Where did I Focus?

[@fbimagesphoto]

You can get quite carried away with these focus issues. I remember doing some tests on my 16-35 f/4 L to see which aperture yielded the best results. I found out that f/8 was my best bet, so I ended up focus stacking all my landscape shots at f/8. Really time consuming for, in a sense, nothing more than pixel peeping glory. After a while I went back to reason and started using smaller apertures to get the shot done (and swallowed my pride on corner diffraction). The general rule I learnt was to pick an object in the first third of the frame and focus on it, I have been doing this ever since, but might give a shot to infinity focussing, even though it seems quite counter intuitive, as you are sacrificing potential acceptable sharpness beyond the reach of your scene.

[@MatthewSaville]

Yeah well, for folks to whom "pixel peeping glory" doesn't ever translate into huge prints on the wall, you're entirely justified in foregoing such scrutiny of sharpness. Just focus 1/2 way into your scene, snap the shot, and post to Facebook / Instagram / Flickr / 500PX. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Although keep in mind, that in just a few years 4K displays will become very common, and at that point even digital display of your work will risk looking bad if you don't pay at least some amount of attention to achieving at least ~20 megapixels of high-quality resolution...

[@fbimagesphoto]

Matthew Saville I perfectly agree with you, I am no stranger when it comes to sharpness. I shoot on a 50mpx camera, with a Zeiss lens, and I edit my shot on a 4k display. What I am trying to say here is that, get your sharpness right without loosing hair in the process, it should do for most of your photography (especially with WA lenses and open vistas). Now, if you are about to take that one shot that you know will be a keeper, focus stack if it is an open space or large vista; nail the focus on your subject with enough DOF to cover it entirely if it is an intimate scene, an isolated object. You are right about the progress of technology, when I bought my 5DSR, I had to throw away all of my lenses and get some higher quality glass to make most of the sensors capability.

[@ericlowenbach5151]

Felix De Lubersac where exactly did you throw them away, and are they still there?

[@fbimagesphoto]

Eric Lowenbach hi Eric, I'm not sure I understand your question, could you please be more specific? Thanks, Félix

[@chrisgibbsphoto]

@ Matthew Saville -- Rule of thumb, back in the day, was focus 1/3rd the way into the scene.

[@bogrunberger]

"Absolutely... Magic". Noo, I was expecting "stunning". Don't change, Thomas. Don't you ever change, no matter what people say. You're a gorgeous beadt of a man, and I love you just the way you are!!!

[@МихаилПетров-в1у]

Yeah! And more of like "stoonning" ;)

[@Kiryn]

Qi

[@zizzy34]

Only change I'd suggest....grew a bigger beard :D

[@ackaku]

Some one has the hots for u

[@roykennie92]

Really enjoy your videos but here is something you may find interesting..Canon 5d sensor size - 24mm lens...f11...focus set to 3 miles or 2 miles or 1 mile or 1/2 mile etc - down to focusing at about 500 feet and you will find that the nearest point of acceptable sharpness is about 5.5 feet. Focus at HFD ( about 5.65 feet depending on quoted C O C ) and the nearest point of acceptable sharpness is half the HFD ie 2.83 feet. So really unless the nearest point at which you require acceptable sharpness is closer than 5.5 feet ( at f11 ) then it really should make no difference where you focus after about 6 feet as the results should be similar. Look forward to the next video with interest.

[@ThomasHeatonPhoto]

roy kennie This is why I love the community on KZbin. I have just learned something. Thanks a lot for your comment!! 👍

[@hillelbrandes1488]

Yeh, I agree! So why Thomas claims results at variance with this??? Doesn't make sense!!!

[@patdaveydrums]

There could have been other factors that affected sharpness in these two images. Thomas clearly states that this was not a scientific process. For that one would perhaps take maybe 20 shots for each method which might help weed out camera shake or other factors.

