the lighthouse is not.
Your camera like many of the super zoom cameras has a aperture of f8 or maybe f11. At this distance the depth of field is going to be really shallow. You have focused on the grass if your intent is to have both the grass and horizon in focus you have the wrong equipment. If you want the lighthouse in focus use the manual focus option to focus on the lighthouse, raise the camera a bit higher and the grass will be a blurry fringe at the bottom of the frame.
Sep 19, 2012 20:29:49 #
Thanks rixpix. Yes my f stop only goes up to f8,so i will go with clear focus of lighthouse and blur of grass. Too bad one of these days will upgrade to dslr.
Sep 19, 2012 23:15:41 #
redfordl wrote:
Thanks rixpix. Yes my f stop only goes up to f8,so i will go with clear focus of lighthouse and blur of grass. Too bad one of these days will upgrade to dslr.
You are quite welcome.
Sep 20, 2012 10:22:27 #
Since the lighthouse is in the distance, take your camera off auto-focus and manually focus on the lighthouse. That way the grass would become less of a distraction (unless you were intending on taking a picture of the grass)...sorry, I didn't see previous post saying the same thing.
Sep 20, 2012 10:54:05 #
Sep 20, 2012 11:04:17 #
MCHUGH
Loc: Jacksonville, Texas
Focus on the light house in auto, partially depress the shutter to lock the focus then compose and shoot. This info is in the manual where it talks about photographing two people but the focus point would be the background between them. You focus on one and move the camera so both show with the space in between.
Sep 20, 2012 12:11:35 #
Because it is so distant you could lock focus while standing and then recompose the low down shot you want.
Or like others mentioned switch to manual focus.
Or like others mentioned switch to manual focus.
Sep 20, 2012 14:31:12 #
redfordl wrote:
Having problem with focusing in on distant lighthouse with grass in foreground. how to correct this? the grass is in focus ,while the lighthouse is not.
Your auto focus chose the grass to focus on. Stand up and auto focus on the lighthouse by pressing the shutter down halfway, hold the button in that position as you crouch back down, and the lighthouse focus will be retained so that the grass is out of focus instead. Continue pressing the rest of the way down and you have your focused lighthouse.
Sep 21, 2012 00:25:36 #
redfordl wrote:
manual focus on the sx40 is a waste<autofocus works better.Thanks!
not in this case.
Sep 21, 2012 01:19:30 #
This is something you might try. Step back forty or fifty feet from the grass. Set apeture f:8 and shutter/ISO to what ever your camera meter indicates for proper exposure. Auto focus on something that's one third to one half of the distance from the grass to the lighthouse. Press the shutter half way down to lock focus there. Then recompose your shot and press the shutter the rest of the way to take the shot. Depending on the distance between the grass and the lighthouse, and your distance from the grass, you may find both the grass and the lighthouse are within the range of acceptable focus.
........ Coot
........ Coot
redfordl wrote:
manual focus on the sx40 is a waste<autofocus works better.Thanks!
Sep 21, 2012 03:28:48 #
Someone may be able to explain how to achieve a photo of both the grass and the distant background in focus by taking two photos, one with the grass in sharp focus and another with the background focused, then layer them in PP to get that effect. I would explain it but haven't figured that out well enough yet myself, but I think it can be done. Anyone??
Sep 21, 2012 10:57:15 #
nikonateer wrote:
Someone may be able to explain how to achieve a photo of both the grass and the distant background in focus by taking two photos, one with the grass in sharp focus and another with the background focused, then layer them in PP to get that effect. I would explain it but haven't figured that out well enough yet myself, but I think it can be done. Anyone??
It's called 'focus stacking' but you would have to sacrifice the birds - really can't have much movement in a two+ image you're going to stack. The grass could still show movement which is a good way to show that the wind is blowing while everything else stays still. Here is a link that explains it well: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/focus-stacking.htm
And here is some software with which to do it, some free, some not: http://www.laurieknight.net/article/view/7/
You can shoot several images at different distances between you and infinity at less than max aperture to avoid lens aberrations, stacking as many images as is required to build up to one totally focused image.
Sep 28, 2012 12:23:53 #
redfordl wrote:
manual focus on the sx40 is a waste<autofocus works better.Thanks!
I agree... MF is...not too useful.
Usually in a situation like that, I just point at what I want in focus, half-press shutter to lock, then adjust framing to compose the shot - like Coot & marcomarks said...
Or you could use the 'Move AF Frame' button and put the focal frame off center, like so, a bit handier only if you are repeating the shot (imo).
Sep 28, 2012 16:45:17 #
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