Focusing an extreme wide angle
May 11, 2022 12:14:42 #
larryepage wrote:
On my cameras with focus peaking, it works with the lens fully open...just like autofocus does.
On my Sony A7 II, the range of focus distance from where focus peaking begins to where is ends is too great to be of much use, even with the lens wide open.
Visually focusing on an enlarged image on your LCD or in the viewfinder is much more precise if you can see the image clearly, especially if the aperture is wide open.
May 11, 2022 12:24:02 #
larryepage
Loc: North Texas area
selmslie wrote:
On my Sony A7 II, the range of focus distance from where focus peaking begins to where is ends is too great to be of much use, even with the lens wide open.
Visually focusing on an enlarged image on your LCD or in the viewfinder is much more precise if you can see the image clearly, especially if the aperture is wide open.
Visually focusing on an enlarged image on your LCD or in the viewfinder is much more precise if you can see the image clearly, especially if the aperture is wide open.
Understood. Someone also mentioned getting "close" for astro photos. In my experience, that yields disappointing results. Live view with zoom on a bright star is a much better option.
May 11, 2022 12:28:54 #
Picture Taker
Loc: Michigan Thumb
I have the Canon 11-24mm and it is rated as one of the best lens Canon hah made. The lack of distortion is amassing. Don't know if it can be adapted to your camera.
May 11, 2022 12:52:21 #
For many years, I used wide-angle lenses, handheld, for fast shootg situations where the was simply no time for any kind of manual precise focusing. The method, used by many proess-photography of the day, was setting the focusing scale for an HYPEFOAC DISTANCE.
Problem is, that many modern lenses do not have focusing scales combined with a DOP scale. If your lens has a distance scale, you can set the appropriate hyperfocal distance that will provide adequate DOP at a given f/stop.
I use this method to shoot boxing matches, candid shots at events and many action situations in close quarters. I could simply point and shoot, shoot for the hip, shoot with the camera over my head with no access to the viewfinder and always get sharp results. You will need to be able to estimate distances.
If your lens doe not has a footage scale you will need to use autofocus or the camera's focus indication system., Modern autofocus systems work well at most focal lengths. I prefeed scale focusing in the old days where the was no autofocus or someof the old system had a tendency to drift or suddenly lunge out of focus.
Attached is an example using an old DOP calculator for medium format. A 40mm lens in a 6x6 format is a typical super-wide combination. At a hyperfocal distance set at 1O feet at f/8, you are good for 3.5 feet to infinity. Of course, if you are shooting fast action, you can't refer to an external calculator so, without footage and DOP scale, it is better to use autofocus.
Problem is, that many modern lenses do not have focusing scales combined with a DOP scale. If your lens has a distance scale, you can set the appropriate hyperfocal distance that will provide adequate DOP at a given f/stop.
I use this method to shoot boxing matches, candid shots at events and many action situations in close quarters. I could simply point and shoot, shoot for the hip, shoot with the camera over my head with no access to the viewfinder and always get sharp results. You will need to be able to estimate distances.
If your lens doe not has a footage scale you will need to use autofocus or the camera's focus indication system., Modern autofocus systems work well at most focal lengths. I prefeed scale focusing in the old days where the was no autofocus or someof the old system had a tendency to drift or suddenly lunge out of focus.
Attached is an example using an old DOP calculator for medium format. A 40mm lens in a 6x6 format is a typical super-wide combination. At a hyperfocal distance set at 1O feet at f/8, you are good for 3.5 feet to infinity. Of course, if you are shooting fast action, you can't refer to an external calculator so, without footage and DOP scale, it is better to use autofocus.