[@dustinbaughphoto2150]

I believe his results, I don't think it was an outside factor. I actually called this as soon as he opened the shot and I saw that his nearest point in the photo was further away than his hyper-focal point. You're going to have softer focus than the shots that actually had focal distances in the shot. "Acceptably sharp" is definitely the key term. When your main subject is 3ft away and you still want the distant horizon to look "acceptably sharp" the 5.5ft hyperfocal is definitely a tool to use since the viewer will be spending the most of their time on the close subject and there is still "acceptably sharp" focus in front of the 5.5ft point as well. But if your subject is 7ft away, there is no point in pushing focus closer to the camera when nothing in frame will benefit from it. That's why I find hyperfocal only works when you're deliberately using super wide angles and lens distortion to fill the frame with a foreground object and still have some distant horizon interest.

[@preali]

I don't think he focused correctly, he should have focused on the wall as the tip of the tape measure was moving about,. You don't have to be that precise down to the inches.-HPF is used by many professional photographers and is known to work.

[@jaycobvanleuven5003]

I don't ever comment on videos this is actually a first. The only reason I am today is that I just wanted to share all of the appropriation I have when I watch your videos. It not only makes me want to go do photography after I've watched them but if I am having a lazy day it makes me want to be productive. I don't know what it is about your videos but they are "absolutely stunning".

[@brianbrooking496]

I’m just learning photography as a newb. Been taking photos of random stuff landscape, seascape, my dogs.... making lots of errors with camera settings, focus issues, unsure how to use camera settings to full potential. Rome was not built in a day, I have a EOS M3 and was trying to figure how to focus to infinity. Anyway I’ve had long days where all photos have been poor, not sharp, out of focus... finally booked onto a course to better understand how my camera works. Love these videos , just help gain better perspective and a little insight that I can understand at my very basic level.

[@EhhCabehh]

Hello Thomas Heaton! I've been an early subscriber back when you were starting off youtube. I just want to say that your content and channel has come a long way and I've been enjoying every one of them. Thank you for your informative and enjoyable videos. I've always loved landscape photography, and watching an amazing landscape photog go through his day really inspires me. That is the dream; to be doing what you are doing. Just wanted to stop by and say I appreciate your work and content you provide for all of us!

[@sgcheat]

I have done this test myself and found the Hyperfocal technique works best for me. I like loads of foreground in my photographs and this technique hasn't let me down. Another great Vblog, looking forward to finland.

[@mandrakedas]

it's always been a question I've had too. I always thought it was focus 1/3 of the way into the scene to approximate hyperfocal distance but I can't say I'm always happy with the results.I'm going to try the infinity focus point and see how that goes. I couldn't believe how much was in focus considering the distance between the wall and the mountain!

[@Stop_Elitists_Wars]

Great Vid Thomas 👍 Focus to infinity BUT Be aware - where _infinity_ is on your Lens, there is almost always a marker to show 'Infinity'. Do not wind your Lens to furthest point, passing that marker on Lens.

[@ericlowenbach5151]

An argument for focusing closer than infinity (and along the lines of "acceptably sharp") is that details very far away are quite small, seen through atmosphere, etc, and can afford to be less than perfectly sharp. In fact, the viewer's eye expects less detail out there in the far distance. It's the closer bits that require the most sharpness as they are more detailed. Having said that, I usually just focus at infinity too, unless there is something heroic in the foreground, in which case I'll stack. No one has ever complained that my landscape shots are blurry (if they have issues, focus isn't one). So Thomas, I have gotten to the same conclusion as you.

[@BlancaMartinez-dg7fi]

I always look forward to Wednesdays to get to watch another one of your videos. As a new photographer, I am constantly learning things from you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and beautiful landscapes with us! Blanca, Las Vegas NV

[@FlorianCortese]

Thomas, I am new to your website and just love it!! What I learned from an experienced photographer several years ago was to use Aperture priority and dial in f/22. Then the camera will set the shutter speed fort the exposure. This only works if you're on a tripod. Then switch to manual mode. Then if your lens has a distance meter on it, manually dial in the focus on the distance meter to 3m and that will get everything in focus from 3m to infinity without all the hyperlocal distance fuss. Maybe give that a try next time out! Cheers!

[@OshiesWorld01]

Another great one! Thanks for the tips on how to get sharper landscapes. Something I always get a bit frustrated with. I always wondered how the dof button works on my 7d2 haha.

[@bipboum]

It confirm what I am doing for years. Focusing on infinity, to get sharp up close to the lens. quick and easy to do with good results. Thanks Thomas !

