Learning to focus manually - need tips

Marty Welk · April 8th, 2010, 08:26 PM

i really dont think that "zoom in focus , then back out" type focusing has worked out so well since everything went digital and automatic. also can depend on the distances.
When you could manually set and lock backfocus , even tune it yourself for the distances , it would be a sure positive thing you could fully rely on.

Now i avoid relying on that as a method of assuring a perfect Wider focus, because some of the camera people will still do that, and its not perfect always.
As long as it takes them to Zoom down, do the freaking focus , then zoom back, i am really ticked off waiting for thier camera to be usable again . . . this is just topped off by it also not being perfectly in focus, depending on the location/distances.

mabey it is a backfocus issue with the cameras (new fangled auto crud), how it is set, or whatever, but if that was tossed out as an effective method of focus, then i still get focus, and it doesnt take so freaking long to do :-(

the way the cameras act now (unless you got a 28K lens) , i concider the method archaic, and just wish camera persons would quit doing it and concentrate on the focus NOW there that is in thier face, instead of trying cheap tricks that only work with expencive cameras :-).

Ed Kukla · April 9th, 2010, 07:26 AM

Zooming in to check focus works perfectly fine if the back focus is set properly on EX cameras. Your back focus should be set properly and your focus check will work.

The EX electronic back focus system can be fooled however. You must not have anything in the foreground or background at the W/A end of the lens during back focus setup or the electronic back focus can be fooled. Once you have set back focus, the camera keeps that info for that lens in the lens files. If you switch lenses (EX-3), the camera will keep the back focus settings for each EX lens.

David Pryke · April 11th, 2010, 06:52 PM

For more film like shoots I use a laser measure lined up with the film plane mark on the side of the camera. Get a reading and set the focus ring. Just don't zap anyone in the eye.

If your back focus is set correctly, zooming in, getting focus, and then zooming out is a totally acceptable way of checking focus. I've always done it that way.

Bruce Rawlings · April 12th, 2010, 12:07 AM

Surely the back focus HAS to be right. The tried and tested zoom in, focus, and pull back is the best way of having confidence in the focus setting. I can't think that there is in any other way of monitoring correct focus accurately in the field. I have a 9inch Sony HD-SDI monitor but it is not practical to use in most situations. My EX1 had back focus issues but once sorted using the Paul Kellet/Matt Davies systems all has been well.

April 8th, 2010, 08:26 PM	#16
Marty Welk Major Player Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: East Bay Cali Posts: 563	i really dont think that "zoom in focus , then back out" type focusing has worked out so well since everything went digital and automatic. also can depend on the distances. When you could manually set and lock backfocus , even tune it yourself for the distances , it would be a sure positive thing you could fully rely on. Now i avoid relying on that as a method of assuring a perfect Wider focus, because some of the camera people will still do that, and its not perfect always. As long as it takes them to Zoom down, do the freaking focus , then zoom back, i am really ticked off waiting for thier camera to be usable again . . . this is just topped off by it also not being perfectly in focus, depending on the location/distances. mabey it is a backfocus issue with the cameras (new fangled auto crud), how it is set, or whatever, but if that was tossed out as an effective method of focus, then i still get focus, and it doesnt take so freaking long to do :-( the way the cameras act now (unless you got a 28K lens) , i concider the method archaic, and just wish camera persons would quit doing it and concentrate on the focus NOW there that is in thier face, instead of trying cheap tricks that only work with expencive cameras :-). __________________ ----------------sig----------------- Re-learning everything all over again, one more time.

April 9th, 2010, 07:26 AM	#17
Ed Kukla Major Player Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: All over, USA Posts: 512	Zooming in to check focus works perfectly fine if the back focus is set properly on EX cameras. Your back focus should be set properly and your focus check will work. The EX electronic back focus system can be fooled however. You must not have anything in the foreground or background at the W/A end of the lens during back focus setup or the electronic back focus can be fooled. Once you have set back focus, the camera keeps that info for that lens in the lens files. If you switch lenses (EX-3), the camera will keep the back focus settings for each EX lens.

April 11th, 2010, 06:52 PM	#18
David Pryke New Boot Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 7	For more film like shoots I use a laser measure lined up with the film plane mark on the side of the camera. Get a reading and set the focus ring. Just don't zap anyone in the eye. If your back focus is set correctly, zooming in, getting focus, and then zooming out is a totally acceptable way of checking focus. I've always done it that way.

April 12th, 2010, 12:07 AM	#19
Bruce Rawlings Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK Posts: 410	Surely the back focus HAS to be right. The tried and tested zoom in, focus, and pull back is the best way of having confidence in the focus setting. I can't think that there is in any other way of monitoring correct focus accurately in the field. I have a 9inch Sony HD-SDI monitor but it is not practical to use in most situations. My EX1 had back focus issues but once sorted using the Paul Kellet/Matt Davies systems all has been well.