Ok , this is something that i have been wanting to learn for a while, but after looking things up on the internet it all seems very confucing.
I asked my tutor at college, and he could tell me how to do it on a film SLR with a fully manual lens, but not on my digital SLR.
I am shooting with a Canon 5D with the 24-105. Its a great combination, and i think that the hyperfocal focusing would make a great difference to my photography.
I have tried focusing a third into the frame, but at f22 the whold scene looks sharp so thats kind of difficult. Theres got to be a way of doing it without looking though the viewfinder, and at the distance focus chart thingy on my lens.

Thanks in advance


Edd

---

My DCM gallery click me!!

dont be afriad that your life is going to end, be afraid that it will never begin!

www.eddfury.com - My landscape photography work!

First of all what do you think Hyperfocal Focusing can do for you - in reality not a lot....

If you are doing landscapes (hyperfocal is not much use for anything else) and you are shooting at f22 it will make little difference if you use the hyperfocal distance to focus on or infinity. The hyperfocal point will allow you to get a little more of the foreground in focus thats all.
Pick out a single focusing point in your viewfinder, pick out a point in you view that is about 35 to 40 yards in front of you and put the selected focusing point on that - press the button half way and get the in focus bleep, keep your pressure on the shutter release and recompose the picture then take it. This is probably what you do anyway... I promise you that looking at the scale on the lens and presetting a distance based on  a calculation of the hyperfocal distance will not do the job any better, well not at f22 anyway. If you want to work at f5.6 it's a whole different ball game but at f5.6 you wont have the DOF for landscapes anyway.

Remember photography has more to do with what you can see than what you can work out....

---

"Every day is a nice day - if you wake up - even nicer if you are dining at Cann Office"

My gallery

CannOffice:

Remember photography has more to do with what you can see than what you can work out....

Steady Canon, we're getting back into the "technical ability vs the eye" discussion here!

---

FACES,STREET,PROTEST & CANDID
A BLOG
My Flickr

CannOffice, yes i am shooing landscapes. SO, thats why i asked. And there is a considerable difference in sharpness all the way through the image.
I find it something that would be of use, I want to get all the detail i can in my landscapes and as sharp as i can get it

---

My DCM gallery click me!!

dont be afriad that your life is going to end, be afraid that it will never begin!

www.eddfury.com - My landscape photography work!

eddo123:

CannOffice, yes i am shooing landscapes. SO, thats why i asked. And there is a considerable difference in sharpness all the way through the image.
I find it something that would be of use, I want to get all the detail i can in my landscapes and as sharp as i can get it

Look at

http://www.vividlight.com/articles/3513.htm

May be of some use.

 

---

FACES,STREET,PROTEST & CANDID
A BLOG
My Flickr

Hi eddo, if ABERS link doesn't help then I'm not sure I can explain it any better, but for use with your camera and lenses you will need to download a 35mm hyperfocal distancing chart (do a goole search). 

Focus on the thing nearest to you that you want to be kept sharp. 

Double the distance that you now see on your lense, and this is the hyperfocal distance.

Now, using the chart, go across to the focal length (say 28mm), go down to your hyperfocal distance (the doubled distance from your first reading) and then the aperture is shown on the left.

Simple really

I personally haven't used it in ages, but I probably will next time I'm out.  You can always draw the chart on the back of your grey card, or pop it in your filter wallet. 

---

Hyperfocal Point in Feet from Shooter                                        
                            Focal Length in mm            
            15    mm    17    mm    20    mm    24    mm
    f    2.8    8.79      11.29      15.62        22.50    
    f    5.6    4.39        5.64        7.81        11.25    
    f    8       3.08        3.95        5.47        7.87    
    f    11     2.24        2.87        3.98        5.73    
    f    16     1.54        1.98        2.73        3.94    
    f    22     1.12        1.44        1.99        2.86   

Now I am puzzeled - 24mm f22 hyperfocal point 2.86 feet away - 1/3 in front in focus 2/3 behind in focus so infinity needs to be at 8.58 feet if the forward focus comes right up to the lens. I would be very reluctant to use that as a method of photographing landscapes where I often dont need anything close than 30 feet to be in focus anyway.
I'm sure someone will tell me where I'm wrong but please keep it simple.

---

"Every day is a nice day - if you wake up - even nicer if you are dining at Cann Office"

My gallery

Hi Cannoffice,

I don't know if I can explain it any better, but I'll have a go.

Basically, everything from half of the hyperfocal point to infinity will be in focus.  Not the 3rds rule that you are using (which is correct for your earlier method)

So from your example evertything from 1.43ft to infinity would be in focus

 

 

---

http://www.dofmaster.com/

Thats got calculators to tell you the HF point for different camera - focal length - apeture combinations.
Its what I use for my cameras.

Once you've got the distances and such, you'll notice alot of them dont line up with the focus marks on the lens, so your best bet is to get a tape measurre, and take it out with you, line it out to that mark, and focus on that.

Check out my gallery for what HF adds to land/seascapes. It can really help.

---

The all new Matt Harris Photography
DCM Gallery

Great gallery Matt, I was looking for an example to post but I don't really have anything.  Just one thing, theres a strange box that surrounds your buttons, and I have to click once for this to go before clicking again on the button.  Maybe you are aware of this?

I have downloaded the software and produced my own chart (the CoC for Olympus is 0.015 from what I can find).  A handy tool. 

Cheers.

 

---

Cheers mate.
Yeah, Internet Explorer hates Javascript and Flash, which is what I make my bars with. You're lucky you looked now, it wasnt workin' at all a week ago. Had to recode it all.

Some scape work looks good with selective focusing, but the majority can be improved with the use of hyperfocal focusing.
Some DX/DC/Digital only superwide lenses' like the Sigma 10-20mm have the appropriate HF points on the scale, which it really useful.
Plus hyperfocal is useful when you want to use wider apertures, like f/8-11, which are sharper.

---

The all new Matt Harris Photography
DCM Gallery

thanks everyone. I think i get it now. Ill have to give it a try next time im out, and see what i come back with
Thanks again, Edd

---

My DCM gallery click me!!

dont be afriad that your life is going to end, be afraid that it will never begin!

www.eddfury.com - My landscape photography work!

Hyper focal length is used pretty much exclusively by landscape photographers. It changes for any aperture and any focal length so the starting point has to be a set focal length and aperture. You can look up the hyperfocal point for any focal length and aperture on the web but remember for non full frame it will change (No worries with the 5D). You can also download simple calculators that will calculate the hyperfocal length (point) and input the circle of confusion to compensate for non full frame.

Once the Hyperfocal point is known switch to manual focus (at the corresponding aperture you want for the focal length) and focus on any point that distance from the camera. Once focused at the hyperfocal point then the rule states that anything from that point to half way from that point to the focal plane of the shutter will be in focus and everything from the hyperfocal point to infinity will also be in focus.

 

For shorter focal lengths and smaller apertures the hyperfocal point will be close to the camera.

 

Does that make sense? Hope it helps edd

Andrew

yes it helps a bit. I guess i dont know if i understand it until i get out there and try it out. But i think i get it now. So if the weathers nice on sunday, im hoping to get out there and try it for myself.
thanks

---

My DCM gallery click me!!

dont be afriad that your life is going to end, be afraid that it will never begin!

www.eddfury.com - My landscape photography work!

Isn't it all to do with the circles of confusion?  An apt name in my view considering how ambiguous it all is.

---