[@lisasimpson9343]

Me too, I'm always focusing on infinity and by magic it works, well thats how it seems to me. I'm the sort of person who doesn't like too much mucking around and technical stuff so I'm really glad you find it the same. I often read stuff and think I'm not doing it right. I have the same camera so it was interesting especially.

[@scotty4418]

Might not be a 'tutorial' but every day is a school day in your videos and always learn something from watching them. Having this weekend off gives me the opportunity to try out the methods you highlighted. Loved the preview image on Twitter and seeing the overall image tonight

[@perrellapartyof5]

Just came back from a photo trip to the Columbia River Gorge...pondered this focussing issue while I was out there.....with foreground 2 feet in front of my lens, and a waterfall quarter of a mile away. Ended up focus stacking. And, of course, paid tribute to TH at every new location, with an "Absolutely stunning".

[@ScottymanPhoto]

Thomas, another masterfully executed video! I have studied focusing techniques for years, and it's a challenge. I occasionally focus stack in Photoshop, but I prefer to get the best results in camera, mainly due to movement from winds and water. Typically, I use hyper focal distance as a guide (estimating distances); however, unless one requires super-sharp focus in the very near foreground, I have found that focusing past the HFD will result in a better overall sharpness. Roy Kennie's comment was very well expressed. I would love to see another video expanding on HFD. Your videos, regardless of length, are always a pleasure to watch! Your are the photographer's spokesman; please don't change anything!

[@billonthehill9984]

I somewhat agree with your experiments on DOF & focus points at different distances. It is fun to experiment around with this stuff. Currently I own 2 Canon crop cameras ( T3i/7D )using both EF & some EFs lenses, mostly Canon glass with a Tamron 17-50 2.8 crop lens thrown into the mix. I have coveted the very camera I see you are using for some time now, which is the primary reason I purchase EF full frame lenses. I think I understand you using the term " focusing to infinity " giving the best desirable result in overall sharpness, foreground, middle, all the way out... I tend to use the the 1/3 rule on landscapes, recompose and walla, usually a well focused image, foreground to background... I do change that up at times, depending on the circumstances... Great video btw... Bill from the hill...

[@redcentre8334]

Interesting (and, for me, timely) topic. I always used to use autofocus but fixing on a point roughly 1/3 away and then recomposing. Now still use point 1/3 away, but manual focus instead. Undeniably sharper for me. Only started that on day 3 of a recent 2 week US trip but glad I did, the difference in sharpness is unreal. I noticed because I was photographing Yosemite and was disappointed with the sharpness of some rocks so tried manual instead. Much better for me. The point being there isn't one way to focus and it can really make a difference to the end product... Worth giving some thought to as you have done here.

[@surfingnoid]

Thank you for going through all this. I am having a problem with some of the logic derived from the second hyperfocal example where you 1) focus on the foreground with the aperture wide open and then 2) RE-FOCUS just shy of infinity using the DOF preview button. I argue that Step 1 becomes moot. Once you touched the focus in Step 2, it's not like the lens (or camera) remembers you even tried focusing close-up just moments before. All you did was simply refocus your lens to just shy of infinity and then relied upon the optical behavior of light diffraction using f/11 to pull everything else into focus. This is all "hyperfocal" focusing does to begin with; it is just a formula/calculation to say if you focus, instead of just shy of infinity as you did, to just beyond your closest point you wish to be sharp (or a third of the way into the photo as others have mentioned), followed by using a particular f-stop, then everything from some closest point to infinity will be (as you perfectly clarified) "acceptably" sharp. If you use an old manual-focus lens that has the classic hyperfocal markings, this concept becomes extremely easy to visualize (pun intended). It doesn't matter where you rotate the focus ring on the lens, just set your aperture to what the markings on the lens show will be sharp at what distances you are wanting.

[@speecher1959]

People take the time to click a thumbs down on this video? Really? Thanks for the experiment, Thomas! I enjoyed watching, and need to remind myself of that when someone tells me about the "fun" of watching other people play video games online. I might be a photo nerd.

[@4runnerMT]

8:57 Wise, wise words. I am finally learning this after a lot of running around, getting frustrated because of NOT finding "that composition." Some moments (and light) should be enjoyed live and let go. Thank you.

