hi ,

i'm planning to buy hd100 this week ,
is hd100 just manual focus camera ?
if yes , how to focus ? ( i know how to focus ) but what about moving person - object , or panning camera and focusing on target ?
thanks

Manual focus only (quite easy with the focus assist switched on).

Focusing 101;

Zoom in all the way on the object or the correct area. Focus up. Pull out and compose your shot. As long as you have set the back focus (flange back) correctly you will now be in focus along the entire zoom range.

Just make sure to read the manual regarding flange back.

I believe original poster was asking about following a moving subject with focus. The answer is that it's a matter of experience. Shoot with manual focus long enough and you'll just know exactly how much to turn the lens to hit focus or follow something moving toward or away from you. Tons of people do it every day, myself included, you just need to work at it.

I believe original poster was asking about following a moving subject with focus. The answer is that it's a matter of experience. Shoot with manual focus long enough and you'll just know exactly how much to turn the lens to hit focus or follow something moving toward or away from you. Tons of people do it every day, myself included, you just need to work at it.

Definitely, and the rewards are much better than auto focus (which can look pretty bad on zoom in's - I shot footage a while back using auto focus and it merely dipped in and out of focus when zooming into the subject - I think the lighting foxed it somewhat).
I'm almost there with this skill - just remember which way to turn the lens depending on which was the subject is moving....and be delicate with it!

"Shoot with manual focus long enough and you'll just know exactly how much to turn the lens to hit focus or follow something moving toward or away from you. Tons of people do it every day..."

This is a pretty tricky technique, since the lens focus ring is non-linear. The closer you get to infinity, the less rotation you need to keep a moving object in focus.

thanks paul , justin , stephan , david and bill .
i give it a shot .

hi ,

i'm planning to buy hd100 this week ,
is hd100 just manual focus camera ?
if yes , how to focus ? ( i know how to focus ) but what about moving person - object , or panning camera and focusing on target ?
thanks

I had to adjust focus on a moving subject for a recent TV commercial. The camera was on a jib/crane and started out above my head, so looking through the eyepiece or flip-out widow was impossible. I had a monitor on the ground, but not good enough to focus with.

So I took electrician's tape, and made X-marks where the talent was to start walking, and where they were supposed to stop. Then I used a tape measure to figure out the distance between the camera & the two tape marks. I have found that if back-focus is correct, then you really can rely on the measurement marks on the focus ring.

Thus, rather than re-focus for every take, I simply started with the focus ring on the measurement setting for the talent's starting point, and as he walked, I moved the jib from the front (camera end, rather than weight-end), while gradually rolling the focus ring to the measurement setting of his stopping point. We did numerous takes, and I found each take followed his movements in near perfect focus.

This is a pretty tricky technique, since the lens focus ring is non-linear. The closer you get to infinity, the less rotation you need to keep a moving object in focus.

You get used to that too, though I certainly wish it was more linear. Well, except when you're trying to focus to infinity.

"Shoot with manual focus long enough and you'll just know exactly how much to turn the lens to hit focus or follow something moving toward or away from you. Tons of people do it every day..."

This is a pretty tricky technique, since the lens focus ring is non-linear. The closer you get to infinity, the less rotation you need to keep a moving object in focus.


After a while you get used to it. Its like driving a stick shift- at first you really have to concentrate and thing about what your doing, and your going to kill it and grind the gears a few times. But eventually it just becomes second nature and you don't even think about it.