When using “Live View” to focus- aperture should be wide open: Using “live View” on my Nikon D800 the DOF is previewed. Knowing this it is important to know and remember when using...

par4fore Loc: Bay Shore N.Y.

Using “live View” on my Nikon D800 the DOF is previewed. Knowing this it is important to know and remember when using live view to focus manualy, you need to have your aperture wide open to get the most accurate focus. I have not seen this advice before but can clearly see that when focusing in live view, say at F/8 and then opening up to F/2.8 the focus is not likely to be at its best in the selected focus point.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

par4fore wrote:

Using “live View” on my Nikon D800 the DOF is previewed. Knowing this it is important to know and remember when using live view to focus, you need to have your aperture wide open to get the most accurate focus. I have not seen this advice before but can clearly see that when focusing in live view, say at F/8 and then opening up to F/2.8 the focus is not likely to be at its best in the selected focus point.

I'm not sure I'm getting your logic. You should focus in Liveview at the aperture you want to capture your image in. I'm not sure what you mean about focusing in Liveview at f8 and then opening up to F/2.8. Obviously if you change apertures you should refocus. What are you saying that I'm not getting? I'm a Canon shooter. It's a whole different situation with Liveview on recent Canon cameras which use the dual pixel autofocus functionality for instantaneous AF. Maybe live view on Nikon cameras is more problematic?

SWFeral Loc: SWNM

Since I tend to have focusing problems in Live View I'll try it out. Not that I understand why it would make a difference.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

par4fore wrote:

Using “live View” on my Nikon D800 the DOF is previewed. Knowing this it is important to know and remember when using live view to focus manualy, you need to have your aperture wide open to get the most accurate focus. I have not seen this advice before but can clearly see that when focusing in live view, say at F/8 and then opening up to F/2.8 the focus is not likely to be at its best in the selected focus point.

As always in matters relating to photography, it depends .......if you are looking for a definite singular focal point - like a person's eyes - I agree with you. But if doing landscape or macro and looking for a DOF range - I would prefer to focus at taking aperture.....

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BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Don't you automatically view wide open?

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

mwsilvers wrote:

I'm not sure I'm getting your logic. You should fo... (show quote)

Depending on the lens and your working distance, you may see a focus shift as you stop down. Fast lenses at close distances are more susceptible.

https://photographylife.com/what-is-focus-shift

So, for prefect focus if you are using live view, you would not want to focus with the lens wide open and shoot stopped dow.

Besides, if you are using F8, the actual focus plane may be within the depth of filed anyway.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Gene51 wrote:

using F8, the actual focus plane may be within the depth of filed anyway.

Even within the so-called DOF, especially at closer distances, there may be a discernible sharpest plane of focus...

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imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

BHC wrote:

Don't you automatically view wide open?

Yes ....

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GLKTN Loc: TN

Wouldn't hyper focal chart be better than live view process? Just asking.

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

Gene51 wrote:

Depending on the lens and your working distance, you may see a focus shift as you stop down. Fast lenses at close distances are more susceptible.

https://photographylife.com/what-is-focus-shift

So, for prefect focus if you are using live view, you would not want to focus with the lens wide open and shoot stopped dow.

Besides, if you are using F8, the actual focus plane may be within the depth of filed anyway.

LOL, exactly what I was going to post :) You beat me to it.

GLKTN Loc: TN

That's a first. You have forgotton more than this 69 year old newbie will ever know. Love all your stuff Steve. Thanks for you and it.

GLKTN Loc: TN

Perhaps this is in line with what you are asking. Just found it on the web.
https://petapixel.com/2016/10/19/simple-trick-helps-find-hyperfocal-distance-without-charts-apps/

clickety

par4fore wrote:

Using “live View” on my Nikon D800 the DOF is previewed. Knowing this it is important to know and remember when using live view to focus manualy, you need to have your aperture wide open to get the most accurate focus. I have not seen this advice before but can clearly see that when focusing in live view, say at F/8 and then opening up to F/2.8 the focus is not likely to be at its best in the selected focus point.

What is the reason to open up the aperture in order to focus in live view, more light? If so, can't the same thing be accomplished by slowing shutter speed to focus and then setting to proper speed for exposure? That's how my Canon seems to work. What am I missing?

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Unless it's a "Nikon thing" (I use Canon gear), prior to taking the shot, aren't you always viewing and focusing with the aperture wide open? The lens doesn't actually stop down until the instant of exposure, milliseconds before the shutter opens and then immediately re-opening as soon as the shutter closes.

"Stopped down" in Live View is "exposure simulation"... the aperture is not actually stopped down. The camera adjusts the screen brightness to emulate what the exposure settings will produce... but DoF won't be changed at all. At least that's the case with Canon DSLRs, AFAIK. Maybe Nikon are different. It would be easy to check... simply set up your camera, put it in Live View and observe the lens from the front while changing the aperture with the dial on the camera. You should be able to see the aperture changing size in the lens.

I'm guessing you won't see any actual change in the size of the aperture, unless you press the Depth of Field preview button too. But as soon as you release the DoF preview button the aperture re-opens, doesn't it? It shouldn't matter if you are using Live View or the viewfinder. (Cameras with electronic viewfinder usually behave the same as Live View... but the models discussed here do not have EVF.)

Another exception would be if you happen to be using vintage lenses or modern ones with "old school" design using a fully manually operated aperture ("D" type Nikkors, for example... not "G", which have no aperture ring on the lens and control it electronically). With those lenses, the aperture actually does change as you set it via the ring on the lens itself... dimming down the viewfinder if using that, or the screen if using Live View without exposure simulation enabled. With exposure simulation enabled, if using an AE mode the camera will auto adjust the image on the screen... Or, with exposure sim enabled when using that vintage/manual aperture lens with manual exposure mode, the camera will automatically reflect any other changes you make to compensate for the smaller aperture, such as a slower shutter speed or higher ISO.

Bill_de Loc: US

amfoto1 wrote:

Unless it's a "Nikon thing" (I use Canon... (show quote)

Look into the front of a lens in Viewfinder mode @ F/16. When you press the preview button you can see the aperture close down. Take you finger off the preview button, the aperture open all the way. Now, just press the live view button and watch the aperture close down, without touching the preview button. "Live View"

I just checked it on a D7200 and 18-200 Nikkor

I would think that except in manual mode the brightness on the LCD would remain the same, so why not focus at shooting aperture.

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