[@KayakHipster]

Fantastic video as always. I love going out and testing different methods and then comparing back at home. One thing to mention that happened to me on a trip - I was using a fairly inexpensive wide angle manual lens while kayaking (just in case I took a swim..) and since it was super bright I couldn't really see well if I was focusing correctly, so I wanted to focus to infinity. I assumed that by sliding the focus ring to the end it got to infinity. When I got a chance to review the images I realized that the focus overshot infinity before ending. So after that I had to be careful with the focus ring to get it to just the right spot in order to truly focus to infinity. So the moral here is to test and test your lenses before using them for something important. It's not the lens' fault in this case, but I learned my lesson. Keep it up! Cheers

[@Mcyrix]

Truly amazing capture. Another great video with loads of inspiration. Been doing landscape photography little over a year now. With an 8-5 job it can get very difficult and frustrating as most of the work days have amazing weather. With only a D3300 and a kit 18-55mm and 55-200mm lens I try to push myself for great photos. Still learning a lot but it can be extremely frustrating as well. There are days that I just want to give up, but then somehow I find new energy and inspiration and I keep going forward. Your videos have been a great source. Keep up the amazing work.

[@ThatOneReviewer]

Having always used old lenses on a pentax, I usually tried to go for the hyperfocal point as per the markings on the lens (erring on the infinity side of caution) - which sometimes resulted in soft images... not that the lenses themselves were ever that sharp and I tended to fire from the hip I recently got a mirrorless, and have had great pleasure in using focus peaking, which essentially is a visual display of the autofocus process, that you can control manually... So just another way of going about things! Ultimately infinity will always get you a decent shot at a relatively small apeture, and if you want to go further than that, stacking is the best bet

[@kelv52]

I have struggled with DOF for ages, my own results (though mostly handheld) have been very inconsistent, now using tripod, mirror up, remote release and focus to infinity with live view, which I hardly ever use I get better and consistent results, thank you Thomas for getting me off my butt and doing my own very un-scientific research that give me the results that will please no one but myself, but isn't that what its about

[@TonderayiKanoz]

For the one using the tape-measure, instead of fiddling with a vibrating tape/ruler, you can measure from the distance(HFD) in the opposite direction, HFD to your tripod and use your camera to focus on the tripod which will be dead stationary, lock focus. Then later turn an place the camera on the tripod

[@johnsmith1474]

Addressing the logic here: each image HAS to be sharpest of the lot at ONE distance: 1. hyperfocal must be sharpest at 5'8", infinity must be at infinity, and preview DOF at whatever distance ended up being chosen (you should note it or read off the metadata). It makes no sense that the hyperfocal test was not sharpest at at least it's specific distance. Really enjoy your vids, top notch work processes, great photo experiences. Btw the hyperfocal distance is the focus point for any given fnumber at which you get infinity in focus with maximum dof.

[@EERATM3]

Hi Thomas you kept apologising saying this is not a tutorial don't care what you call it,for me it was being made aware of 2 methods I had never heard of I always focus to infinity when shooting landscapes and have been delighted with the results but you have made me aware of something else to try and for that we should all be grateful many thanks as always for sharing your knowledge.

[@stkhapugin]

Hey Thomas, thanks for this video. I would like to correct you a tiny bit. Scientifically speaking, "acceptably sharp" is what you'd call "pin sharp". In layman terms, an object is called "acceptably sharp" if it's blurred within one pixel boundaries on the sensor. A lens would project points as circles on a sensor; if the circle is no bigger than "maximum circle of confusion", in case of 100% crop - a pixel on the sensor, it is called acceptably sharp. Hyperfocal distance is a distance beyond which all objects can be brought into an "acceptable" focus. What this means is, you can calculate a distance for your lens and sensor where everything at this distance and further will be pin-sharp. For your lens and body, I've calculated it to be 1.95m (6.4ft). This means, if you set your lens at f11 with focus infinity, put a target at 6.4ft from your camera, and move focus closer just until the target appears sharp, your lens will project everything from 6.4ft to infinity pin-sharp to your sensor.

