jimmuller wrote:
I have a question, if you please. Since it involves Manually Focusing Nikon Glass this thread is appropriate. It's actually a question of what viewers, which is to say all of you, perceive. For that reason it's about composition but with a technical spin. I posed this question in the Photo Critique forum but I've given up on it being helpful.
A few pages back I posted a picture of purple flowers (specifically Violetflower Petunias) taken with a 200mm f/4 and uncropped. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55371118231_82d3e8c9ba_b.jpg
My question is about its focus. I wanted the viewer to feel immersed in purple, a sort of mini-landscape but with a necessarily narrow DOF. I never know the best way to focus such pics. I made a conscious choice to focus not on the larger flower in the center but on one to the left and further away (slightly higher in the frame).
It was an experiment that I've tried before. I'm not sure it works. Oh, you viewers may or may not experience the effect I wanted but you may also come away thinking I simply missed the focus. (I are jus' a poor misunderstood artist. .) So I'm asking for honest critique about that point. An answer in the PC forum talked about starting and stopping the movement of the eyes and a bunch of other technical stuff for what should be an intuitive choice. The question I'm asking is simpler.
I've learned a lot from this forum. Hoping to evolve a bit more.
Thanks! ...Show more →
The off centre focus works for me. In fact it looks like you are on a 'rule-of-thirds' grid point.
My eye did get drawn to the non purple area in the top right corner so I'd probably be cropping that out to maximise the purple blanket effect.
DeltaSigma wrote:
The off centre focus works for me. In fact it looks like you are on a 'rule-of-thirds' grid point.
My eye did get drawn to the non purple area in the top right corner so I'd probably be cropping that out to maximise the purple blanket effect.
Colin
Thanks. The rule-of-thirds was not intentional though perhaps it just felt right that way. You mean the black area upper right? Hmm. Good point. It didn't bother me because I rarely notice stuff I'm not supposed to see. But obviously it drew your eye. I shall have to consider something like that more carefully in future.
leighton w wrote:
In this particular image, I like that the focus is off center. I didn't really think about you missing focus.
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lumenspixel wrote:
Note that it is not so easy at this size of pic to note all the dof variations, but nonetheless I think your focusing is perfectly fine.
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BLLX wrote
I really like this picture 👏
I focus differently - sometimes center, foreground, background or the sides.
Jim, everyone's right, its personal preference where you place the focus in that situation. I tend to place it somewhere closer to the foreground, most often. But there's no right or wrong.
My approach to composition is to shoot many variations. Many times, during post processing, a few or one emerges as clearly superior to the others. I think the process of transition from 3D to 2D can be hard to anticipate. I wasn't a "stay within the lines kid", so composition "rules" makes me bristle a bit. Even though I do use them, at times.
Question intended to the users of the Nikon 25-50 f4,0:
I have read conflicting reviews about the lens. Some arguing it is the best Nikon manual focus zoom others stating it reaches its limits on digital full frame despite nice colours and contrast.
I use a combination I like very much that is the 28 70 3,5 4 5 AF D with the E 75 150. Great quality size and weight
I am ready for a weight and size penalty using the 25 50 and the 50 135. But I would like to hear about the image quality benefit, if any, before committing.
lumenspixel wrote:
Question intended to the users of the Nikon 25-50 f4,0:
I have read conflicting reviews about the lens. Some arguing it is the best Nikon manual focus zoom others stating it reaches its limits on digital full frame despite nice colours and contrast.
I use a combination I like very much that is the 28 70 3,5 4 5 AF D with the E 75 150. Great quality size and weight
I am ready for a weight and size penalty using the 25 50 and the 50 135. But I would like to hear about the image quality benefit, if any, before committing. ...Show more →
Michel, the copy I use to own was super sharp - even on my highest resolution sensors (D850 and 5DS-R), In fact, all the "experts" predicting that the latest _insert camera name here_ would out resolve vintage lenses have proved to be full of caca. At least in my experience.
Jim
James Markus wrote:
Michel, the copy I use to own was super sharp - even on my highest resolution sensors (D850 and 5DS-R), In fact, all the "experts" predicting that the latest _insert camera name here_ would out resolve vintage lenses have proved to be full of caca. At least in my experience.
Jim
That is quite helpful and engaging Jim. Hope there will be a consensus that will tame the common issue of sample variation.
.) So I'm asking for honest critique about that point. An answer in the PC forum talked about starting and stopping the movement of the eyes and a bunch of other technical stuff for what should be an intuitive choice. The question I'm asking is simpler.
