Help!? Need DOF help

[chrisl]

I'm in the process of developing a bunch of 4x5 film from 2 past workshops (don't ask why I didn't keep up!lol) Anyway, I'm using a Wisner view camera. I like full focus, from foreground to background. I typ. use f22-32. And I typ. focus on the nearest object, then move the focus, by guessing, towards the background by about a 1/3 past the closest point of focus. Well....alot of crappy shots w. sharp tack foreground, but the backgrounds are all out of focus!! Trees/buildings/mountains...whatever. All out of focus. I'm a bit bummed out to say the least. But, Im new at this and need to give myself a bit of breathing room during this learning process.

I read this: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/how-to-focus.html
but to be honest, I didn't fully understand it all.

So, can anyone tell me what to do?? of find a webpage that describes the process in easy to understand language??LOL I REALLY need to get this nailed down before I go out and waste anymore film

Thanks!
chris

 

[Jorge Oliveira]

Not exactly related to LF, but a very nice site re depht of focus (there's even a free calculator):

http://www.vanwalree.com/optics/dof.html

Jorge O

 

[Donald Miller]

I'm in the process of developing a bunch of 4x5 film from 2 past workshops (don't ask why I didn't keep up!lol) Anyway, I'm using a Wisner view camera. I like full focus, from foreground to background. I typ. use f22-32. And I typ. focus on the nearest object, then move the focus, by guessing, towards the background by about a 1/3 past the closest point of focus. Well....alot of crappy shots w. sharp tack foreground, but the backgrounds are all out of focus!! Trees/buildings/mountains...whatever. All out of focus. I'm a bit bummed out to say the least. But, Im new at this and need to give myself a bit of breathing room during this learning process.

I read this: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/how-to-focus.html
but to be honest, I didn't fully understand it all.

So, can anyone tell me what to do?? of find a webpage that describes the process in easy to understand language??LOL I REALLY need to get this nailed down before I go out and waste anymore film

Thanks!
chris

Chris,
One of the advantages of a view camera such as your Wisner is the movements that it incorporates. These movements besides allowing perspective control can be a great aid in focusing in situations such as you describe.

The way that I normally set my camera up for a landscape shot (what I would term a vertical focus situation) is as follows:

1. I set the tripod and mount the camera with the camera roughly level side to side and front to rear. I compose the image on the ground glass and if necessary I move the camera to gain the composition that I want.

2. I precisely level the camera front to rear and side to side.

3. I focus the lens to the bottom of the near object and I then use either front or rear tilt to bring the top of the far object into focus. Rear tilt will cause distortion and cause near objects to "loom". Ansel Adams exploited this in his "near/far" relationships. Front tilt will not cause this distortion. The reason to use tilt is to gain depth of focus without stopping down the lens. I adjust the tilt until I have the bottom of the nearest and top of the fartherest object in sharp focus.

4. I stop down the lens to bring the rest of the image into focus.

This will allow less stopping down of the lens to achieve the equivalent focus without the use of tilt. I never try to shoot below F32 with 4X5 for reasons of defraction.

If you encounter a scene in which you have a near/far horizontal focus to achieve. (as in the case of a fence for instance) this is where the use of front or rear swings become used.


Any of the view camera use publications will cover this in greater detail. But this is keeping it simple and it works for me. I encountered the same problems when I began using a view camera. Better luck in the future.

 

[chrisl]

Thanks Donald! That does help alot! I'm also glad to hear that my start off w. the view camera is somewhat typical I know now though after viewing my results, that I need to study and practice more. I thought I could get away with reading Simmons book once, and going at it. I've always loved to learn by doing it. Unfortunately, and pretty obviously lol, I didn't have a preplanned procedure for proper focus control when I went out to shoot my first couple outings.

And I too am a avid believer in the kis concept lol
You're procedure outline helped alot. It chimes with my thinking process, and is understandable. Thanks for sharing all that!

1. Geesh. just found the front to back level, I was only doing side to side. ok now i'm set lol
2. I also better understand the proper use in choosing either front or r. tilt to get the background in focus.

In speaking of shots requiring both the tilt and the swing. For the most part, I become frustrated and comprimise, take the shot, and hope for the best. But it didn't really work.

The skill in using a view camera is so much higher than 35mm. I love the huge negatives, but boy, there's no forgiving factor at all lol

Anyway, Thanks again for the help Donald!
Chris