[@kaleff75]

I find this to be true with all of my lenses, even telephoto. I shot with manual Samyang lenses at one point and always put the scale at infinity and got sharp photos from back to front. That is actually how I've learned this to be true. Now with zoom lenses I do the same and just focus at infinity. This was actually very useful information and thank you for sharing it Thomas.

[@jwgfoto5419]

Great video! Yes, the twins has a nice method. I have found it has more to do with which lens you use. Some work best at infinity and others using the hyperfocal distance. BTW Hyperfocal distance is where the end of the DOF meets with infinity. So if your lens's infinity point is on the end of the DOF everything from the start of the DOF to infinity will be "acceptably" sharp. I have an old (1962) Nikkor lens and I set the infinity mark to the end of the DOF scale marks for the aperture I'm using and get great DOF. As always, inspirational videos!

[@mhc2b]

Thomas - I have enjoyed your videos for a while, but I do have to take issue with a couple of your focus tests here. 1. Hyper focal distance does not guarantee full sharpness, front to back. But it does guarantee you the widest distance of acceptable sharpness for your chosen f-stop. 2. Infinity focus is probably the LAST thing you want to do if you are after good sharpness front to back. Remember - wherever you choose to focus, 1/3 sharpness will be in front of your focus point (nearest the camera), and 2/3 sharpness will be behind where you focus (farthest away). Thus, focusing at infinity, 2/3 of your sharp area is going to be beyond infinity - that is, totally wasted. 3. If you want total sharpness front to back, there is nothing better than focus stacking. A 2 image stack is often all you need. All that said, I do enjoy your work, and am quite envious of the places you've gotten to photograph.

[@DaleSheltonsPage]

That was one of the best hyperfocal tutorials I've seen.

[@anonymous62810]

Hi Thomas, for an image like that with a 24mm lens, the stone wall is far enough from you that when you focus on 'infinity' you are going to have the wall sharp as well, but imagine if you had your lens right up (less than 5 feet to the wall), then when you focus on 'infinity' the wall would be soft and you would need to focus stack...

[@Chris-so1tn]

Thanks for showing us the MeteoEarth app as well as using various theoretical focal points! Interesting results.

[@toke7560]

Thanks Thomas, went out today and did infinity focus, Works great. Usually do 1 third in. Amazing, in focus all the way from just in front of me to the distant hills.

[@tclin2938]

On a mirrorless, I often use DOP chart to do hyperfocus, but always go a bit more than the exact distance hyperfocus starts, that does me well (most of the time). But the idea of just zoom and focus until the infinity is sharp is brilliant... strange that I never thought about it.

[@deric5488]

I cannot wait to try these techniques for myself. Fantastic video. Once again...you inspire us.

[@robhamilton5057]

I only found your channel a few weeks ago but your now a daily watch for me. Very informative...I'm only an amateur photographer with aspirations to do more but love your advice and guidance.

[@stephenhunt7655]

I don’t do much landscape photography but I love you channel. When I do take landscape shots I usually use around f 11 to f16 and focus two thirds into the distance. I’ll definitely try focusing to infinity.

[@pictureeyecandy]

Even when you focus on infinity, your lens will be in focus up close to the stone wall because of you where far enough away from the wall to keep everything in focus. What is your closet focus distance to your lens when you focus too infinity? Anything in that range will be sharp. Now if your camera was closer to the stone wall about a foot away then part of the foreground would be soft. Still a good video. The best tip is to get out and test your gear and try different things.

[@hukumongdu]

I agree, sometimes I just put down the camera and enjoy the beautiful scenery.. sun sets so quick, instead of fumbling, if you werent ready with compositions already, sometimes I just enjoy a good sunset!

[@davidmoser5493]

Nice job on showing us your process - that's more important than the actual technique you arrive at. I tend to use live view to focus on the most important element in the scene. In this example (without a clear subject) I'd probably use live view to focus a bit before the wall begins to turn.

[@alexpriceadventures4709]

I really enjoyed this video. It's nice to see a change of content on the channel and I hope there are more videos like it. Keep it up Thomas!

[@palewhale100]

Cows mooing in both Ben Horne's and Heaton's video this week. Awesome! All the stuff about focusing was great too.

[@The_Gunslinger]

I'm currently going through all your videos from the start, all have been inspirational and informative, but this one has answered a question I have been trying to figure out for a while. Thank you Thomas, anyway back to another video.

