Neither for me. Know your gear and how does it behave when you stop it down to usual landscape apertures like f11. My 24-70L might be a nice example - if I focused on something half the way into the scene, the FG was very sharp but the BG was OOF - perhaps not totally OOF but enough to show on larger than 12x18" print (I actually don't know since I haven't tried larger print, but the 12x18" looked very fine). When I focused on pretty far subject and kept the same aperture, the DOF was considerably larger and the FG was still very sharp. Of course this will depend on the actual distance of the nearest FG element and your camera/lens combo. Sometimes you might have to stop down even further to f16 if the nearest FG elements are very close. I always tend to focus on the subjects I want to be in focus and stop down accordingly so the FG will be in focus too.
I agree it's not always useful. The circle of confusion factored into these calculations isn't as useful with the massive resolutions we're dealing with these days, if you're cropping or printing at massive sizes. I generally try to use the hyperfocal distance markers on the lens but I almost always use manual focus lenses which give me all these indicators and have a long focus throw unless many AF lenses.
Some of the lenses I use (35mm summicron) have to be focused to infinity even at f/8 if I want sharp horizons. Focus bracketing then blending if shooting from a tripod is an option unless your lens has breathing (changing focal length with focus distance) like many of mine do. It's still possible to blend with these lenses but much more effort
None of these.
My old-school primes have DOF scales but thay are only a rough guide, having been designed for 35mm. I usually start from there and then use DOF preview if I am not sure. I dont always strive to get everything in focus, often I use differential focus to make the subject stand out.
So IMO the poll is flawed, being an over-simpified view. YMMV
There is no option on your "quiz" that matches what I do, but I certainly do NOT use hyperfocal distance charts. I do use DOF preview and on occasion I'll "focus bracket" if I really need huge DOF.
Wow, no one here used hyperfocal distance charts? I'm surprised. I think they're an invaluable tool, especially for a landscape photographer. I have most of the distances memorized for my wider lenses. That way, I can have the foreground VERY close to my lens and know it will still be in focus. Look at this shot on my site and read the comments below on how I made the image. Hyperfocals were instrumental.
Click the right here for an EXCELLENT free Hyperfocal Chart calculator. It lets you creat your own hyperfocal charts specific to any lens.
Nug Blazer wrote:
Wow, no one here used hyperfocal distance charts? I'm surprised. I think they're an invaluable tool, especially for a landscape photographer. I have most of the distances memorized for my wider lenses. That way, I can have the foreground VERY close to my lens and know it will still be in focus. Look at this shot on my site and read the comments below on how I made the image. Hyperfocals were instrumental.
Click the right here for an EXCELLENT free Hyperfocal Chart calculator. It lets you creat your own hyperfocal charts specific to any lens.
On a really wide angle lens, like a 17-40mm, you can't tell where the distance settings are, so you can't really use hyperfocal settings accurately. Also, I often shoot with elements REALLY close to the lens... like inches.. hyperfocal won't do you any good there either. Try doing this with hyperfocal distance:
The flowers were literally inches away from the camera.. you can't get this right unless you focus bracket.
In many other scenarios I don't have the horizon (infinity focus) in my picture, so I don't need it in focus. So in the end, there's not many times that it actually is useful for my purposes, it's much better to shoot, check focus, focus bracket, aperture bracket, etc..
floris wrote:
On a really wide angle lens, like a 17-40mm, you can't tell where the distance settings are, so you can't really use hyperfocal settings accurately. Also, I often shoot with elements REALLY close to the lens... like inches.. hyperfocal won't do you any good there either. Try doing this with hyperfocal distance:
The flowers were literally inches away from the camera.. you can't get this right unless you focus bracket.
In many other scenarios I don't have the horizon (infinity focus) in my picture, so I don't need it in focus. So in the end, there's not many times that it actually is useful for my purposes, it's much better to shoot, check focus, focus bracket, aperture bracket, etc.. ...Show more →
Beautiful!
I also use the bracketing of focus and blend when in doubt. I don't use the charts but am thinking about it.
