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07/08/2006 01:48:36 PM · #1 |
To a camera anyway.
The moon was high and bright last night and was trying some test shots at 300mm on the 70-300mm Sigma. Tried manual focual at infinity and it was really blurry, not only in the viewfinder, but the shot too. Switched to auto-focus and it made a huge difference. Switched to 55-200mm Sigma and was the same.
I would have thought 186,000 miles would be infinity, but really isn't at that focal range.
Here's a sample at 300mm using auto-focus:
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07/08/2006 01:51:26 PM · #2 |
| Hmmm that's still a great shot Brad. Maybe MArbo can fill us in? |
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07/08/2006 01:53:48 PM · #3 |
seemed to have read somewhere that modern lenes will focus past infinity
(I think this is to allow some variance in the AF circuitry) |
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07/08/2006 01:55:49 PM · #4 |
You can definitely focus "past" infinity, if the lens has a distance scale on it you can even see this happen on the scale. If you just twisted the lens all the way to its stop, you probably did that.
R.
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07/08/2006 02:11:15 PM · #5 |
that sounds funny - focusing PAST infinity.
Is that like "my camera focuses to infinity plus 1" :P
Message edited by author 2006-07-08 14:11:41. |
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07/08/2006 02:24:39 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by Megatherian:
that sounds funny - focusing PAST infinity.
Is that like "my camera focuses to infinity plus 1" :P |
No, only Chuck Norris's lenses can do that, cause he counted to infinty, twice.. ;-) |
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07/08/2006 02:41:49 PM · #7 |
Wow... this all blows me away...
I'm a slave to autofocus on my crappy camera (nice Ziess optics, though) There are very few times I have ever successfully manually focused anything other than infinity with it. Bugs the heck out of me. And in those cases I had to take many shots and review them on a computer first to validate the focus.
I hate it when I'm with kirbic and see what his Canon 5D can do. His works right. :)
One of the few places I trust my camera is taking pictures under manual focus with low light level images.
Now I can't even trust that!
Message edited by author 2006-07-08 14:42:50.
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07/08/2006 02:46:27 PM · #8 |
On all of my lenese, if I want to manually set the focus to "infinity" I crank it all the way up and then back-off a tweek. I agree, most lenses will be blurry if cranked all the way to infinity.
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07/08/2006 02:51:56 PM · #9 |
| Stdavidson your 717 should focus on infinity in manual. My 828 and H1 did. just put it on infinity in manual and I could take pictures of stars clearly. My XT is another story. Stars are to dim to use auto focus and in manual they are so small in the finder just about impossible to see. Had to find the brightest in the sky and focus on that then re-frame. |
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07/08/2006 02:59:42 PM · #10 |
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07/08/2006 03:02:53 PM · #11 |
i had the same thing happen the other night when I took a shot of the moon which is in my portfolio. I was using my tamron 200-500 with a 2x teleconvertor, I went out to infinity then had to every so slightly back it off and I mean just a slight nudge and it was dead on focus.
I have learned that this lens will not auto focus in the dark with that 2x attached,
edit to add link to moon photo //www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=359748
Message edited by author 2006-07-08 15:06:48.
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07/08/2006 03:11:19 PM · #12 |
Because of my vision problems, the only time I ever focus manually is at infinity. And then, I turn all the way to the focus stops and back off. Ofcourse, getting focus right is always easier with smaller apertures.
I did that for fireworks with my 50mm 1.8 and I was utterly amazed with the sharpness. I was at f/11, I believe.
Any other times, I use auto focus.
Message edited by author 2006-07-08 15:11:55.
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07/08/2006 03:12:22 PM · #13 |
Wow Bugzeye, pretty near identical to what I shot last night.
(except yours looks more like cheese) :)
j/k |
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07/08/2006 03:20:55 PM · #14 |
It must be a Wisconsin thing. Originally posted by BradP:
(except yours looks more like cheese) :)
j/k |
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07/08/2006 03:30:20 PM · #15 |
According to some discussions I've seen on DPreview, it's a feature of newer lenses that allows for compensation for different temperatures, e.g., what is infinity for 25 deg F might not be the same as when it's 100 deg F.
