Focus Preferences: Landscapes

[Majeed Badizadegan]

I'm using a 60d right now and I've found the maximum control over focus for people/moving subjects is a combination of back button AF + AI servo + Center point focus. But sometimes I find this limiting for landscapes.

I'm just wondering how others like to focus, specifically landscape shots? Do you use all 9 points? More points if your camera has more? Center point? Manual? I've heard a hundred times about hyperfocal focusing, I've never actually used it (but probably should).

I often find myself manually focusing or using the same combo listed above. But not sure if I'm maximizing the modern focusing systems.

Thoughts?

 

[ceejtank]

I use single point focus for my shots. I would put it on what i consider the "subject" in the shot of the landscape. I just found out about hyperfocal as well, and am going to try that going forward.

 

[enzodm]

When you use 9 focus points, you leave the camera the task of choosing where to focus. Although there might be some kind of picture where this is a good idea, in a static subject like a landscape you should have an idea of where to aim and time to focus and recompose too, so better to use one point only. If you need almost all on focus, go hyperfocal (i.e., close that aperture ).
Here you can find values for hyperfocal distance depending on focal length and aperture: Depth of Field Table

 

[KmH]

Only 1 focus point can be used to establish focus. Some camera settings let the camera choose which focus point gets used.

For non-moving subjects like a landscape, the photographer should choose the focus point.

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

Thoughts on Hyperfocal focusing? I've heard some say it works, others say it doesn't. (Especially on larger resolution modern digital sensors).

 

[dmunsie]

I've been in the same boat the past few months learning landscape shots. (Search my posts and you'll find some decent info.) For maximum dof you definitely want to learn more about hyper focal distance. Now I just pre-focus based on the aperture I'm using (usually f11-f16) and compose the scene. Always trying to find something to use as a foreground object. Especially when using a wide angle lens.

 

[amolitor]

The trouble with hyperfocal distance is that you gotta set the lens to a specific distance, which is a little problematic on many modern AF lenses which don't have distance scales.

If you can do stopped-down live view (can you, with anything? I have no idea) then you should be able to find it, manually. Zoom in on the farthest-out thing you want in-focus, and stop down to your shooting aperture. Focus until that part is just starting to go out. Now cursor around to your nearest point that needs to be in-focus. Is that ok? Focus back out until that starts to go out of focus. Now try for a point halfway between..

None of this works if you can't use live-view in a stopped-down mode, though.

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

The trouble with hyperfocal distance is that you gotta set the lens to a specific distance, which is a little problematic on many modern AF lenses which don't have distance scales.

If you can do stopped-down live view (can you, with anything? I have no idea) then you should be able to find it, manually. Zoom in on the farthest-out thing you want in-focus, and stop down to your shooting aperture. Focus until that part is just starting to go out. Now cursor around to your nearest point that needs to be in-focus. Is that ok? Focus back out until that starts to go out of focus. Now try for a point halfway between..

None of this works if you can't use live-view in a stopped-down mode, though.

Yeah, the lack of distance scales on modern lenses is part of the reason I haven't learned how to use it.

Take this shot for example (look at 1600px):


Down Under by Majeed Badizadegan (Rotanimod), on Flickr

I've lost critical sharpness in the foreground rocks, which I suspect is because it's slightly OOF, and now looking very closely probably could be a bit sharper on all the rocks. Perhaps there was the smallest bit of camera shake. Which would make sense considering i was in a half foot of draining ocean water.

 

[Vautrin]

focusing at hyperfocal distance is great, IF you get it to work

ive tried (and failed). i highly recommend that, as with any new technique, when you try it you take some normal shots (in case you screw it up) or practice on a subject you dont mind missing shots of

 

[gsgary]

Thoughts on Hyperfocal focusing? I've heard some say it works, others say it doesn't. (Especially on larger resolution modern digital sensors).

I use it on my Leica and it works every time, always use it for street photography because i can make split second shots without worrying about focus

 

[Rick58]

Hyperfocal focusing is huge with film landscape'ers. Why it has been removed from modern lenses is beyond me.
For the golden age of film jocky's, multi point focusing was...Turn the focus ring, there's a piont...Turn the focus ring, there's a piont..Turn the focus ring.......

I just get why it has to be made so complicated

 

[480sparky]

Hyperfocal focusing is huge with film landscape'ers. Why it has been removed from modern lenses is beyond me......

Marketing.

Money.

Mass production.

 

[amolitor]

AF and markings don't actually go well together at all.

If you want the markings to stay in-register, the AF motor is going to have to cause something on the outer surface of the lens to rotate. If you cause something on the outer surface of the lens to rotate, people are going to be holding on to it when it wants to move. Then you're going to strip gears, or injure people, depending on how robustly you've built the thing.

If you want markings, you probably have to build a little window in the thing.

 

[spacefuzz]

I use a single focus point, generally 1/3 into my frame depth wise. From experience I may adjust this if my subject is unusually close since I want to hit hyperfocal on my lens and have everything in focus. Its not unusual for me to be at f/16 or f/18 full frame.

 

[ChrisHeathcote]

I set my 60D to AI Servo, Back Button Focus and which button depends what I am shooting. For fast moving objects I use all points and for landscape and static I use the centre point and focus, recompose

I have only just discovered BBF and what a difference it makes