If anyone out there has some tips as to how they use hyperfocal distance with either of these two lenses, I’d be very grateful. I don’t find the DoF scale is too accurate… or maybe my definition of acceptable sharpness is unrealistic 🙂
I used to set hyperfocal distances with film cameras. My view is that our idea of sharp is different today vs the film era. We’ve been spoilt by hi res sensors and highly developed optics.
Clivem2 wrote:
I used to set hyperfocal distances with film cameras. My view is that our idea of sharp is different today vs the film era. We’ve been spoilt by hi res sensors and highly developed optics.
I think you’re bang-on with that assessment. It’s easy to see how out-of-focus an object is, when zoomed in to 200% 😂
A few years ago a Dorothea Lange exhibit came to Toronto and, seeing the prints up close and in person, it was enlightening to see how often she missed focus… yet her images of the dust bowl are more powerful and effective than any image most of us will ever make in our lives.
A good reminder to just focus on the moment you’ve captured, rather than whether or not I’ve nailed focus on the eye. I need to remind myself of that fact more often 🙂 especially now that I’ve begun to shoot with these manual focus lenses.
Raptor_Fan76 wrote:
If anyone out there has some tips as to how they use hyperfocal distance with either of these two lenses, I’d be very grateful. I don’t find the DoF scale is too accurate… or maybe my definition of acceptable sharpness is unrealistic 🙂
My take:
Whenever I get a new deep-focus capable lens (anything 35mm and wider), I test shoot at different stops and distances to try to get a feel for how this particular lens looks when "asked" to provide deep focus. Ignore the DOF scale and concepts of hyperfocal distance for a while.
What I did with my 35/2 Apo...
First, I checked the distance scale accuracy at these distances: ∞, 15', 10', 5'. This particular copy happens to have accurate focus markings. (The scales on most Nikon and Zeiss manual focus lenses I have are not accurate, so on those I put four dots on the focus ring with a paint marker at those measured settings. )
Second, Using a 24 MP camera (Z6II), I went out into the world and shot people in a crowded public place, for each shot guessing the distance that was most important to have in focus. I tried to shoot always at f/11, with occasional excursions to f/8 and f/16 allowed.
Results: Nice. Certainly acceptable. Even though reviewers' MTF charts show a precipitous decline in MTF at f/11 and f/16, on the 24MP camera the shots IMO looked OK and with pleasing deep focus.
Alan talks how he perfected shooting wide open at 1.2 meters. His porfolio is incredible as well.
Get good at a single distance to understand the look of how far- Then move on. You can't do all things distance wise if you don't know exactly what that looks like.
At night with certain lenses, I know what an armas length should be set at and don't need to think about focus at all, even wide open.
Some holiday snaps from today with my new 35mm f2 APO. Just jpg SOOC, using the lens for general purpose snaps at 5.6 100 ISO for types of photos there’s nothing remotely artistic as I have to focus on our significant anniversary rather than photography.
I’m using either Neutral or Standard Picture Control. With Nikon Z lenses I use Landscape but the APO puts out so much colour that I’ve toned down the PC.
I’m very much enjoying the lens. It’s going to be a peach. I just wish that Nikon would update th3 Zf firmware to allow us to chose a thicker border around the focus box…I keep losing the darned thing.
