focusing

O

odonnelly99

Active member
Just a simple question about focusing with the hmc40. I'm new to all of this, so please be gentle. What are the advantages of focusing manually vs. auto focusing?
 
I'll often have the camera set to manual focus, with one of the User buttons set to 'Push-to-focus'. Zoom in a little on the point of interest, hold down the User button and let the camera find focus, then release it and you are back in manual mode.

Even with focus assist, I find manually focussing a 1920x1080 image out-of-doors using the HMC40s less-than-fantastic screen or viewfinder to be a little 'challenging' at times ...
 
Auto focus might be OK in a "run and gun" shoot, where you just don't have a lot of time to deal with things, BUT like anything that's "auto", it has to guess at what you want.

Assuming you have time to focus properly, zoom the lens to maximum telephoto on the area you want to focus, press the focus assist button to magnify the image, adjust for the sharpest focus, turn off the focus assist (magnify), and zoom back to the proper framing.

Just so you understand, zooming in all the way produces the minimum depth of field and makes it easier to see when you are out of focus. Pressing the focus assist magnifies the image to better tell when the image is or is not in focus. As you zoom back, the depth of field increases, so more items in front and behind the point of focus will be in focus.


Bob Diaz
 
afraid of sounding retarded, THANK YOU!
i finally understand why when i press the zoom assist the image zooms in!!
am i retarded, or what!!!


thank you
BobDiaz said:
Auto focus might be OK in a "run and gun" shoot, where you just don't have a lot of time to deal with things, BUT like anything that's "auto", it has to guess at what you want.

Assuming you have time to focus properly, zoom the lens to maximum telephoto on the area you want to focus, press the focus assist button to magnify the image, adjust for the sharpest focus, turn off the focus assist (magnify), and zoom back to the proper framing.

Just so you understand, zooming in all the way produces the minimum depth of field and makes it easier to see when you are out of focus. Pressing the focus assist magnifies the image to better tell when the image is or is not in focus. As you zoom back, the depth of field increases, so more items in front and behind the point of focus will be in focus.


Bob Diaz
Click to expand...
 
I use auto-focus 90% of the time and am seldom disappointed. For the remaining 10%, the various focus assist modes work well. Your mileage may vary.

Kind Regards,
Dan
 
For the most part, auto focus does a good job. It's just those times when it sees something close and something far away; which should it focus on? In wide angle and stopped down some, it might be able to get both, but in telephoto and opened up, we have a problem.

(Dan, I know you know that, but I'm saying that for the sake of those who have not had a lot of experience with shooting video.)


Bob Diaz
 
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