[@mats9192]

Really good video. After starting to focus on the distant objects and then adjusting the aperture to get the depth of field I want, my pictures are now much sharper.

[@AlanKlughammer]

I agree it is important to test, not just believe what you see in a youtube video. for me, infinity focus is fastest, but once I understood circle of confusion and a few other issues, hyperfocus distance is most accurate, especially for longer lenses...

[@ThomasHeatonPhoto]

Alan Klughammer Yeah, I would like to do some testing with more lenses, but getting accuracy on a long zoom will be impossible, surely?

[@AlanKlughammer]

Hyperfocal distance (let's call it HD for simplicity) is just a formula based on an acceptable circle of confusion, i.e. how out of focus is acceptable. As you know, sharpness fades in front and behind the focus plane. All HD does is move the focus plane toward the camera so the area behind the plane is acceptably sharp to a great enough distance. That way the focal plane can come a bit closer to the camera than if you were to set the focus plane at infinity, allowing closer objects to fall within the acceptable DOF between the camera and the film plane. I think your mistake was to trust a phone app. I have not done the math (and don't really want to) but I suspect the app was assuming a larger circle of confusion, possibly assuming a lower resolution. The distance you focused was a bit close. I think you should have been focusing around 10 feet away. (Personally, I use the focus scale on my lens rather than an unwieldy tape measure) As for a zoom lens, the formula is the same, just plug in the actual focal length you are using. PS. Love your videos and always click "like" before I watch them. If you ever come to the West coast of Canada I would love to take a workshop...

[@tomtomtk24]

Huge fan of yours! I find myself watching your videos before bed and end up going to sleep way past my bedtime. Your voice is so calm and soothing. Thanks for everything you do! P.S. did you ever consider doing an internship?!

[@lakejindsay]

This reinforces why I can't leave my A7Rii or EM1ii. I don't think I have the patience or the brains to do all this on a DSLR, LOL. Wonderful vid, Thomas. I was recently playing around with Hyperfocal Distance and focus stacking so this was great timing. Olympus has Focus Stacking built right into the camera. And it actually is "Magic!"

[@joanexley7314]

We won't call it a tutorial but thanks so much for sharing your thinking and play. I always learn so much from your videos and get excited about getting out and playing myself!

[@allanmarshall4582]

As you say Thomas, quality of sharpening greatly depends on the lens quality. Another way is to focus 1/3 into the image. Sometimes we get too bogged down with Tech issues and settings. This is where we tend to lose our creativity then. Any way a good video, and nice to see you nicely relaxed..

[@StevePorter_au]

My understanding of hyperfocal focussing is that, instead of focussing on infinity, you focus slightly in from there, depending on your aperture. Remember when manual lenses had your depth-of-field marked on them? If you were at say f11, then you'd adjust your lens so that the furthest f11 mark on your lens lines up with infinity. Theoretically, everything between those two f11 marks would be in focus. Also, depth-of-field is wider the closer you are to infinity, so focussing at 5.8 feet isn't going to give you a very wide dof.

[@jayesposito3265]

This is exactly what you should expect. Infinity will give you the widest depth of field. Whereas, focusing at the hyperfocal distance (while the sharpest point of the lens at that distance and acceptably sharp to one half the distance from that distance) will give you the narrowest dof of the three techniques- especially with a wide angle lens. Cool test! I would be interested to see the same test with a telephoto or, a lens with a hyperfocal distance closer to infinity. Cheers!

[@chadwildermuth2141]

Maybe I just don't understand Hyper-focal Length but I do know that for a given focal length and sensor size, aperature and distance to subject are the two factors which effect depth of field. Shooting wide open at a lens' minimum focusing distance will yield the narrowest depth of field. Conversely, shooting at a narrower aperature (higher number) and focusing further away (infinity) will yield the widest depth of field. The one part that surprised me was Thomas saying that even with his 70-200mm lens he often focuses at infinity and gets sharp results throughout the image. It makes sense to me at 24mm but by 200mm I would think that you would have to either stop down more or focus stack to maintain sharpness from foreground to infinity.

