Run & Gun Focus - use LCD readout?

[thabo]

Just come back from a little solo tornado hunting jaunt on the eastern plains of Colorado.
I noticed that when shooting clouds far off on the horizon on manual focus, if the LCD readout showed MF99 I'd have to back off to 94 to get in focus? It was really hard to focus, little low res LCD and bright light and rain, even using Focus Assist it was hard (did not use EVF DTL so perhaps that would of made it easier?). So I am wondering if there is a table with the LCD focus readouts and the corresponding distances?

Also if I'm zoomed in a little then perhaps these values would be different? eg Full wide, 94 = distance of infinity & 45 on LCD = 5m and zoomed in fully, 98 = infinity and 45 = 8m ????

I was also shooting through a windshield (using a Filmtools suction mount) and noticed that my footage was out of focus too. I'd like to be able to dial in the values when the proverbial shi*e is hitting ye old fan and not have to worry about tying to get focus or using auto.


I have read Barry's article but not all of it pertains to the HMC40 (we don't have mm or ft )
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=49375


Cheers
Richard
(below is a screen grab from footage I shot, also no Twisters but it was fun to get out of Dodge!)

 

[KnoxHotch]

Someone was discussing this earlier about the 150 I believe, and the values for infinity focus were between MF94 and 99, with the lower end of that scale (like you said 94) actually being true infinity focus and the numbers above that would be for compensation in extreme cold/hot if the lens elements exapanded/contracted.

 

[thabo]

Yeah I just read this on the URL I listed but I wonder if one can map those numbers to a specific distance?

 

[BobDiaz]

If you go to page 28 of Barry's Book:

the HMC40 only reads out distance in terms of 00-99, with 00 being the closest distance, and 95 being "infinity" (and yes, that means that 96-99 are actually "past infinity").

When I tried to shoot stars at night, the 95 setting was the correct setting, not 94.



Bob Diaz

 

[thabo]

Another peculiarity is that if I use the "zoom in and focus and zoom out method" on an object to get the correct focus I get a value of say 80 but then if I use focus assist to focus in on the same object I am at 54. Both reading are correct it seems as with both values the object is in focus, it just that the focus assist seems to be on the other, higher end of the range that the object is in focus??

Can someone explain why and what method is better???

 

[BigJPR]

I'm just enjoying the conversation, and drop by to say... WOW that picture you took looks officially from some NatGeo storm chaser program.

Was that on the HMC40? What did you use to shoot it?

 

[thabo]

BIGJPR: The photo was a screen grab from my HMC40 footage - my brother-in-law called me on Saturday afternoon and mentioned a Tornado warning out on the CO plains so I bundled everything in the car, including the dog, and headed for the action. I didn't see much in the way of Tornados but ended up parking the car on the side of the road and messing around with the camera for a while. I believe I was near Roggne, CO.

If you've got 9 mins to waste you can see lasts years feeble attempt & epic fail (I've no idea who these clowns are ) Shot on an little Canon HV30.

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