Calculating hyperfocal distance in the field

[joel28]

Does the Nikon D5100 have the DOF Preview feature?

 

[Ernicus]

I don't believe so. We took on in on trade yesterday and I had to give it the psam test for resale, I don't believe I saw it when testing it. I'll check again tomorrow and see if I missed it.

 

[joel28]

Here is the "Depth Of Field Calculator" for the Android

https://play.google.com/store/apps/...sMSwyLDEsImNuLmthbWFrYW1hLmFuZHJvaWQuZG9mIl0.

 

[jamesbjenkins]

DOF preview button + experience. Works pretty well.

Never in my life have I used the DOF preview button. Until a few months ago, I didn't understand Iran's since then I haven't needed it. :-(

 

[o hey tyler]

DOF preview button + experience. Works pretty well.

I didn't understand Iran's since then I haven't needed it. :-(

I haven't understood Iran since, either.

 

[Derrel]

I have not understood Iran since, well, the Jimmy Carter administration...

 

[TCampbell]

Older lenses always had a depth of field scale on the lens. On modern lenses they tend to not include the DoF scale UNLESS it's a prime lens, but even then the scale is usually not as good as what older cameras included. Here's a camera (this one happens to be my old Canon AE-1 35mm) shown at f/22. Notice that the focus ring is set to "infinity". This is a lot of people might think of when trying to achieve max depth of field (set the highest f-stop available and focus to infinity.) But it's NOT actually the lenses "hyper-focal distance" for f/22.

In this photo, the DoF scale shows that everything from the left "22" mark to the right "22" mark will be in focus, and that'll be everything from about 12' to infinity. That seems good... but it's not great.



In this next photo, look at what I did with the focus ring. Since the camera is set to f/22, I've rotated the focus ring so that the "infinity" mark is actually set to "22" on the right side of the DoF scale. Again... everything between the left "22" and the right "22" should be in good focus. So I've moved the "infinity" to the right (since there is nothing farther away than infinity) and this allows me to increase the close-range focus. NOW everything from about 6' to infinity is in acceptable focus. This IS the hyper-focal distance.



Barring having a lens with proper DoF marks, the easiest way to calculate hyper-focal distance is to use a DoF calculator or look-up table. Go to DoFmaster.com. They have free online tools. Unfortunately online tools aren't very useful when you're out in the field. If you own a smartphone you can get some downloadable apps. I actually paid for the DoFmaster app for my iPhone (it was really inexpensive.) I later discovered there are free apps that calculate hyper-focal distance (but not until after I bought the paid DoFmaster app and since the paid app was better, I just stuck with it.)

(I probably should have exported these in a slightly larger size so they'd be easier to read. Let me know if you can't read them and I'll upload bigger versions.)

 

[nmasters]

Older lenses always had a depth of field scale on the lens. On modern lenses they tend to not include the DoF scale UNLESS it's a prime lens, but even then the scale is usually not as good as what older cameras included. Here's a camera (this one happens to be my old Canon AE-1 35mm) shown at f/22. Notice that the focus ring is set to "infinity". This is a lot of people might think of when trying to achieve max depth of field (set the highest f-stop available and focus to infinity.) But it's NOT actually the lenses "hyper-focal distance" for f/22.

In this photo, the DoF scale shows that everything from the left "22" mark to the right "22" mark will be in focus, and that'll be everything from about 12' to infinity. That seems good... but it's not great.

<img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=14425"/>

In this next photo, look at what I did with the focus ring. Since the camera is set to f/22, I've rotated the focus ring so that the "infinity" mark is actually set to "22" on the right side of the DoF scale. Again... everything between the left "22" and the right "22" should be in good focus. So I've moved the "infinity" to the right (since there is nothing farther away than infinity) and this allows me to increase the close-range focus. NOW everything from about 6' to infinity is in acceptable focus. This IS the hyper-focal distance.

<img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=14426"/>

Barring having a lens with proper DoF marks, the easiest way to calculate hyper-focal distance is to use a DoF calculator or look-up table. Go to DoFmaster.com. They have free online tools. Unfortunately online tools aren't very useful when you're out in the field. If you own a smartphone you can get some downloadable apps. I actually paid for the DoFmaster app for my iPhone (it was really inexpensive.) I later discovered there are free apps that calculate hyper-focal distance (but not until after I bought the paid DoFmaster app and since the paid app was better, I just stuck with it.)

(I probably should have exported these in a slightly larger size so they'd be easier to read. Let me know if you can't read them and I'll upload bigger versions.)

So helpful! Thanks to infinity, seriously. Ive been trying to figure this out for awhile.

 

[jamesbjenkins]

I haven't understood Iran since, either.

Damn autocorrect.

 

[TCampbell]

I haven't understood Iran since, either.

Damn autocorrect.

I renamed the feature "auto-miscorrect" -- which more accurately describes its function.

 

[Solarflare]

Does the Nikon D5100 have the DOF Preview feature?

No.

That too is one of the features of cameras in the past.

 

[Hobbytog]

Calculate at 4 different focal lengths i.e. 24mm 28mm 35mm & 50mm at 2 different f stops i.e. f8 & f11 the hyperfocal distances. Note this on a small piece of (sticky) paper and put it on the inside of the lens cap of the lens you use for landscapes. You've always got the info you need.

 

[enzodm]

Does the Nikon D5100 have the DOF Preview feature?

No.

That too is one of the features of cameras in the past.

Not really, it's a problem of entry-level Nikons only.

 

[Solarflare]

You're right, I just today checked through the D7000 and D800 manuals out of curiosity how their interface is and went all "OMG they have the preview button".

Oh, and can anybody tell me where the second dial is on the D7000 and D800 ? Thats what I actually was checking for, and I could only find one dial, just like on my camera.

 

[480sparky]

..........Oh, and can anybody tell me where the second dial is on the D7000 and D800 ? Thats what I actually was checking for, and I could only find one dial, just like on my camera.

Command Dials? When you grab the camera in your right hand, one is under your index finger, the other under your thumb.