[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Mik3ymomo

...

Also the autofocus systems are good but they rely on contrast and sometimes you won't get really good contrast. Lastly some lenses have such razor thin depth of field like say a 50mm F1.2 or an 85 F1.4 that you will want to focus it yourself for the best results.

For instance; shooting people. It's difficult to get the camera to focus directly on the eye. It wants to pick up the cheek or nose or forehead/hair etc. with a very thin DOF you run the risk of getting the eyes soft in the shot. My opinion is that the eyes should be the sharpest part of a portrait or animal.
The more you shoot with your equipment the more you will realize it's shortfalls and do your best to work around them for the best images you can produce.

The thinner your DOF the more you need AF! I routinely shoot super-telephotos at 500mm to 1,000mm (1600mm equivalents) and, even at f/8, DOF is razor then. You can get a bird's eye in focus and the end of its beak will be out of focus. I tried MF and it just doesn't work fast enough.

Steering the AF point or sector is the key to getting the part that you want in focus. Either steer, or focus on the eye and recompose. Those are techniques that any portrait photographer must learn. (Even more true for us wildlife photographers).

Dave

[Weebl]

This is thin dof, 2.8

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Weebl

This is thin dof, 2.8

She probably thinks it's plenty deep.

[jtodd_fl]

Love shallow DoF shots. A big fan of good bokeh.

Here is an experimental shot (bummer there was an artifact on the inner lens, so it hosed the shot).

Bachelor Button in Bloom - Michigan

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by jtodd_fl

Love shallow DoF shots. A big fan of good bokeh.

Here is an experimental shot (bummer there was an artifact on the inner lens, so it hosed the shot).

Bachelor Button in Bloom - Michigan

Yeah, too bad. You can clone most of that out, if you want to rescue it.

[justanotherdude]

Well, it's in the final stages at the moment unless I decide to add more presets to the package. Currently sits at five matte-influenced presets. I might try to add a few more but I'm not sure.

Still on the fence about releasing it.

[Mik3ymomo]

Originally Posted by dcstep

The thinner your DOF the more you need AF! I routinely shoot super-telephotos at 500mm to 1,000mm (1600mm equivalents) and, even at f/8, DOF is razor then. You can get a bird's eye in focus and the end of its beak will be out of focus. I tried MF and it just doesn't work fast enough.

Steering the AF point or sector is the key to getting the part that you want in focus. Either steer, or focus on the eye and recompose. Those are techniques that any portrait photographer must learn. (Even more true for us wildlife photographers).

Dave

I couldn't manual focus a twitchy ass bird's little eye in flight if my life depended on it. I'm speaking about portrait photography and static photography of people and animals. Also night photography/Astro photography.
Plenty of times I've missed focus on the eye with my 200 F2 lens if I wasn't close enough to get a focus point on an eye. The focus point covers too large an area to zero in on the eye in those situations, I end up having to dial it in a bit.

You could prob trick a prime lens with autofocus if you changed the in camera lens adjustments to back focus slightly. That way if it focuses on the nose of a dog/coyote/wolf looked directly at you; you end up with the eyes in focus. I would need to calculate where the 200 F2 DOF is compared to the 500 F4 but it can't be any deeper. Great for isolating the subject... Easy to miss the exact target unfortunately. I have plenty of wolf shots with the forehead or nose in focus but the eyes were soft. Autofocus is great if you are close enough to get it entirely on the eye. Not always possible...

[Mik3ymomo]

Originally Posted by jtodd_fl

Love shallow DoF shots. A big fan of good bokeh.

Here is an experimental shot (bummer there was an artifact on the inner lens, so it hosed the shot).

Bachelor Button in Bloom - Michigan

This is an easy fix if you want to send me the original file.
It's my user name at yahoo

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Mik3ymomo

I would like to add that there are times when you will need to manually focus. If you shoot at night and set up long exposures, do time lapse's and light painting you will very likely need or will absolutely need to manually focus the lens and completely shut off the autofocus system.

Also the autofocus systems are good but they rely on contrast and sometimes you won't get really good contrast. Lastly some lenses have such razor thin depth of field like say a 50mm F1.2 or an 85 F1.4 that you will want to focus it yourself for the best results.

For instance; shooting people. It's difficult to get the camera to focus directly on the eye. It wants to pick up the cheek or nose or forehead/hair etc. with a very thin DOF you run the risk of getting the eyes soft in the shot. My opinion is that the eyes should be the sharpest part of a portrait or animal.
The more you shoot with your equipment the more you will realize it's shortfalls and do your best to work around them for the best images you can produce.

I'm not "getting" your problem. Are you using single-point AF and steering the point around (to the eye)? Alternatively, you can focus on the eye, using center-point and then lock focus and recompose. Getting human eyes in focus should be a piece of cake.

I find that you need enough DOF to get an eye in focus and also the end of the nose. Anything behind the eyes tends to be acceptable. Preview to see actual DOF. You can still get good bokeh at f/4, if you need the DOF.

