I'm about to make the leap into large format photography and am doing extensive research. I've studied the usual focusing tutorials (Large Format Pages, Merklin ger, Simmons, etc) so I have a theoretical grasp, if not practical experience.
I have been told of a focusing method used by a landscape photographer. The meth od is attractively simple but strikes me as specious. Here it is:
"I worked out the hyperfocal distances for all my lenses and recorded them fo r F11 and F22. I them focused on these distances and marked them on the rail for when I move the back. For most landscapes with a fairly flat field all you need to do is focus on the foreground apply your tilt to the background and refocus to the hyperfocal distance which is marked on the bed."
I think I can see the rationale behind it. He focuses on foreground, then tilts for background. He then refocuses at hyperfocal, preserving the tilt.
However, given that tilt creates a conical depth of field around the tilted subj ect plane, I would have thought that conventional hyperfocal distances no longer apply when a tilt is active. Therefore focusing at the hyperfocal distance is n ot likely to be optimal.
What do you think of this approach? Is it just plain wrong?
Thanks.
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