May 11, 2022 14:23:31 #
Ednsb
Loc: Santa Barbara
I understand - if your eyesight isnt great focus peaking may be hard to see on your EVF. You may be able to change the color to help within your camera
certainly using the magnifying feature on the EVF display helps
Guessing by using ‘rule of thumbs’ will probably work most of the time but certainly not all the time
I would suggest you get a copy of PhotoPills which will allow you to use your phone to use AR to see the hyper-distance for your lens and f stop exactly. I love it when shooting landscapes with my 14mm. I also use it for planning my shoots. There are a number of fantastic videos from PhotoPills but I would recommend buying a copy of Tim Gray’s e-book on PhotoPills.
Lastly take your time. Super wide angles don’t do as well with snapshots but take time to get the image you want.
certainly using the magnifying feature on the EVF display helps
Guessing by using ‘rule of thumbs’ will probably work most of the time but certainly not all the time
I would suggest you get a copy of PhotoPills which will allow you to use your phone to use AR to see the hyper-distance for your lens and f stop exactly. I love it when shooting landscapes with my 14mm. I also use it for planning my shoots. There are a number of fantastic videos from PhotoPills but I would recommend buying a copy of Tim Gray’s e-book on PhotoPills.
Lastly take your time. Super wide angles don’t do as well with snapshots but take time to get the image you want.
May 11, 2022 15:26:09 #
MrPhotog wrote:
Acoarst f/5.0 is not a very "wide open" version of wide open, especially at only 11mm FL. Yes. Pre setting a distance works fine, and a guess is good enough. But with such a short focal length, you could even use it wide open ( f/5) as well.
Given user reluctance to use peaking or magnifed focus, scale focusing is the only method remaining. When using a "mirror up" 19 or 21mm, scale focusing was the only option at all, and those lenses are twice the FL of the lens in question here.
May 11, 2022 16:28:43 #
SuperflyTNT wrote:
I think that was f/0.5
Whatever was posted, I just now ordered one and its actually f:4.5, slow enough to allow a rational filter size (62).
Big thanx to Ed Chu for bringing this lens to my attention. As Im very habituated to peaking and MF magnifier, so I wont have any problem focusing it. Im already using an 11mm FF fisheye and a rectilinear 15. No hey problemo !
May 11, 2022 16:30:16 #
StanMac wrote:
It would seem with all the computing power available in digital cameras and their lenses, the depth of field would be calculated in-camera and displayed in the viewfinder/LCD.
Stan
Stan
The distance scale in the viewfinder of my Fujifilm body has a depth of field bar that functions like the old depth of field scale used to but in a digital format.
May 11, 2022 16:40:27 #
Rab-Eye wrote:
The distance scale in the viewfinder of my Fujifilm body has a depth of field bar that functions like the old depth of field scale used to but in a digital format.
The lens in question has no electronics.
May 11, 2022 19:00:18 #
Yes you can but I would test the lens on several settings in front of infinity to get the best depth of field. I use a Laowa 15mm f2 a lot on my Sony aR7III but I prefer to open the lens and use the focusing magnifier and then close the lens down to shoot.
May 11, 2022 20:50:29 #
"... Most manual focus lenses focus just beyond infinity just like autofocus lenses..." ?
Canon was an early adopter of Fluorite lens elements....
Which have an endearing very low refractive index, and also extremely low dispersion.
Unfortunately Fluorite is dimensional unstable (changes length/dimension with temperature) the point of creating a "Hard Stop" at infinity becomes rather problematic.
So Canon wisely avoided this issue by having it's Fluorite Optics focus a tad past infinity.
They also adopted a highly reflective "While" paradigm for their "Fast" long glass lens tubes.
Yes Fluorite is a bad actor with significant property changes due to varying thermal gradients.
Again Canon has been in the vanguard of deploying Fluorite Optics.
The down side is that Fluorite is considerable softer than other compounds used in optic designs i.e. glass.
Likely for this reason Nikon didn't follow suite until recently.
Fluorite is a very poor choice for used as a terminal lens element, it's way too soft.
As for the OP's query? "Focusing an extreme wide angle" I had to smile... surely you jest?