[@MyOwnMedicine]

Hey Thomas, recently just subscribed to you and you have quickly become my favorite youtuber for photography. Love what you are doing, keep up the good work!

[@KieranMetcalfe]

Also, I think the beauty of Hyperfocal (as I understand it) is that it allows for wider apertures to be 'acceptably' sharp for low-light/astro work. Will definitely give the manual HF a go next time I'm out though :) Great video

[@domste]

Great video! You can find youtube videos about the right way to focus for landscape photography but in my opinion a clear comparison video like this one is more useful . Great job!

[@billsbasementworkshop1902]

Hi Thomas, Hyperfocal distance was not .much use to me as a wedding and portrait photographer ( retired now ) but the definition I was taught is that the explination of infinity is. THE DISTANCE TO BE SET ON THE LENS, ACCORDING TO THE STOP USED TO GIVE THE MAXIMUM DEGREE OF SHARPNESS TO UP TO INFINITY. But then I was taught using a film camera. Maybe it is different on a digi. Who knows. Since my retirement I have began to embrace digital photography so If anyone can answer this question then I would be interested to know. Regards, bill.

[@peterh4713]

I'm gonna have to try this now. I used to focus to infinity but changed to hyperfocal distance after reading a few articles. I'll try with a few different lenses at work and see what happens. Nice video by the way

[@robertvandeneijk1284]

Thomas, I want to give another focus option I often use. Just focus 1/3 into the scene you want to capture. It's a bit in between hyperfocal and infinity. I think hyperfocal is less effective with a higher pixel count sensor like in your 30MP camera.

[@corsogiu]

Great video as usual Thomas! My favourite way is focus stacking because I own good lenses but not as good as yours, for example 24-105L is soft on edges if I use the infinity focus or just one shot following the dof app.

[@stephenhume7690]

I had to freeze at 1:11 because I was in that exact spot at Hadrian's Wall about two years ago. Just fished through some old photos and found it. Pretty neat and awesome to know we were at the same location at one point taking photos.

[@jwkennington]

I have dabbled a bit with hyperfocal and I have to say, focusing to infinity works best for me. Good video. I enjoyed the discussion.

[@timscanlanphotography]

Totally agree John - it works best for me too.

[@ThomasHeatonPhoto]

John Kennington Thanks. It's what I have always practiced, but wanted to see if there was another way.

[@Gazzab6]

I nearly always when shooting with f/8 to f/11 focus a third of the way into the scene. I don't mean a third by distance but a third of the way up the frame and I get sharp images front to back every time providing the shutter speed is not too slow of course.

[@davidlewis5929]

Thanks for this. As a relatively new hobby for me videos like this (and comments - thanks all) are helpful. I have been taking a photo class and had this very question and didn't quite get an answer that was useful for me, but this has given me the ideas on how I can go about getting my answers myself. Thanks again.

[@Myindianodyssey]

So humble and an absolutely amazing artist/ professional/ teacher!

[@honest-maps1661]

Great video! I didn't expect the photo focused on infinity to be sharper in the foreground than the other ones. I'll try these techniques when I'm taking photos next time to see what works best with my gear!

[@timscanlanphotography]

Hi Thomas. I've tried various approaches for landscapes using three good Nikon lenses and infinity always works best for me.

[@jimkeener3773]

I usually shoot birds (with the camera), and DOF is seldom an issue. But I've recently gone out with friends to shoot the night sky. I order to make the image work, there needs to be something interesting in the foreground. I've been amazed about how sharp the foreground is when focusing on infinity. This includes a shot at the Very Large Array, with the huge antennae nearby. Thanks for this video and for doing the testing to confirm my choice.

[@KTKxPu1sE]

Love this photo! Looks stunning. These types of videos are really nice to watch too. Loving the content

[@stephanvautour9736]

I did not have high hopes for this topic, but it turned out to be very informative and i can't wait to try out the different focusing techniques with my lenses. Thanks for the great info Thomas!

