How to focus a view camera

[Luke_R]

Hi everyone,

First of all, I would like to say that I have tried to find the answer to my question on multiple sites previously.

I mainly shoot landscape images and am trying to make sure my technique is correct for optimising placement of sharp focus and aperture selection.

I have been reading the wealth of information provided by this site but have a question I require confirmed.

In the example given I have a 1m rock in the foreground and a 1000m mountain in the background. My technique so far has been to focus on positions 1/3 way up rock and 1/3 way up mountain and then stop down until everything I require is in sufficient focus. This procedure makes sense to me because the depth of field behind the plane of sharp focus remains double the distance of depth of field in front.

The procedure I have been reading states that after working out the optimum tilt, I would adjust focussing point - measuring with a metric scale point A (top of the foreground rock), point B (base of background mountain) - then focussing at a median of A/B. In my head this would place my line of sharp focus half way up the rock in the foreground and the mountain in the background which goes away from what I know about focus spread.

Could someone please clarify if the procedure stated out above would place the line of sharp focus half way up the rock and mountain and is so, why would you require that over 1/3.

Many thanks

Luke

[Luis-F-S]

You probably should get a copy of Leslie Stroebel's View Camera Technique. Available on line at varying prices. I have an older edition which is quite adequate. The attached info from Sinar may be helpful. Good luck. L

Sinar Depth of Field Scale.pdfSinarFocusing.pdf

[Andrew Plume]

Hi Luke

welcome to the interesting world of LF photography...................when you master it, it's terrific but for c****t'* sake, don't beat yourself up about it...............it takes time..................sometimes a lot of time

Take a look also at Steve Simmons book regarding an introduction to the LF World, SS hasn't always been everyone's bag but it's a very decent fairly uncomplicated introduction.................unfortunately you're here at a time when we no longer have the Polaroid 4 x 5 set up around to pre-test images......

.............anyhow patience and sometimes more patience is no bad thing

btw I bought my first View Camera from the late and great Robert White, RW said to me that I would make mistakes at first.................

anyhow all best of luck etc etc

regards

Andrew

[Vaughn]

Luke, about the A and the B. I believe that what is meant is if you focus at the closest you want sharp, note Point A on your camera rail. Then focus on the far distance and note on your camera rail, Point B. The reset the focus halfway between A and B. This equates to focusing 1/3 of the way into the scene. For the record, I have never used this method...much too civilized and straight-forward.

I make a guess with the focus -- about 1/3 of the way into the scene. After getting the plane of focus orientated as best I can, I check if I am focused properly by slowly closing down the lens, paying attention to any out-of-focus areas both near and far. As I close down the lens, I want both these near and far areas to come into sharpness (focus) at the same time. If the close areas come into focus first, then I know I can move the focus back a little, and so forth. For many years I used a lightweight 4x5 with no indents. I got to like working from the image on the GG this way.

[David Karp]

This article may help. http://www.largeformatphotography.info/fstop.html

[Bob Salomon]

No, you focus ⅓rd into the scene since DOF in a landscape runs ⅓ towards the lens and ⅔ away from the point focused on.
50% would be for close ups.

[Mark Sawyer]

I use my eyes.

[Vaughn]

I use my eyes.

Exactly -- and fiddle with knobs and levers until we see what we want!

[Jac@stafford.net]

No, you focus ⅓rd into the scene since DOF in a landscape runs ⅓ towards the lens and ⅔ away from the point focused on.

Close, but not really accurate.

[EarlJam]

Exactly -- and fiddle with knobs and levers until we see what we want!

Hah! That's exactly the same advice I was given about how to use an oscilloscope