Marking Zone/Hyperfocal Distances on A Helicoid

blee1996 said:

I did build a couple cameras by using ground glass and measuring tape to mark the distance on the focusing helicoid. It is not that difficult:

- You secure your camera on a tripod, with ground glass installed
- I use a big piece of white cardboard, with black tape to mark a target, well lit
- I start with 3ft, get focus right on the ground glass, and use white permanent pen to mark 3ft on the helicoid
- Then I repeat for 6, 9, 12, 15 ft
- I use a tree, tv tower, or whatever is miles away to calibrate Infinity

Note: you can add a few more distances, especially between 3-6 feet. But otherwise you don't have much space to write on the helicoid, plus the hyperfocal will take care of those.


For Depth of Field and hyperfocal, I just download one of the online DoF calculators, input my film format, lens's focal length, and print out a simplified version for my own custom camera. Then laminate it and glue to the back of my camera.

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