practice zone-focusing gongfu...

[artspraken]

GONGFU A
So I read that the best way to practice zone focusing is to:-

(i) select subject
(ii) mentally judge the distance
(iii) put camera to eye
(iv) make the 2 images overlap
(v) look at the lens distance meter to see whether the actual focus distance is close to (ii)

Apparently, the gongfu above will help me to lian my judgment of distance.

GONGFU B
For 35mm lenses, I also read that got this gongfu that involve mentally imagining that the distance is 90 degree same length as the horizontal end of the picture.

GONGFU C
Personally, near my house got this "hop scotch" built into the void deck, and I grew up seeing this everyday, so much so that I can imagine it very accurately. So what I did was I measured the distance, and now I also try to judge distance by imagining got this hop scotch underneath the subject....this become my personal gongfu

Got any other shifu with better zone-focusing gongfu can teach pls?

 

[nordleadx]

wow , i dun know got so many patterns.

I do it by imagining how many arms apart from the subjects and from me.

So far between 1 to 5 meters quite spot on , but I have wasted many films and shots on my m8 in order to get the feel.

35mm and wider lense seems to work better for this kong fu , tired 50mm also , hit rate not as high as others.

Thanks for sharing ur kong fu.

 

[benny]

Zone focusing is sometimes call scale focusing too.

http://www.rogerandfrances.com/photoschool/ps how zone focus.html

The most important thing is to know how to read the depth of field scale to see the zone that will be within focus in the distance scale. Sadly, newer lenses (especially the AF ones) these days have done away with this markings on the barrel.

Cheers,

 

[Redshutter]

Zone focusing is sometimes call scale focusing too.

http://www.rogerandfrances.com/photoschool/ps how zone focus.html

The most important thing is to know how to read the depth of field scale to see the zone that will be within focus in the distance scale. Sadly, newer lenses (especially the AF ones) these days have done away with this markings on the barrel.

Cheers,

Ya, but it also makes old manual lenses more special!!! :angel:

 

[nordleadx]

Hope to share, brought these camera becos I wanted to Master the art of guessing distance and exposure.

Leica C / elmar 50mm f3.5 / trx 400 /





All these shots if zoom at actual pixel. Non are actually in focus, for the 2nd pic, the focus is at the back. 1st pic focus at infinity .

As long dont shoot wide open at f2 or 1.4 . It is possible I think.

This is from Canon 35mm f2.8 . At f 5.6 or something.



not in focus somemore. Paisa but its ok as long use flickr because they sharpen pics.

Nwdays iphone is the best camera , wide angle with no bokeh. Once the shutter lag improved and high iso performance gets better, nothing will beats iphone.

 

[pikapig]

recently i tried zone focusing...

i use myself as a gauge..im 1.68 in height..so i imagine me lying down, 2 of me minus abit...and make it 3m...and apparently it works..but not all pics turned out in focus...none the less, i just keep to this gauge...

but by zone focusing, i tend to not open my aperture too wide like...1.4...i tend to go at least 2.8 and above...not really v confident about shooting at a bigger aperture.

so if i saw the subject, i will walk towards it close to that 3m to snap...now i wan to try something even closer...2m...haha

this one aiming gone off....but i will try again!

 

[kewlzound]

i read somewhere that you can use a 5m string with knots at the proper intervals, 1m, 1.5m, 3m, 5m.

Then you lay it out infront of you and remember the distances, keep doing this at somewhere convenient (home, corridor, toilet). So when you go out and shoot just imagine this rope and you will roughly get the approximate distances.

another way is "arms-lengths". =)

 

[nordleadx]

anyone has special kongfu in guessing exposure????

 

[kewlzound]

for exposure i "agar" using the shadows during the day.
4 kinds of shadows:

1) Clear, distinct shadows, very bright sunlight: f/22, speed=1/iso
2) Clear shadows: Sunny 16 Rule
3) Hazy shadows: f/11, speed=1/iso
4) No shadows, with sunlight: f/5.6 or 8, speed=1/iso

(Please correct me if i'm wrong, still a learning film photog).
yt.

