Possible to recompose without messing up focus plane?

[jwbryson1]

So what is the best method for achieving the rule of thirds?

Toggle your focal points. That's what I usually do instead of using the center focal point all the time.

Why not just do as Megan suggested and toggle the focus point? This seems pretty simple to me. Compose the image with the tree where you want it, and in the viewfinder set the tree directly behind a focus point. Then use that focus point to focus on the tree and take the shot. What am I missing? :scratch:

 

[analog.universe]

Toggling the focus point is the first move, as others have suggested. Sometimes however, you don't have a focus point where you need it, or the lighting or lens is such that the non-central points don't perform as well as you'd like them to. In this instance, using a coarse matte focusing screen and focusing manually is what I find to be easiest. Of course this requires a focusing screen upgrade, but that pays off in a number of ways.

With regard to focus and recompose itself, the longer the focal length you're using, the more recompose you can get away with. The actually disparity in focal plane depth is proportional to the angular movement of the camera. You have to swing the camera through a much larger angle to recompose with a wide angle lens, and thus, these lenses will give you more trouble using this technique.

 

[Edsport]

Set the lens to manual focus and focus until you get focus comfirmation then recompose and take the shot...

That would still shift the plane of focus after the focus had been achieved.

In this case, there are a few options:
1) set your focus to the hyperfocal distance and it won't matter
2) use a focus point over your intended subject
3) manual focus after the composition has been achieved
4) use a tripod, use live view, zoom in to your intended subject(in live view, not with your lens), and then you can adjust critical focus for scenes where you are shooting with a shallow dof

Taking a photo like the op is talking about will work with my suggestion. He's not talking about taking a macro shot...

 

[Kerbouchard]

I didn't say it wouldn't work, but here is the OP's question.

How can you recompose your image without changing your focus plane?

And here is your answer.

Set the lens to manual focus and focus until you get focus comfirmation then recompose and take the shot...

I merely pointed out that your answer, which basically tells the OP to focus and recompose doesn't address his question. Also, you don't need to be in manual to focus and recompose.

 

[bhop]

There are really only two ways to do this.

1. Use a camera that has multiple focus points and move the focus point to the edge of the viewfinder.
2. Use manual focus, ignore the center focus point, but focus by eye AFTER composition so that your tree on the edge is sharp. (hard to do with dim/small viewfinders)

Or heed some other repliers advice stating that it won't really be noticeable at small apertures.

 

[dumeril7]

There are several ways to accomplish this. First, the focus lock feature is made to do exactly what the OP asked for -- half-press the shutter button to auto-focus, lock it (either with that same half-shutter press, or with a dedicated focus lock button depending on how your camera works), then move the camera to re-compose. The original focus object stays in focus but is placed in a different part of the frame. Using a focus point located in the right area of the frame also works. And so does manual focus.

D7

 

[MTVision]

There are several ways to accomplish this. First, the focus lock feature is made to do exactly what the OP asked for -- half-press the shutter button to auto-focus, lock it (either with that same half-shutter press, or with a dedicated focus lock button depending on how your camera works), then move the camera to re-compose. The original focus object stays in focus but is placed in a different part of the frame. Using a focus point located in the right area of the frame also works. And so does manual focus.

D7

But that's still focus and recomposing.

 

[dumeril7]

There are several ways to accomplish this. First, the focus lock feature is made to do exactly what the OP asked for -- half-press the shutter button to auto-focus, lock it (either with that same half-shutter press, or with a dedicated focus lock button depending on how your camera works), then move the camera to re-compose. The original focus object stays in focus but is placed in a different part of the frame. Using a focus point located in the right area of the frame also works. And so does manual focus.

D7

But that's still focus and recomposing.

Yes. My interpretation is that the OP wanted to know if you could re-compose without losing the original plane of focus, which is exactly what the focus lock allows you to do. Am I missing something here?

D7

 

[Josh66]

There are several ways to accomplish this. First, the focus lock feature is made to do exactly what the OP asked for -- half-press the shutter button to auto-focus, lock it (either with that same half-shutter press, or with a dedicated focus lock button depending on how your camera works), then move the camera to re-compose. The original focus object stays in focus but is placed in a different part of the frame. Using a focus point located in the right area of the frame also works. And so does manual focus.

D7

But that's still focus and recomposing.

Yes. My interpretation is that the OP wanted to know if you could re-compose without losing the original plane of focus, which is exactly what the focus lock allows you to do. Am I missing something here?

D7

There is no way to recompose without moving the plane of focus. Period. It's not physically possible. If you move the camera, you move the plane of focus too.

Now, that doesn't mean you can't recompose. There are really only a few situations where recomposing would cause a noticeable shift in focus. You do need to be aware of when those situations are though, so you don't focus-recompose when you are in that situation. Those situations have been addressed a few times already in this thread.

 

[MTVision]

Yes. My interpretation is that the OP wanted to know if you could re-compose without losing the original plane of focus, which is exactly what the focus lock allows you to do. Am I missing something here?

D7

Everytime you focus and recompose you have to lock focus to do it right? So you half press the shutter button to get the camera to focus. As long as you are in a non-continuous focus mode you can then recompose the photo because the focus is locked. But that can still lose the original plane of focus....right?

That's all I meant. Focus has to be locked to recompose otherwise you would lose focus. Maybe i'm wrong...

 

[bhop]

I think a lot of people don't really know exactly what a plane of focus is.

 

[Josh66]

I think a lot of people don't really know exactly what a plane of focus is.

This is probably my most posted link. Hopefully it will enlighten a few people:

Why Focus-Recompose Sucks

 

[dumeril7]

I think a lot of people don't really know exactly what a plane of focus is.

Actually, that's exactly the problem in my case, and what I was missing from this discussion. I've always imagined that the plane of focus was not really a plane, but a sphere equidistant from the sensor. This thread sent me to the books and now I understand why recomposing invariably changes the plane.

D7

 

[Josh66]

I think a lot of people don't really know exactly what a plane of focus is.

Actually, that's exactly the problem in my case, and what I was missing from this discussion. I've always imagined that the plane of focus was not really a plane, but a sphere equidistant from the lens. This thread sent me to the books and now I understand why recomposing invariably changes the plane.

D7

Read that link I just posted (right above your post that I'm quoting now) - it will explain a lot. :thumbup:

 

[dumeril7]

Read that link I just posted (right above your post that I'm quoting now) - it will explain a lot. :thumbup:

Just read it and it was very illuminating. Thanks!

D7