How to Set Optimal Aperture

In this video I discuss two methods of setting the aperture to balance depth of field with the effect of diffraction.
All about Focus using tilts and swings: • Large Format Focusing ...
The Making of a Huge Print: • The Making of a Huge F...
Focus Scales for Large Format Cameras by Alex Burke: www.alexburkep...
How to Select the f-Stop by Q.T. Luong: www.largeforma...
Filmed on the Canon R5C.
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[@robertdito8968]

Tony, This series of videos you’ve been doing on the principles of large format cameras and lenses is great. You do a really nice job of describing, and teaching people, how these cameras work. These videos have been both fun to watch and informative at the same time. Thanks for the time and effort you have put into these recently.

[@tonysantophotography]

Thank you for the very kind words Robert! Viewer’s such as yourself keep me motivated to create more! I enjoy spreading the excitement about large format photography! 😎

[@qvisionstudios]

Perfectly explained. Will be trying this technique out with my next 4x5 outing. Thanks Tony.

[@tonysantophotography]

Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to watch!😎

[@lorenroot7667]

Just catching up on your latest videos. Good stuff!

[@tonysantophotography]

Hi Loren! Thanks for taking the time to watch! I appreciate your support!😎

[@lorenroot7667]

@@tonysantophotography I always learn something new from your videos and very much appreciate the time you put into them!

[@BobN54]

First class. One of the very few You Tube photography videos I've seen where the presenter actually knows what they're talking about.

[@tonysantophotography]

Thanks Bob! I’m humbled to hear that. I appreciate your support!😎

[@sebastiantrandafir5607]

Thank you Tony for the very informoitive video! Great!

[@tonysantophotography]

I appreciate your support Sebastian! Thanks for watching!😃

[@otroargentinocamioneroenes5805]

Wow, very generous! Great video!

[@tonysantophotography]

Thanks! 🙏🏻 I appreciate your support!

[@stevewilliamson7264]

Super helpful. Thank you for being so clear. That is refreshing!

[@tonysantophotography]

Glad it was helpful! 😎 I appreciate your support.

[@constantinestewart7416]

Thanks Tony, I’ve been planning to take my 4x5 out this week and this is something I plan on trying.

[@tonysantophotography]

Glad to hear it Constantine! I appreciate your support.😎

[@mikemcnelly2780]

Thanks Tony, awesome video and channel. Very helpful!

[@tonysantophotography]

Thanks Mike! I appreciate your support!😎

[@redruth-iq8uo]

Thanks for the focus spead link.

[@tonysantophotography]

Anytime! I appreciate your support.😎

[@user-qg8pl4qx7t]

Tony, you're going to laugh, but I carry one caliper with me! First, I focus on "infinity", then I measure the distance between the standards of the Cambo gimbal camera 4х5". Then I focus on the foreground object and measure the distance between the standards again. Next, I find the arithmetic mean and shift the back standard by the resulting value.

[@tonysantophotography]

Wow! That’s a great idea! You can’t get more precise than that! Thanks for sharing with us! 😎

[@richardsimms251]

Nice video. Thank you

[@tonysantophotography]

You are very welcome! Thanks for your support. 😎

[@Ryan33G]

Tony the Great! Keep em coming🙌🏽

[@tonysantophotography]

LOL Ryan! I appreciate your support my friend!😎

[@williamorford6966]

I’ve been using this method for a while. I obtained a similar chart from Linhof many years ago. Always worked fine. The Sinar P system has a rotating focus knob which works on the same principle. I ended up making a brass replica for my Wista which worked in the same way. Enjoying your videos.

[@tonysantophotography]

Thank you William! I appreciate you sharing with all of us. 😎

[@kirkleadbetter1093]

Great video. Thank you.

[@tonysantophotography]

@@kirkleadbetter1093 Thanks Kirk! I appreciate your support!😎

[@pierlombardini8705]

Excellent! This is the most interesting and instructive video I remember watching in quite a long time !! ..now I have to make my scale!

