Focus is the mechanism of converging light from a point light source onto an imaging plane by a lens.
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554 views
When a camera auto-focuses, is the current focus distance reported from the lens to the camera?
The question says it all -- does the camera "know" how far the subject is from the lens, i.e. what is the current exact focus distance set at the lens?
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506 views
Should both eyes be focused in a portrait?
I'm a hobby photographer, and I've just picked up "rules of thumb" and "tips&tricks" here and there.
I have a 50mm f1.4, and I love it.
But due to the extreme shallow depth of field (at f1.4), I ...
7
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4answers
758 views
Why are my photos taken at f/11 less sharp than those taken at a wider aperture?
I am new to photography. I have Fujifilm FinePix HS10 camera. Lately I was trying my hands on landscape photography.
I learnt from different tutorials that setting high aperture value gets most of ...
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2answers
1k views
How can a prime lens focus on more than one plane?
By definition, a prime lens is a fixed lens system with a fixed focal length.
Then, simple physics tells us that it should be able to focus only on one plane (at a fixed distance) in front of it. But ...
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5answers
403 views
Heavy colour saturation on night photos with new lens? Is this normal
I have a Canon 550D and bought a Sigma 17-70mm lens to upgrade from the 18-55mm lens kit.
I decided to go out and try the new lens with some night shots. To be honest, the results were bad. I used a ...
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4answers
439 views
Why does my lens focus better/faster with a speedlight attached to the camera?
I have a Nikon d90 and have often found that the camera reaches focus faster, with less re-adjusting and missing the focus, when I have a speedlight (the Nikon sb-600 in my case) attached.
Why is ...
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1answer
2k views
What are the AF-A, AF-C and AF-S autofocus modes, and how and when should I use each one?
I have seen these autofocus options on all my Nikon DSLR cameras (D50, D80, D90) but I have never really used them. There is the AF button on top.
What are AF-A, AF-C, and AF-S ?
How do I use ...
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3answers
1k views
How can I take photographs with a large depth of field?
I was looking at some pictures by TSO Photography, and I was struck by how everything in the image seems to be sharp and in focus.
I do realize that to achieve huge depth of field, you set the ...
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4answers
1k views
How can I get maximum DoF with no distance markers?
I am aware of what hyperfocal distance is and the general principles behind it. However, most of the tutorials I have seen and read regarding it make use of lenses with focus distance indicators. ...
7
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1answer
355 views
Why is the Canon MP-E 65mm F/2.8 Macro Lens not called a zoom?
The Canon MP-E 65mm works differently than my other macro lenses. Compare:
With a standard 35mm macro, I can frame first and then adjust focus which only changes framing very slightly with.
With the ...
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1answer
1k views
How do you trap focus on DSLRs without native support for it?
I came across the term trap focus on the autofocus page of wikipedia, and it seems to be a very handy feature that triggers the shutter release when a subject moves into the focal plane. This feature ...
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2answers
547 views
How can I take a photo with everything in focus with my DSLR?
I am quite new to DSLRs and one of the first things I noticed was the incredible focus points and depth that you can achieve. That is great in a lot of scenarios, but not in all. When filming a ...
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3answers
679 views
How can I achieve this effect, where the flower is sharp and everything else is blurry?
I was wondering how it is possible to take a picture like this.
Please have a look here for some example pictures. The flower is sharp, and everything else looks like taken with a long shutter.
Is ...
6
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5answers
1k views
Why is my Nikon 18-200 lens not focusing at higher focal lengths?
My Nikon 18-200 lens on a D300 camera will not focus when it is zoomed between 135mm and 200mm. Is there any tips on how to solve this besides handing it in to a photo store?
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5answers
375 views
In which situation should you not use the manual focus?
Couple of weeks back, I discovered the power of manual focus, and now for each and every shot, I use manual focus!
Are there some situations where manual focus doesn't make much sense and we should ...
6
votes
4answers
662 views
How can I get sharp images using optical zoom function on a point-and-shoot?
We’ve got a point-and-shoot (Canon A590 IS), and it seems that the zoom function is completely useless because it is always blurry, even in broad daylight. For example, I tried to take a picture of a ...