The zone of focus is so HUGE that it's basically a non-issue.
The only commercial application I've seen extreme wide angle glass used is for Architectural gigs and some surreal wedding group shots... other than that? Likely one of the least used piece of kit in a commercial shooters bag. Yes I'm certain they have there place but it is rather limited...
For my clients? Basically only for bridal... and 24mm on a FF is as wide as I go...
Albeit I have colleagues who shoot Fashion Editorials with ultra wide... In Editorial anything goes...
Hope this is food for thought...
cheers!
Canon was an early adopter of Fluorite lens elements....
Which have an endearing very low refractive index, and also extremely low dispersion.
Unfortunately Fluorite is dimensional unstable (changes length/dimension with temperature) the point of creating a "Hard Stop" at infinity becomes rather problematic.
So Canon wisely avoided this issue by having it's Fluorite Optics focus a tad past infinity.
They also adopted a highly reflective "While" paradigm for their "Fast" long glass lens tubes.
Yes Fluorite is a bad actor with significant property changes due to varying thermal gradients.
Again Canon has been in the vanguard of deploying Fluorite Optics.
The down side is that Fluorite is considerable softer than other compounds used in optic designs i.e. glass.
Likely for this reason Nikon didn't follow suite until recently.
Fluorite is a very poor choice for used as a terminal lens element, it's way too soft.
As for the OP's query? "Focusing an extreme wide angle" I had to smile... surely you jest?
The zone of focus is so HUGE that it's basically a non-issue.
The only commercial application I've seen extreme wide angle glass used is for Architectural gigs and some surreal wedding group shots... other than that? Likely one of the least used piece of kit in a commercial shooters bag. Yes I'm certain they have there place but it is rather limited...
For my clients? Basically only for bridal... and 24mm on a FF is as wide as I go...
Albeit I have colleagues who shoot Fashion Editorials with ultra wide... In Editorial anything goes...
Hope this is food for thought...
cheers!
24mm wide angle on FF for Bridal... That's doable :)
(Download)
Architectural rendering with an 11mm f/2.8 (Yes it's doable also)
May 12, 2022 15:34:04 #
Beautiful results produced by a master ⭐
That girl is pretty sensational as well
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
That girl is pretty sensational as well
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
May 12, 2022 16:55:45 #
Joe you're way too kind...
And yes we both agree "...That girl is pretty sensational..."
As does the agency that represents her...
Fashion modeling is pretty much silent acting...
In this paradigm talent must emote with facial expressions & hands to convey the subtleties of a narrative.
A common pearl of wisdom given emerging talent on a "New Faces" board is to study the era of silent film.
Notably those made between the early 1910s into the late 1920s...
It was during this period that "Silent Acting" was at it's zenith.
btw, a "Mime" takes this to the extreme...
And a "Pantomime" is the art of acting without words.
Pick up a copy of VOGUE or GQ and study what is being used in "Editorials" where gifted thespians dominate.
Albeit maybe ignore the advertisements, commercial advertising is another animal entirely...
Thanks again Joe for your continued support :)
And yes we both agree "...That girl is pretty sensational..."
As does the agency that represents her...
Fashion modeling is pretty much silent acting...
In this paradigm talent must emote with facial expressions & hands to convey the subtleties of a narrative.
A common pearl of wisdom given emerging talent on a "New Faces" board is to study the era of silent film.
Notably those made between the early 1910s into the late 1920s...
It was during this period that "Silent Acting" was at it's zenith.
btw, a "Mime" takes this to the extreme...
And a "Pantomime" is the art of acting without words.
Pick up a copy of VOGUE or GQ and study what is being used in "Editorials" where gifted thespians dominate.
Albeit maybe ignore the advertisements, commercial advertising is another animal entirely...
Thanks again Joe for your continued support :)
May 13, 2022 00:01:56 #
User ID wrote:
The lens in question has no electronics.
Thank you for the correction.
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