Tips on fixing focus
Andrew Smallman outlines some tricks and tips for getting accurate focus when you want to shoot sharp images.
In the last 20 years there have been many advances in camera technology, notably auto focus, digital capture and electronic operation. These have greatly enhanced the imaging ability of consumer handheld cameras. But at the same time they’ve brought two challenges to camera users.
The first is complexity. When all focusing was manual the procedure was quite simple. In the case of a single lens reflex (SLR) camera you simply rotated the focus ring on the lens. With modern cameras the process can be much more complex, with many possible ways to activate focusing.
The second challenge is control. With 1980s era manual-focus cameras the operator had full control of and responsibility for correct focusing. Modern cameras will, if you let them, take control of the whole process from subject element selection to activation of focus drive in the lens and image capture. Sometimes that delivers the desired result, sometimes not! For consistent results the enthusiast or expert photographer needs to manage the high cognitive demands of a modern electronic camera with it’s multitude of options and menus while learning to take charge of the focusing process....
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Mirrorless Hybrids; Fungi up close; Introducing creative blur to your images; Profile - Peter Elfes; Understanding Layers in Photoshop; Locations - Karinjini NP, WA; Epson R3000 printer.
This story was first published in the Australian Photography May 2012 issue of Australian Photography > May 2012.