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3answers
743 views
What are “Depth of field and focus scales”?
I'm reading Kurt Munger's review of SAL75300 (Sony's 75-300mm F/4.5-5.6 lens) and I noticed the entry "Depth of field and focus scales? Nothing" in his summary table. Now, I know what depth of field ...
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4answers
571 views
Which is better - autofocus and recompose vs. manual focus?
In some occasions autofocus doesn't focus what I intend it to. What is the better option - to use autofocus, focus what I want and recompose, or use manual focus in that situation?
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3answers
2k views
How do I keep both the background and foreground in the image in focus at the same time?
How do you have both the background and foreground in the image in focus at the same time?
Last week I was attempting a shot where I had the back of a hat in focus and in the distance you could see a ...
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2answers
627 views
How can I get more of this macro photo in focus?
I want to make a full focus on the body, for example:
I need to have a clear focus on the each balls in the photo. I used just single point focus.
In this picture I used:
shutter speed: 8
...
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4answers
2k views
Is it difficult to focus on 1.4F prime lens, and if it is how to counter that?
Does difficulty in focusing have anything to do with 1.4F (Nikon G)?
Will it be still difficult if I use manual focus?
Is auto focus too slow?
Is there a way to counter it?
This example photo (from ...
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3answers
420 views
Do still photographers use follow focus, as filmmakers do?
Is a follow focus system beneficial to photographers in low light or other situations? Almost all professional filmmakers use a similar system to manually focus lenses, but I am not aware of ...
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2answers
187 views
Can a hard impact foul up a lens' focus?
Recently, a camera with lens attached got knocked off a chair and hit the floor (not my gear, fortunately!). Following that, the lens would not focus properly, either with manual focus or auto. The ...
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1answer
188 views
When focusing at max zoom, focus is lost after zooming out. Is that normal?
On my Canon kit lens, I could completely zoom in, focus on the object and then zoom out to take the picture with the object still in focus.
Now I have a Sigma 18-200mm (with a Canon 600D) and that ...
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2answers
155 views
Fisheye Image Quality: Improves with Price?
Using a little Opteka fish attachment, I've gotten some very cool shots. The problem is that all shots get, of course, progressively less sharp as you move out from the center. I know that this is to ...
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4answers
642 views
Are there macro focusing techniques for handheld shots?
I know that when doing much macro work that the autofocus system is nearly useless. When hand holding and trying to manually focus, I find myself continually going a little too far or just not far ...
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5answers
2k views
Can more than one focus points be selected?
Now a days, almost every DSLR camera comes with many focal points 9, 11, 22 etc. Many of them provide us with settings to chose manual focus point while shooting images, apart from the auto-selection ...
6
votes
1answer
308 views
Does focus breathing make a lens slower when close focusing?
I've heard that focal length of some lenses will become noticeably longer when focusing to a close distance, an effect called "focus breathing". Since f-number is focal length divided by diameter of ...
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3answers
1k views
Are there advantages to using a viewfinder for focusing instead of using a camera's rear LCD screen?
Are there any particular advantages to using the viewfinder for focusing instead of the LCD?
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2answers
280 views
How is the term Gaussian blur used?
Is the term Gaussian blur used strictly in post-production, or can it also be used as a term for an out-of-focus area in your image when you-re taking the picture? I'm pretty sure that bokeh is used ...
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4answers
481 views
How does a camera without hardware autofocus focus?
For e.g. an Apple external Firewire iSight does not have hardware autofocus. So how does it focus? Related questions:
Does it focus to infinity?
Does that mean it needs a "longer" minimum distance ...
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3answers
856 views
What's that sign with a dot and a number in the view-finder?
I have a Canon 550D and when I look through my view-finder to take photographs, it displays all the current settings inside the view-finder itself like aperture value, shutter speed, ISO etc.
...
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3answers
4k views
How can I get correct focus on the moon or stars with my DSLR? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How to nail focus for DSLR astrophotography?
I don't know if D5100 is right camera for this kind of stuff, but I would like to shoot night sky covering moon, stars and ...
5
votes
1answer
230 views
What do orange AF points mean on a Canon DSLR?
