Comments on: Tiny Tips 15: Hyperfocal Distance in Street Photography

By: Hyperfocal Distance in Street Photography « ChromaticSoul :: The Blog

Hyperfocal Distance in Street Photography « ChromaticSoul :: The Blog — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:52:35 +0000

[...] Setting your lens in manual focus mode, and setting it at its Hyperfocal distance will allow you to take photographs with a great deal of flexibility, often allowing you to shoot from your hip, or while supporting the camera on a steady surface. Very un-obtrusive. [via Beyond Phototips] [...]

By: Susheel Chandradhas

Susheel Chandradhas — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:01:15 +0000

@raymond, This is what Markus is referring to. It’s called Zone focusing. Do read the post that he’s written about it.

By: Raymond

Raymond — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:53:47 +0000

That’s interesting, I shall have to try that. Normally when I am doing from-the-hip I’ll actually eye-ball the distance and set my lens focus manually to that.

By: Markus Hartel

Markus Hartel — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:02:00 +0000

There is a simple workaround to use zone focusing with AF/digital lenses. simply focus on an object within your working distance and deactivate autofocus – focus will always be at that point… use a little piece of gaffers tape to hold the lens barrel in place, if necessary. trust me, I have been through this numerous times.

By: Rengarajan.J

Rengarajan.J — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:10:18 +0000

Dear Markus Hartel,
Excellent article indeed! However, Zone focusing is impossible in the majority of the digital lenses because there is no DOF scale. Mr Bryan Peterson in his book “Understanding Exposure” makes a passing mention about this. He talks some thing like ” F22 and focus second 1/3 of the frame then everything will be sharp” I am not sure though. I am waiting for some good article on Hyperfocal distance for Dummies like me!
Regards,
R.J

By: Susheel Chandradhas

Susheel Chandradhas — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:47:03 +0000

@Antonio Marques & Markus Hartel:

Good points to note… especially zone focusing.

I think that this one of those techniques that you keep in your back pocket and pull out at a handy moment; when the technique suits the occasion.

Thanks for your comments.

By: Markus Hartel

Markus Hartel — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:10:31 +0000

hyperfocal distance is used in landscape photography to ensure largest DOF from near to infinity.

while the idea can be adapted for street photography, zone focusing has proven to be more useful in the streets:

http://www.markushartel.com/tutorials/camera-related/zone-focusing.html

By: Antonio Marques

Antonio Marques — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 22:57:28 +0000

This is a nice approach to the old “shoot-from-the-hip-and-get-everything-in-focus” problem. But one of the things that attracts me in street photos is the different focal planes. A street photo that has huge depth of field can quite easily become boring.

Just a thought…