It's just a matter of focus

FocusTester · Dec 29, 2013

After quite a bit of setup, I took the following shot (Canon 6d with 180/3.5L macro at f/5.6). What do you guys think of it?

Here is a similar shot, but this time with a mechanical pencil:

The mechanical pencil shot was even harder to set up, since it has a 0.5mm lead and the edge of said lead that is in focus is less than a tenth of a millimeter and was in focus even at f/3.5. I stopped it down to f/5.6 for the shot. I used slightly more distance to the subject this time for creative reasons. So, which one do you like of the two, if any?

I am also interested in hearing comments regarding the bokeh of both of these shots. It looks very pleasing to me in the photo of the mechanical pencil and far less pleasing in the photo of the #2 pencil. On the other hand, there is something surreal about the regular pencil's dull graphite tip. It almost resembles a finger protruding from the pencil wood, if you actually view the image at almost full screen size by clicking on it. Maybe it's just my mind playing tricks.

limr · Dec 29, 2013

I voted for the first one because I love a #2 pencil.

As for the pictures, I actually think the mechanical works slightly better, only because it seems like a very clean, sleek, modern shot and that suggests the mechanical. The wooden pencil would be a LOT better if it had a sharp point and cleaner wood. Wooden pencils are ALWAYS better with a very very sharp point - in photography and in life.

minicoop1985 · Dec 29, 2013

I like mechanical pencils because I HATE when the lead in a wood pencil isn't quite centered and, when sharpened, sharpens to a point with the lead. But other than that, what Limr said.

Josh66 · Dec 29, 2013

FocusTester said:
After quite a bit of setup...

I prefer the first one, but I'm not really sure what the point of leaving the focusing aid in is.

If that's not a focusing aid, I am even more mystified by it.

Sharkbait0708 · Dec 30, 2013

A pencil is a pencil in my book but I chose the second pick just because it looks cleaner!

FocusTester · Dec 30, 2013

limr said:
I voted for the first one because I love a #2 pencil.

As for the pictures, I actually think the mechanical works slightly better, only because it seems like a very clean, sleek, modern shot and that suggests the mechanical. The wooden pencil would be a LOT better if it had a sharp point and cleaner wood. Wooden pencils are ALWAYS better with a very very sharp point - in photography and in life.

OK, there was some artistic expression in the #2 pencil picture. The point was that it's never sharp for longer than you sharpen it. As soon as you touch it to paper, it becomes dull. Furthermore, it seems that no matter what (electric) sharpener you use, it never seems to sharpen it symmetrically.

As for the "focusing aid," it's just something I threw together in Microsoft Visio and used to test lens sharpness. Then, I noticed the #2 pencil nearby and decided to get it into the picture for the heck of it. I saw that it looked interesting and decided to try the same picture with one of those high end Ph. D. mechanical pencils. That should remove some of the mystery. So, some of this was by design, some by happenstance and some by serendipity.