[@tonysantophotography]

Thank you for the kind words Pier! I appreciate your support. 😃

[@YSoreil]

I used a Mamiya RZ67 which is a 6x7 system which uses bellows focusing as well. It had a really nifty scale for calculating things such as DoF on the side of the camera built in and has different lines for different focal lengths. Neat to see this used as well on large format.

[@tonysantophotography]

Cool! Thanks for watching and contributing to our discussion!😎

[@andyvan5692]

one other fyi, a video from Calumet (1980's vintage) called "Large Format the Professional's choice" goes into this "dance"{a term from Mat Marrash channel-Large format Photography} saying, in summary, camera position with a lens to select perspective, decide on focal length (amount of subject in the shot), then rough focus, select movements (most important to the shot, at first, to save confusion), Then re-focus (movements themselves change focus), select aperture ,shutter speed, then shoot. the focus technique they used was to get dof by tilt/shift, focus far, tilt to the near, until both points are at the same bellows extension(point on the focus rack, monorail position).

[@tonysantophotography]

Thanks for sharing the “dance” with us Andy. Lots of steps to remember. I appreciate your support.😎

[@jaytayag810]

Great video, Tony!

[@tonysantophotography]

Thanks Jay! 😎

[@alanhuntley55]

I chuckled to myself when you were reaching around to stop the lens down while viewing the ground glass; love to see the "monkey stance" you'd get into, if that were a 19-inch lens! 🤣The second technique you show using the scale is the very useful one I've used for many years on my Arca-Swiss 4x5 as the scale is built right into the rail of the camera.

[@tonysantophotography]

😂 Thanks Alan! I appreciate your support!

[@tonysantophotography]

Thanks Nat! I believe you may have watched the video while it was still processing. CC is now functioning. Thanks for watching!😎

[@Nat.ImagesLarge.F.Photographer]

ok perfect Tony,thank you very much!!!👍

[@bernardkelly235]

Very useful. Thanks, Tony.

[@tonysantophotography]

Thanks Bernard! I appreciate you taking the time to watch!

[@jamesbarnes3063]

Thank you

[@tonysantophotography]

You are very welcome! I appreciate your support.😎

[@andyvan5692]

yes, great discussion, but Tony, one point, as the aperture decreases the shutter time increases, to several seconds (at f 64) so you have reciprocity failure and also motion blur to contend with, as a longer shutter speed means you can only shoot still life, urban or rural landscapes, as any motion especially of the subject can decrease focus, due to motion blur, camera shake, etc.

[@tonysantophotography]

That’s an excellent point Andy! That could be a great topic for another video. 🤔 Thanks for watching!

[@Nat.ImagesLarge.F.Photographer]

Excellent video, but too bad there are no subtitles, thanks Tony

[@steveh1273]

Does the focus spread method (difference and set to half way between) work with tilts and swings? Or is that irrelevant? Would you use the tilt/swings to get near and far in focus then stop down the aperture to help with the middle ground?

[@tonysantophotography]

Steve, I would recommend doing your swings/tilts first, then set your aperture. Of course, always check the ground glass to see if you like everything. Thanks for watching!

[@OrelRussia]

It looks like this method of focusing is just is not entirely correct. One can easily check it for oneself using a high mpx digital camera. No matter how much you close the aperture the sharpest point will remain the same. Yes, closer subjects to the focus plane will become sharper but still the maximum sharpness will be at the focus plane.

[@tonysantophotography]

Thanks for watching! I appreciate the support.😎

[@valedmond]

Great teaching as usual, focus spread method would it same as tilt the front lens down focus near and distant object until both sharp (the focus point is in the middle?)then stop down the lens to f45?

[@tonysantophotography]

Focus spread works with swings and tilts. Same technique is applied after swings and tilts. I appreciate your support!

[@steveh1273]

@@tonysantophotography but you are not moving the lens over a spread after the tilt/swing is set for focus on the scene. Shouldn't that apply only to a perpendicular focus plane, or a plane not encompassing your desired near and far objects? Thanks.

[@tonysantophotography]

@@steveh1273 I would recommend doing your swings/tilts first, then set your aperture. Of course, always check the ground glass to see if you like everything. Thanks for watching!

[@andrewcallahan3834]

Go mountaineers