[jtodd_fl]

Originally Posted by Mik3ymomo

This is an easy fix if you want to send me the original file.
It's my user name at yahoo

Thanks. Appreciate the offer. I may toy around with post-editing a bit. If I need help, I'll drop you a line.

[justanotherdude]

Anybody here use Back Button Focusing?

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by onlyabloke

Anybody here use Back Button Focusing?

I tried it and didn't see the point; however, I have several friends that swear by it. You still need to steer the AF points or lock focus and recompose. Maybe someone that successfully uses it will comment. It's certainly easy enough to try. Try it for a couple of days, at least, to give it a bit of time to become second nature.

Dave

[jmg]

Originally Posted by onlyabloke

Anybody here use Back Button Focusing?

You mean changing the focus button to another button rather than the shutter rel are button? Yes I use that primarily. It allows me to focus on something and then center balance the light meter.

[justanotherdude]

Originally Posted by dcstep

I tried it and didn't see the point; however, I have several friends that swear by it. You still need to steer the AF points or lock focus and recompose. Maybe someone that successfully uses it will comment. It's certainly easy enough to try. Try it for a couple of days, at least, to give it a bit of time to become second nature.

Dave

Originally Posted by jmg

You mean changing the focus button to another button rather than the shutter rel are button? Yes I use that primarily. It allows me to focus on something and then center balance the light meter.

I just reconfigured my camera to it yesterday. Figured I'd take it for a spin and decide.

[Mik3ymomo]

Originally Posted by dcstep

I'm not "getting" your problem. Are you using single-point AF and steering the point around (to the eye)? Alternatively, you can focus on the eye, using center-point and then lock focus and recompose. Getting human eyes in focus should be a piece of cake.

I find that you need enough DOF to get an eye in focus and also the end of the nose. Anything behind the eyes tends to be acceptable. Preview to see actual DOF. You can still get good bokeh at f/4, if you need the DOF.

It's probably my style of photography... As in I'm lazy to switch from servo focus because of how much racing I shoot. I could probably stand to shoot with you and see how you do it.

I pretty much never change my focus types or settings. I hate the focus tracking where the focus point seems to jump all over the place willy nilly.

I just manually move the focus point around with my thumb. Sometimes it can't move to place I need it so I shut off the auto focus. Manually focus where I want it to focus and recompose.

How's that for a clunky method?

[Pixel8ed]

Originally Posted by onlyabloke

Anybody here use Back Button Focusing?

Been doing it since they allowed the swap in the firmware. Would never go back to a one button action.

How useful it is depends on what you shoot. I do mostly studio work or location shoots with models. So speed is not a problem. I can see where for sports or birding it would be a problem.

[justanotherdude]

Alright next question, anyone use a graphic tablet to edit their photos?

I bought a Refurbished Wacom Intuos recently and have started using it but I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. I'll admit there's some increased control when using the brushes but since all I really use is Lightroom, I'm not sure if it really justifies the tablet. I don't heavily rely on the brushes to begin with.

[Pixel8ed]

Tablets are hard to get used to. The disconnect of not looking there your hand is working can be a tough challenge for some. Often you get to the point of wanting to throw it away before your brain starts to put it all together. Once it's on board it is no effort at all. I know some that use the tablet instead of a mouse now.

I am left handed but use the mouse in the right. So I am able to be super efficient with motions as I use the tablet on the left and the mouse on the right.

[08njSTEP]

I'm kinda new to nonautomotive photography. So I was walking around a couple of old buildings today taking shots. One is an apartment building so there were a few people around. 1group asked if I was a cop....? Really I've got shoulder length grey hair. Another commented "what another foreclosure?" And lastly, "do you have a website?"

Nope, just walking around taking pics for grins and giggles.
Just figured I'd post a new experience.

[justanotherdude]

Originally Posted by Pixel8ed

Tablets are hard to get used to. The disconnect of not looking there your hand is working can be a tough challenge for some. Often you get to the point of wanting to throw it away before your brain starts to put it all together. Once it's on board it is no effort at all. I know some that use the tablet instead of a mouse now.

I am left handed but use the mouse in the right. So I am able to be super efficient with motions as I use the tablet on the left and the mouse on the right.

The only benefit I've noticed is the button shortcuts I have programmed, and like I stated the increased control of the brush when I'm zoomed in. The disconnect wasn't bad but lately Lightroom has started to lag in general, so I'm not sure what the issue is. Laptop might just be getting too old.

[druu]

Originally Posted by Pixel8ed

Been doing it since they allowed the swap in the firmware. Would never go back to a one button action.

How useful it is depends on what you shoot. I do mostly studio work or location shoots with models. So speed is not a problem. I can see where for sports or birding it would be a problem.

It was a weird change for me, but after using it for certain people photos where i want nothing to change i find a use in it. I still think its a little clumsy though.

[Pixel8ed]

Originally Posted by druu

It was a weird change for me, but after using it for certain people photos where i want nothing to change i find a use in it. I still think its a little clumsy though.

It definitely can be clumsey. There is no one way that is perfect for everything. But I have been doing it so long I could not function without it. I think it is just a muscle memory thing at this point.