| Author | Thread |
|
|
03/05/2008 12:12:24 PM · #1 |
okay, probably a stooopid question but...
i feel like my view finder is throwing my focus off (or my eyes are getting bad), is there a specific methoid to getting your viewfinder focused correctly?
|
|
|
|
03/05/2008 12:14:52 PM · #2 |
There's a diopter wheel that is used to adjust for people who wear glasses.
The viewfinder will not throw the focus off. If you're using manual focus and what you see through the viewfinder is showing focus when it actually isn't, then that's your eyes or the diopter setting. |
|
|
|
03/05/2008 12:16:51 PM · #3 |
right, i know where the diopter wheel is, but how do i tell if thats wrong or if my focus (lens) is wrong?
|
|
|
|
03/05/2008 12:19:36 PM · #4 |
Are you using manual or auto focus?
Is it focusing behind or in front of where you thought you were focusing?
What aperture setting are you using?
what about posting an example? |
|
|
|
03/05/2008 12:48:32 PM · #5 |
use your autofocus. If it's not sharp after the autofocus, it's likely that you need to correct the diopter wheel.
do it a couple of times, with different subjects or lenses to reduce potential error.
|
|
|
|
03/05/2008 01:31:43 PM · #6 |
1. Wear whatever corrective lenses you normally use when shooting.
2. Point camera at something bright and plan; sky, for example.
3. Focus your eyes on the crosshair or little-box markings in the viewfinder, or try to at least.
4. Spin the diopter wheel so those markings are crisp and sharp. You have now adjusted the diopter correctly, you are focused on the ground glass itself.
When manually focusing, from this point on, learn to use the following procedure:
1. Raise camera to eye, rough focus, frame image.
2. Focus your eye on the viewfinder markings.
3. While keeping those markings in focus, bring up the image so it too is sharp by turning the focus ring on the lens.
It's VERY easy to front-focus or back-focus your eye in relation tot he ground glass, so an image that appears sharp is not actually focused on the plane of the ground glass. This is why it is critical to maintain focus on the ground glass markings throughout the process.
R.
|
|
|
|
03/05/2008 01:45:56 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
1. Wear whatever corrective lenses you normally use when shooting.
2. Point camera at something bright and plan; sky, for example.
3. Focus your eyes on the crosshair or little-box markings in the viewfinder, or try to at least.
4. Spin the diopter wheel so those markings are crisp and sharp. You have now adjusted the diopter correctly, you are focused on the ground glass itself.
When manually focusing, from this point on, learn to use the following procedure:
1. Raise camera to eye, rough focus, frame image.
2. Focus your eye on the viewfinder markings.
3. While keeping those markings in focus, bring up the image so it too is sharp by turning the focus ring on the lens.
It's VERY easy to front-focus or back-focus your eye in relation tot he ground glass, so an image that appears sharp is not actually focused on the plane of the ground glass. This is why it is critical to maintain focus on the ground glass markings throughout the process.
R. |
perfect! thats what i was looking for, i knew there was some methoid...thanks alot man.
|
|
|
|
03/05/2008 02:20:10 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by chris48083:
perfect! thats what i was looking for, i knew there was some methoid...thanks alot man. |
You're welcome. I'm always surprised how many things that seem basic to me have never been explained to a lot of people. And, for that matter, I am always astonished at how often other people bring up tips or techniques that, once read, seem startlingly fundamental but of which I had never been aware :-)
R.
|
|
|
|
03/05/2008 03:10:21 PM · #9 |
WOW - I just found something new on my camera!
I was checking my diopter setting as per Bears instruction and found that...
While in manual focus, If I half press the shutter (Force of habit for auto focus!), as I turn the focus ring, the selected focus point (Centre in my case) gives a flash as the subject comes into focus!
Tried it with all focus points activated and they each blink in turn as the different parts of my composition come into focus while turning the focus wheel!
how cool is that!
I knocked the diopter way out of whack. Let the camera focus point tell me what it thought was in focus, then adjusted the diopter so that my viewfinder was also in focus on that point. Came smack on the setting I had chosen using bears technique.
So - Who else didn't know the focus points worked like this in Manual focus mode?
Does it do it on all Canons? Works on my 30D and 350D
Nikons too? |
|
|
|
03/05/2008 03:13:51 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by pix-al:
WOW - I just found something new on my camera!
I was checking my diopter setting as per Bears instruction and found that...
While in manual focus, If I half press the shutter (Force of habit for auto focus!), as I turn the focus ring, the selected focus point (Centre in my case) gives a flash as the subject comes into focus!
Tried it with all focus points activated and they each blink in turn as the different parts of my composition come into focus while turning the focus wheel!
how cool is that!
I knocked the diopter way out of whack. Let the camera focus point tell me what it thought was in focus, then adjusted the diopter so that my viewfinder was also in focus on that point. Came smack on the setting I had chosen using bears technique.
So - Who else didn't know the focus points worked like this in Manual focus mode?
Does it do it on all Canons? Works on my 30D and 350D
Nikons too? |
My Nikon has a little green dot in the bottom left corner that lights up when the current focus point is in focus.
Message edited by author 2008-03-05 15:14:09.
|
|
|
|
03/05/2008 03:18:02 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by geoffb:
My Nikon has a little green dot in the bottom left corner that lights up when the current focus point is in focus. |
And, as I discovered today, it beeps when in focus! (At least I seem to have turned this on - inadvertently). |
|
|
|
03/05/2008 03:28:54 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by geoffb:
My Nikon has a little green dot in the bottom left corner that lights up when the current focus point is in focus. |
Yes - Canons is bottom right, though I had not noticed this in Manual before...
Originally posted by salmiakki:
And, as I discovered today, it beeps when in focus! (At least I seem to have turned this on - inadvertently). |
Most Point and Shoots do this dont they... Not sure if it can be enabled on the Canons, though would drive me mad I think! |
|
|
|
03/05/2008 03:32:42 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by pix-al:
WOW - I just found something new on my camera!
I was checking my diopter setting as per Bears instruction and found that...
While in manual focus, If I half press the shutter (Force of habit for auto focus!), as I turn the focus ring, the selected focus point (Centre in my case) gives a flash as the subject comes into focus!
Tried it with all focus points activated and they each blink in turn as the different parts of my composition come into focus while turning the focus wheel!
how cool is that!
I knocked the diopter way out of whack. Let the camera focus point tell me what it thought was in focus, then adjusted the diopter so that my viewfinder was also in focus on that point. Came smack on the setting I had chosen using bears technique.
So - Who else didn't know the focus points worked like this in Manual focus mode?
Does it do it on all Canons? Works on my 30D and 350D
Nikons too? |
My XTi & 40D do that also in MF mode |
|
|
|
03/05/2008 03:34:45 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by pix-al:
Most Point and Shoots do this dont they... Not sure if it can be enabled on the Canons, though would drive me mad I think! |
Probably, don't know, don't often use one. (either a p+s or a Canon!) |
|
|
|
03/05/2008 03:38:24 PM · #15 |
|
|
|
03/05/2008 05:09:24 PM · #16 |
what is tres' cool on a D3 there are little marks on ether side of the dot
a bit like >o< which lite up to tell you which way you are out of focus .
makes focussing the f1.2 a snap !!!! |
|
|
|
03/05/2008 06:59:36 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by ralph:
what is tres' cool on a D3 there are little marks on ether side of the dot
a bit like >o< which lite up to tell you which way you are out of focus .
makes focussing the f1.2 a snap !!!! |
Yet another reason why I must have one.
|
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 12/28/2025 05:31:03 PM EST.
