help me keep in focus guys....

A

africanmarty

Well-known member
hey guys loving my af100 and have been using it a bit more although not as much as i would like.. but i am having trouble staying in focus when using the cam as a run and gun/ENG style work. for locked of shots/scripted shots its easier, but now with the large sensor its a whole new game when its on your shoulder and your moving around its very hard.. well for me any way.

i would love to know how you guys keep in focus and tips you would have, i dont need the apature open af f1.4 but i dont want it a f16/f22 either... what do you guys do ?? please share your secrets as i'm sure i'm not the only one.

the rig i am using is the AF100 shoulder mounted with follow focus and constant 2.8 zoom lenses.
 
It's called practice, conditioning, and knowing your tools. The more often you get the camera out and work with it the better.
 
David W. Jones said:
It's called practice, conditioning, and knowing your tools. The more often you get the camera out and work with it the better.
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...and to that I'll add that a focusing aid such as an EVF with 1:1 and focus assist from SmallHD or Zacuto is a tremendous asset.
 
See if - when working hand held on shoulder - you can set your rig up so you have the right eye watching the EVF (black & white mode + focus in red) and have the left eye checking either the LCD (with waveform) or the marks on the follow focus. Needs some practising but is possible with certain set ups. Not ideal, but also not too bad.
 
mkfotos.com said:
...and to that I'll add that a focusing aid such as an EVF with 1:1 and focus assist from SmallHD or Zacuto is a tremendous asset.
Click to expand...

received my zacuto Evf this last week...
a fantastic piece of kit.
If I compare the weight of my old hvx200, plus rods, sgpro and BTLH80 compared to my AF100 and EVF with same FD lenses, there is just no competition in terms of weight, compact usability, and the simple 'yes it's in focus' split decision.

very recommended.
 
Run and gun shooting with an AF100 and no AC is a huge challenge. It becomes an intangible feeling of how far away you are and how you are moving in relation to the subject. With this camera, you are often dealing with inches as you have discovered and simply takes practice. Having a good EVF, tight follow focus, tight lens, is a good start - but practice is the only way to gather the skill. Walk around your house, lock onto an object and keep it in focus as you are moving. Walk straight into an object, then away. Follow a pet around. Unless you are a true prodigy, you will always consider it difficult even after years of practice. The practice I just described, more than anything, will give you a sense of your limitations which is extremely important to know before you are out on a real job.

Hope this helps
 
Yeah a good EVF or outboard monitor with peaking can make all the difference- that and lot of practice. It's just like anything else- the more you get to know the lens and a feel for depth of field you'll nail focus more and more. The best ACs in the business are just that- they feel focus like the back of their hand.

Noah
 
The way it seems to me,the trend in large sensor cameras starting with the dales was to shoot for as shallow of dof as possible which really doesn't work much of the time. If you have an interview where there isn't much movement that is one thing but kinetic doc style shooting with multiple characters moving in the scene fares poorly with the wide open aesthetic Give yourself a cushion, stop down to something appropriate for your situation and then practice. Just because you have a 2.0 lens doesn't mean you have to shoot at 2.0 all the time

For instance a 255 mm lens on an AF shooting at a 4.0 stop 8 feet from subject gives you about a 3 foot DOF to work with. At 5.6 the dof goes to about 8 feet.
 
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thanks for all the tips. just out of curiosity what f stop do you guys find youselves at when outdoors on a sunny day ENG style. with NO AC. f8 ? i am going to test f5.6-8 tomorrow.
 
africanmarty said:
thanks for all the tips. just out of curiosity what f stop do you guys find youselves at when outdoors on a sunny day ENG style. with NO AC. f8 ? i am going to test f5.6-8 tomorrow.
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Depends, if I am not running around while shooting, I like around 5.6 outdoors, f/8 (or even f/16) if I have to move around alot and only have one shot at getting it right. I remember a saying of news photo journalists that comes to mind: "F/8 and don't be late". If you are doing ENG, and it is bright and sunny, stop down... Better to get more in focus than to have a soft image, especially if you are doing ENG shooting and you only get one shot to capture the events.
 
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