I used to think it was just a feature of zoom lenses, where the mechanics of the zoom ring had to account for the fact that infinity at 28mm might not be the same as infinity at 75mm but now I'm not so sure. |
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07/08/2006 03:31:30 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by jmritz:
Stdavidson your 717 should focus on infinity in manual. My 828 and H1 did. just put it on infinity in manual and I could take pictures of stars clearly. My XT is another story. Stars are to dim to use auto focus and in manual they are so small in the finder just about impossible to see. Had to find the brightest in the sky and focus on that then re-frame. |
Yeah... I know... the F717 does focus well at infinity. I do that with most all my low light level outdoor image. I'm just expressing my frustration with the general inability to use manual focus on a non-optical LCD screen.
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07/08/2006 03:32:40 PM · #17 |
| My experience with film cameras and pre-autofocus cameras is that most all past and present lenses do not focus at infinity with the lens at the stops. I always had to back off a hair with my Canon A1. The focus of a lens is meant to be controlled either by the photog or the AF, not by the stops on the lens. |
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07/08/2006 03:39:50 PM · #18 |
I noticed this about 3 or 4 months ago while I was photographing at the zoo. Until then I used to get alot of blurry shots when i used manual focus. Now I usually try to dial in with auto first if it doesn't work I go manual which is not always easy in low light or dark conditions when you can not see details very clear through the view finder.
I guess nothing can be perfect.
Originally posted by dickwilhelm:
My experience with film cameras and pre-autofocus cameras is that most all past and present lenses do not focus at infinity with the lens at the stops. I always had to back off a hair with my Canon A1. The focus of a lens is meant to be controlled either by the photog or the AF, not by the stops on the lens. |
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07/08/2006 03:43:42 PM · #19 |
Wisconsin moon from a few nights ago. No cheese!
Shot with coolpix 4500 through my C8 (2000mm focal length). |
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07/08/2006 03:47:37 PM · #20 |
Thats backwards, lol the telescope effect. Originally posted by strangeghost:
Wisconsin moon from a few nights ago. No cheese!
Shot with coolpix 4500 through my C8 (2000mm focal length). |
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07/08/2006 03:51:20 PM · #21 |
the moon will be full in a couple of nights if the skys are clear I might take some more shots, may even get out my telescope and see what else is out there. You are motivating me strangeghost
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07/08/2006 03:52:36 PM · #22 |
"Only" 2000mm?
I can do that in PS - LOL - amazing detail in yours Mike John!
Now, how many of your moon shots were hand-held? Huh? Huh?
*snicker* (notes to self - gotta' get a tripod)
edited cuz' I'm a dork!
Message edited by author 2006-07-08 16:02:55. |
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07/08/2006 03:56:08 PM · #23 |
You took that without a T-pod? you must be a steady freddy. anything over around 200 mm i need a pod or I get motion sickness from looking at the photos afterwards.
Originally posted by BradP:
"Only" 2000mm?
I can do that in PS - LOL - amazing detail in yours Mike!
Now, how many of your moon shots were hand-held? Huh? Huh?
*snicker* (notes to self - gotta' get a tripod) |
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07/08/2006 03:58:37 PM · #24 |
i was just comparing the 3 photos side by side.. amazing how much the look alike even though they were taken from three differnt places angles times etc.... Kind of cool how each one gets a little closer, could be a new challenge. who can get the closest shot of the moon..
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07/08/2006 03:59:05 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by Bugzeye:
the moon will be full in a couple of nights if the skys are clear I might take some more shots, may even get out my telescope and see what else is out there. You are motivating me strangeghost |
I've been on a yearlong quest to photograph the full moon rising behind the Wisconsin Capitol building. See previous shots here.
This Monday night's full moon gives me my best chance yet to capture this elusive shot. My calculations show that, from my vantage point on the west shore of the lake at Bishop's Bay Country Club, the moon will rise directly behind the building, and be just to the right of the dome by the time it clears the haze. If skies are clear, I hope to have a winner of a shot on Tuesday morning!
BTW Brad, I'm JOHN!!
;-) |
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