Macro shooting - leaning in or hand focusing?

[BrisbaneShooter]

Hey everyone,

I’m hoping to get some advice on best ways to focus while doing macro shooting. Should I be leaning in and out or should I be focusing with the lens barrel directly? I’ve heard people discuss doing it both ways, and I’m finding it difficult using the lens barrel technique on my 100mm macro. The DOF is just so thin! But I’m also worried that leaning out and in might be frowned upon, and I don’t want to get myself into bad habits.

Any advice is appreciated!

Mark

 

[480sparky39 38]

Use whatever method gets you the shot you want. I'm pretty sure you can't get arrested.

 

[tirediron]

Macro rail.

 

[480sparky39 38]

Macro rail.

Do you hand-hold those?

 

[tirediron]

Macro rail.

Do you hand-hold those?

You could.... I don't though!

 

[Tiller]

I just lean back and forth usually. But I use both ways depending on the situation.

 

[cgipson1]

I use back and forth for max magnification... and use the focus ring for less....

 

[Overread14 2]

Mix it up depending on the shot. Sometimes leaning in and out will work best, other times small adjustments to the focusing ring will work. When handholding also keep an eye for things to lean on, giving yourself something firm as a support helps a LOT with stability and making the shot easier to get.

 

[MattWarrell]

There's already some good advice in this thread but I agree with the leaning in and out method. So easy, but not so easy that you feel like you're cheating. I use it for all my macro photography.

 

[Judobreaker]

When you're on real high magnification with a rather large aperture a simple thing like breathing could trow off your focus.
It's impossible for anyone to stand completely still so everyone is correcting by 'leaning in and out'. Sometimes it's just a little easier to exaggerate this effect so you can see what your focus does. I do it quite a lot (especially on highest magnification when I don't really have the option of correcting with the focus ring).

Personally I couldn't care less if someone thought this was cheating or amateur. If it gets me the shot I want I'll do it.

 

[o hey tyler]

Use whatever method gets you the shot you want. I'm pretty sure you can't get arrested.

You'd be surprised.

 

[480sparky39 38]

Use whatever method gets you the shot you want. I'm pretty sure you can't get arrested.

You'd be surprised.

Moving back & forth with a camera may not get you arrested, but what you're trying to photograph may.

 

[HughGuessWho96 11]

I just lean back and forth usually. But I use both ways depending on the situation.

Yup. back and forth and rapid fire.

 

[amolitor]

Are there cameras these days that will fire when a focus point indicates in-focus? "focus trap" or something, maybe.

 

[HughGuessWho96 11]

Are there cameras these days that will fire when a focus point indicates in-focus? "focus trap" or something, maybe.

A Canon will not fire if out of focus while in Auto Focus mode. However, that is not the case in Manual Focus.