DOF Calculator
Apr 18, 2013 17:18:43 #
Apr 18, 2013 17:26:27 #
Nightski wrote:
Which DOF calculator app for your phone is the best one?
The best DOF calculator is in your head. With experience and knowing your equipment why do need a "smart phone" app to tell you anything about shutter speed, aperture, ISO, DOF, etc. Why not just lay the "smart phone" on the ground and tell it to go take some great photos and be back in an hour. :roll:
Apr 18, 2013 17:29:22 #
pounder35 wrote:
The best DOF calculator is in your head. With experience and knowing your equipment why do need a "smart phone" app to tell you anything about shutter speed, aperture, ISO, DOF, etc. Why not just lay the "smart phone" on the ground and tell it to go take some great photos and be back in an hour. :roll:
Because, sometimes when I have a frame of reference to begin with, it helps me to get on the right track. Let me illustrate this point. I spent the winter struggling with blue snow. Everyone said to set my camera up a couple of stops. I was thinking that meant 2 little notches, I didn't realize it meant all the way to +2 sometimes. Then one day I caught rpavich telling someone that he uses the gray lining in his lowepro for a gray card. So I tried it. Light bulb moment!! I finally figured it out. So, a DOF calculator might just be the thing that explains it to me. :)
Apr 18, 2013 17:37:46 #
Apr 18, 2013 17:42:54 #
Nightski wrote:
Because, sometimes when I have a frame of reference to begin with, it helps me to get on the right track.
I hope I didn't come across as a complete jerk. :roll: Some cameras have a feature where the lens can be stopped down and the DOF is somewhat visible in the viewfinder. Of course the smaller apertures make it a little hard to see the details. Older lenses and some newer ones have the DOF scale engraved or printed on the barrel. In general you get used to knowing the 28mm at f/8 will give you deep DOF where the 300mm at f/4 is going to give you practically nothing except what you are focused on. I just can't imagine using an "app" to tell me basic rules of photography. But I'm 55 and come from the old school. :thumbup:
Apr 18, 2013 18:02:19 #
pounder35 wrote:
I hope I didn't come across as a complete jerk. :... (show quote)
I'm 52, and I am just learning. I don't have any of the things you mentioned on my Rebel XTI.
Apr 18, 2013 18:32:04 #
Nightski wrote:
I'm 52, and I am just learning. I don't have any of the things you mentioned on my Rebel XTI.
The info would be on the lens. I'll use one my Sigma zooms as an example. It's a terrible shot but might help. The zoom is a 75-300. If you'll notice the lines from the rear portion converge as the lens is zoomed out from 75 to 300. The aperture of the lens varies from about 4.5 to 22. So if you look at the focus scale it'll give you a reasonable idea of what to expect as far as DOF at a certain aperture and focal length. As you can see f/22 at 75mm has a much greater DOF than f/22 at 300 mm. It's actually a simple concept but it was the hardest thing for me to comprehend for some reason. I was self taught and learned the basics the hard way. All of a sudden DOF clicked like a light bulb over my head and it all came together. Enjoy the learning process and be thankful you don't have to work in a smelly darkroom to find your errors. Digital makes things a lost easier even though I miss the smell of hypo in the morning. :thumbup:
Apr 19, 2013 02:12:26 #
Try these for the iPhone:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/truedof-intro-depth-field/id519600295?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/f-stop-calculator/id344976830?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/truedof-intro-depth-field/id519600295?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/f-stop-calculator/id344976830?mt=8
Apr 19, 2013 06:15:11 #
pounder35 wrote:
The best DOF calculator is in your head. ...
Actually not a bad answer.
I tried using a couple of different DOF calculators for iPhone and Android until I realized that the fiddling around with them while shooting (unless I was using a view camera) is not worth the trouble.
I recommend that you do your fiddling at home ahead of time using http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/depth-of-field.htm This will give you a feel for what you will need for your subject so that you can apply what you learn without delaying your shots.
