What does it mean to...

[amateuraperture]

What does it mean to set the focus to infinity? TIA

 

[Overread]

In simple terms look at the focus chart on your lens (most lenses have this marked on the barrel of the lens) and turn the focus (in manual) untill you reach the infinity symbol (a sideways 8).
The lens is now set to infinity* which effectivly means its focused all the way to infinity (ie point it at stars in the sky and they are in focus).

* most lenses have a little play at this end of the lens because of contraction and expansion inside the lens as a result of temperature differences (as well as other factors). So its not quite as simple as turning it all the way - sometimes you'll have to shift it around a little to get the focus in the right place

 

[3bayjunkie]

What does it mean to set the focus to infinity? TIA

That has got to be something like an f/22 or f/32 equivalent

 

[kundalini]

What does it mean to set the focus to infinity? TIA

That has got to be something like an f/22 or f/32 equivalent

Aperture has nothing to do with focus. Well, at least not with regard to the OPs question.

 

[Overread]

What does it mean to set the focus to infinity? TIA

That has got to be something like an f/22 or f/32 equivalent

Nope - you're confusing depth of field with infinity focus. Infinity focus is about focusing on infinity; in other words very far off subjecs. Meanwhile making your aperture smaller (making the f number bigger) increases the depth of field of the photograph - this means the area of the photo that is seen as in focus - ie "sharp"

However one has to then factor in diffraction which starts to kick in generally after f8 on the aperture scale (with most camera bodies and lenses) and results in a softer overall photo. With a 1.6 or 1.5 crop camera body image quality remains generally quite high up till around f13 and thereafter the softness becomes far stronger so that by f22 the shot is visibly affected. Fullframe camera bodies can generally get one stop extra on this - however the nature of fullframe camera bodies means that you get about one stop less in depth of field (when using the same aperture) as compared to a crop sensor camera body.

There is one more factor to put into this and that is hyperfocal focusing which I'll let a website give you a more detailed explination of:
Understanding Your Camera's Hyperfocal Distance

 

[DerekSalem]

What does it mean to set the focus to infinity? TIA

That has got to be something like an f/22 or f/32 equivalent

lol wat?

 

[3bayjunkie]

oh i misunderstood the question

 

[ukshaz]

And I'm afraid I misunderstood the answer lol

 

[kundalini]

And I'm afraid I misunderstood the answer lol

Focusing to infinity will result in having the as much as possible in the frame 'in focus' from the front to the back of the frame. Infinity is designated on you lens as the sideways #8..... or as to us regular folk, konwn as the infinity sign..