I recently bought a Canon 7D and Ive noticed that occasionally the AF points are orange. What conditions cause this? It seems like it is a warning of some sort.
Usually when the camera focuses on a ...
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votes
4answers
499 views
What's the difference between holding a half-pressed shutter button and pressing the AE lock?
As I have been looking around today the AE lock button is supposed to lock in the focus and exposure settings (aperture and shutter) so that the picture can be recomposed before taken. I also believe ...
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2answers
718 views
Can I combine several low quality pics into one higher quality picture?
Is there an easy tool to combine low quality pics taken from a mobile phone, all of the same thing but taken within a few seconds interval from one another, mostly suffering from slight out of focus ...
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2answers
591 views
Is it possible to Zone Focus with a DSLR?
I have a Canon 1000d. Is the zone focusing technique applicable in a DSLR?
If yes, how do we do it?
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votes
1answer
9k views
What is the difference between Al Focus and Al Servo autofocus modes?
Recently I bought a Canon 60D and I am uncertain about when and how to use/activate the Al Focus and Al Servo functions.
I understand the One Shot autofocus function for still subjects. You press ...
5
votes
2answers
123 views
How can I quickly tell without testing if my lens is parfocal or varifocal?
I have read a couple of related questions, but I am curious to find out if there is a list of parfocal/varifocal lenses out there.
I'm most concerned with the lenses I have and I would like to know ...
5
votes
1answer
287 views
Is it possible to get tethered focus and aperture control with any current DSLR?
I'm looking to get into some photography work and I had a couple questions. I'm quite an amateur at this, unfortunately, so I would appreciate any and all assistance!
I want to be able to control the ...
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votes
2answers
637 views
Is it normal for focal length to change while focusing?
When I change the focus distance on my Pentax 55-300mm lens, the focal length appears to change. More specifically, the lens appears to zoom in as I focus towards the minimum focusing distance. This ...
4
votes
4answers
217 views
Doubt about focusing in the lens?
I usually find after blowing out my pic in computer that at one point (where I wished to focus) image is very sharp, then as I inspect the picture I see that some more part of the image either ...
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votes
4answers
1k views
Why does my Nikon D90 autofocus not work in rapid succession?
When photographing candid shots of my children at play with a Nikon D90, I have trouble with the autofocus system. I focus and shoot one shot, great. But a second later another shot opportunity ...
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2answers
578 views
What is the meaning of having 9 focus points and how to see where they are?
Canon PowerShot SX210 IS is said to have 9 focus points. I haven't seen any setting which shows all those points on the screen or anywhere.
How and what are those remaining 8 focus points used for?
...
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3answers
1k views
How can I find infinity focus on a kit lens with no markers?
I have a kit lens which has no markers. What would be a recommended way to find infinity focus on this lens?
I plan to shoot objects at night -- not necessarily stars or the moon. So, adjusting the ...
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1answer
145 views
Do all telephoto zoom lenses backfocus on the wide angle end?
I’ve just gone through a round of testing with two telephoto zooms, on two different cameras, and both appear to have significant back focus issues at the 70mm end.
I just had the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 ...
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2answers
192 views
What is the effect of the number of cross-type focus points on sharp focus?
Canon claims that EOS 6D has special capability to focus in low light, but it has only one cross-type sensor and overall only 11 focus points. Does only one cross-type focus point in the Canon EOS 6D ...
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3answers
1k views
Are there cheap or DIY focus assist solutions for the Canon 5D?
I want a better autofocus system for low light. Low light auto focus is my biggest bane.
I use a 5D so the options are AF on a flash like the 430 or 580. I happen to use the Pocket Wizard TT1 so I ...
4
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2answers
335 views
How can I achieve well focussed and sharp images at long focal lengths?
Well I guess this is a question every newbie asks. I have a Canon 550D with the 18-135mm kit lens. I was out on a small trip in a nearby town to take some good snaps with my DSLR. I know the lens ...
4
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4answers
293 views
How can I make close-by objects appear as if they were much bigger?
We all know the popular Tilt Shift technique that gives objects a "miniature" look, making them appear much smaller than they actually are.
I'm wondering whether it's possible to achieve the opposite ...