Apr 19, 2013 07:16:07 #
To answer your question, go to http://dofmaster.com for a great depth of field caluclator for the iPhone.
Apr 19, 2013 07:35:52 #
lighthouse
Loc: No Fixed Abode
Yes pounder you did come across as a complete jerk for this comment."Why not just lay the "smart phone" on the ground and tell it to go take some great photos and be back in an hour."
Nightski, I happen to think that you got some very rude and patronising answers here on this .
I don't use a light meter. I use what is in my camera. That is just the way I do it.For me a light meter isn't necessary.
What I don't do, is talk down to people and tell them that they don't need a light meter, when they ask here which ones are the good ones.
I let the people that know about light meters answer the question.
A similar thing can apply to Apps or online depth of field calculators.
The markings on the lens are an extremely, extremely clumsy instrument for this compared to an app.
I do not know which is the best app - but I do want to know which is.
I am working off experience and printed tables at the moment.
I would find an app out in the field a very helpful thing, and it will be one of the first things I get when I have a device that will run one.
Nightski, I happen to think that you got some very rude and patronising answers here on this .
I don't use a light meter. I use what is in my camera. That is just the way I do it.For me a light meter isn't necessary.
What I don't do, is talk down to people and tell them that they don't need a light meter, when they ask here which ones are the good ones.
I let the people that know about light meters answer the question.
A similar thing can apply to Apps or online depth of field calculators.
The markings on the lens are an extremely, extremely clumsy instrument for this compared to an app.
I do not know which is the best app - but I do want to know which is.
I am working off experience and printed tables at the moment.
I would find an app out in the field a very helpful thing, and it will be one of the first things I get when I have a device that will run one.
Apr 19, 2013 07:39:53 #
Nightski wrote:
Which DOF calculator app for your phone is the best one?
There is a smartphone app called simpleDOF. Very easy to use and quickly provides DOF information. I'm old and occasionally brain dead so need all the help I can get. :thumbup:
Apr 19, 2013 08:53:10 #
lighthouse wrote:
Yes pounder you did come across as a complete jerk for this comment
.
Hardly a complete jerk, maybe just a little sarcastic. I dont think anyone should be offended.
Some cameras do not have DOF preview (which does not help much when the viewfinder gets too dark) and some lenses do not have DOF scales, which are not too helpful either.
I think the basic point pounder was making was valid. We need to use the calculator we were born with and teach it the basic facts of photography. The camera or a smartphone app are not going to teach us.
Some photographers place too much faith on the modern cameras ability to address the technical aspects of photography. If you do, you will be disappointed when autofocus or auto exposure lets you down and you will be left wondering why if you do not have a good grasp of the basics.
The best way to learn the fundamentals of photography is to turn off all of those automatic features and take some pictures. You will then appreciate what those automatic settings can do for you and understand how to work around them when they fail.
Apr 19, 2013 09:03:52 #
selmslie wrote:
Hardly a complete jerk, maybe just a little sarcas... (show quote)
Agreed however studying a calculator will give you starting points and an understanding to begin with. Then rules such as focus 1/3 into a scene begins to make more sense. Personally, I think a calculator is a good place to begin learning to work with DOF. ;)
Apr 19, 2013 09:12:19 #
lighthouse
Loc: No Fixed Abode
Oh thats crap. It wasn't a "just a little sarcastic".
It was belittling.
Chastising a beginner for not having experience is a low blow.
A tool is a tool and if a carpenter wants to use a plane instead of an adze then so be it.
Quite frankly I am sick of seeing nasty denigrating remarks on here, and then seeing someone else say they don't think anyone should be offended.
It was belittling.
Chastising a beginner for not having experience is a low blow.
A tool is a tool and if a carpenter wants to use a plane instead of an adze then so be it.
Quite frankly I am sick of seeing nasty denigrating remarks on here, and then seeing someone else say they don't think anyone should be offended.
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