 

[Dslrman]

The best tool to horne zone-focusing technique for me is to horne it from my good old russian cameras. Its kinda like running with two bags of sandbags which leaks while you try to prevent it from leaking. The cameras are not perfect but it gives you a level which you can never attain but it gives you a goal which always strive hard to achieve. The satisfaction is higher when you can produce a decent result deriving from these cameras than those cameras which are in the higher end. My theory is, when I finally get rid of those sandbags I will definitely run faster (metaphorically, getting a better camera). But all this I make sure I don't suffer from exhausion first

For exposure estimation check this out: http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=687215

 

[artspraken]

Never heard of a camera described as sandbag before. I must take a look at these russian cameras

 

[nordleadx]

thanks kewlzound and Dslrman. Been shooting without a meter for few weeks and these extra tips really helps. For me, i always stick to the same film and shoot nothing below f3.5, seems to turn out fine for my shots.

thanks again

 

[nelson-tan]

That is a good way to practice zone focusing. Typically, the most important distances to estimate are those which are less than 3 meters away (IMHO), since anything further away has a wider tolerance to focusing errors. You can always practice without a camera to guess the distance, although you can check the distance with a camera. Keep practicing and you'll get better and better with time.

Once you're relatively good with estimating the focal distance, you might want to familiarize yourself with the lens that you use most often. Rangefinder lenses usually come with focusing tabs. If you can gauge by feel the distance focused by the location of the tab, you are able to prefocus before bringing your camera up to your eye.

Of course, the guess of focal distance and estimation of focus range on your lens may not be very accurate, but you spend much less time trying to match the images if you can pre-focus with good certainty.

Using the hop-scotch grid to practice is nice, but you should out-grow the habit of guessing the distance by looking at the floor to imagine grids or steps away. It cultivates the habit of looking at the ground and taking your eyes off the subject. It's more effective just forcing your mind to remember the distance by referencing stationary objects during practice.

For 35mm lenses, you're right that the angle of view is approximately the same as the distance the subject is away from you. It's a useful too for framing, although it doesn't work if you're using a APS-sensor camera! For many photographers, we learn to see the focal lengths very quickly without lifting the camera to the eye, because there're usually 3 lenses or less when working with our rangefinders!

Keep practicing on the framing and estimation of distance. I was perpetually frustrated in using my rangefinder until I learnt how to estimate the distance better. For anyone coming from a SLR background, it is no fun watching that tiny patch of focusing assist!

http://www.nelsontan.com/articlespage/rangefindercameras.html

 

[nordleadx]

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great pics :thumbsup:

 

[dtohs]

Just to get my perspective right, and also my ranges. On every occasion right before i shoot, i will select a fixture at between 2-3 metres, focus it then compare the reading on my lens, & that would be my working ranges for the shoot, & i shoot wide open on the street. This kinda tells me how much i am on or off, and only require minimum compensation. Dont know if it works for others though.

Good luck
daryl
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dtoh/

 

[artspraken]

I have learnt new gongfu...

GONGFU D
This gongfu is called "Walk to Me". It relies on pre-focus on subject

1. pre-focus on an object by the roadside (eg. dustbin)
2. stand at distance
3. stand and wait for subject to walk close to the dustbin
4. press shutter release.

Use F8 at least for best result

 

[Royale With Cheese]

I use zone focusing / scale focusing very often.

Most of the time I am at F16 or F8, pre-set distance to 1.2meters-5meters with a 35mm lens.

& yes, just fire away at anything interesting in that zone.

Can see more on my flickr.

I mostly push the the film to asa800 or asa1600 to obtain faster shutter speeds at F8 or F16 to prevent blur shots due to slow shutter. I use AE 98% of the time.

Zone focusing is a must use technique for capturing pictures on the streets, its fast, good DOF, en-abling you to get good moments