[@andrewbeasley]

Excellent video - I know that spot having stayed in a farm b&b a few miles from the focus point! I was always taught 1/3rd the way in at f11 for a 4/3rds but having turned on focus peaking I've noticed that crept out and out closer to infinity. As for testing - great reason to get out and enjoy the view :-)

[@baardkristian]

Great video! I'm not 100% certain, but I think you should have measured from the camera sensor. (which also means you have to account for the extra space the mirror uses as well) It looked like you measured from the front of the lens, which means you might have missed by a couple of inches.. Still, seems to me that it is a very impractical method anyway. Keep up the good work, I always look forward to your videos and tips!

[@ff4327]

Really enjoyed this, an honest test throughout with lots of answered questions. Cheers

[@heathcee4910]

Really liked this 'not a tutorial', Thomas - thank you :) And I'm so glad you found that focusing at infinity rendered sharper images than focusing at hyperfocal distance. Because I find that too - and was wondering if I was doing it all wrong - even using my husbands digital range meter! Wonderful light in those images too.

[@PhotoNERDsUnite]

I feel like I'm watching me sometimes. I feel the exact same way you do when it comes to many subjects....this being another one. Great shot by the way!

[@nickybarker4167]

Really enjoyed that. Interesting results. I'm quite new to photography and have always focused a third of the way in. Infinity it is on my next outing. Thanks Thomas 👍

[@delhunter7530]

Greetings Sir Thomas, I know you kept saying it wasn't a tutorial, but I gained a huge amount of info from this. One of your best vids for sure. I've always worked on the principle of a DOF being 1 third in front and 2 thirds behind the focal point, so it was interesting to hear that your infinity focal point was the furthest feature, where traditionally, I would have focused infinity to 1 third into the image. I need to experiment more. Thanks for the insight... Del.

[@chrischan5168]

I focus on the foreground element in a photo, or I focus 1/3 i, and aperture is set to what my lens performs best at. f8-f16 depending on how much depth I need... never had any issues. you can over think focus points. I once took my camera out and never changed the focus point for any of the shots, left it 1/3 in for about 10 shots and every one was sharp!

[@fernandodeleon9727]

Well, since I'm using a Nikon D3300, I don't have mirror lock unless you take pictures with the "Live View" mode "On". I learned from another KZbinr that you can zoom in your composition from the Live View, using the magnifying glass button and manually focus the distant subject in front of you. Then take the picture and you can see clearly that everything is sharp.

[@jhannila]

Hi Thomas, welcome to Finland! Hope you enjoy it here!

[@matthiasernst732]

hey thomas, if I am shooting an image with something pretty close in the foreground and the wish to have the shot focused until infinity (long sentence), I often have to set the lens out of infinity. So your thoughts and your test is a good one. What I am doing is, I am first focusing on my nearest object. Maybe it is 3m away from the camera. Then I am looking for the an aperture which gives me an depth of field from that distance to infinity (I am using lenses with focus scale, like your Zeiss) ... THEN I am turning the 3m mark on my focus ring to the first of the two marks for that aperture on my lens and check out if the infinity mark really is withing this two aperture limits. thats it. sharp from where i want to have it to infinity.

[@lightonthelandscape]

Thanks Thomas - very interesting. I went a bit 'hyper-focal' nuts a while back and often used a tape measure to accurately figure out how to get my shots sharp from foreground to background. The difference is, I laid the tape measure on the ground and used live view to focus on that exact point. Quite often, the results were okay but not incredibly sharp at F8-F11. Another rule I picked up was to focus 1/3 of the way up into the image (not including sky - 1/3 up from the bottom of the viewfinder to the horizon). I tend to do this first and then scrutinize the image in the camera with a loupe to ensure sharpness - and then adjust if I'm not happy with the result. Actually works fairly well (better than the app/tape method). I will definitely run some tests with my lenses to compare focusing on infinity for sharpness. I always assumed the foreground would be out of focus. Interesting result.

[@edwardjenner1381]

As comment for people that can't believe that focusing to infinity could be a good thing to do (actually I personally usually focus just shy of infinity for something like this). One thing that people often neglect is that most of these lenses have enough field curvature, that focusing at hyperfocal or similar can produce edges at infinity that are quite a bit softer than the center. this can look strange and worse than having near corners that are a little softer than hyperfocal focusing. In any case this subject is much more involved than most people give it credit and does depend on the lens and shooting style and circumstance. IMO it is worth doing some extensive testing of your own, if for no other reason than to get experience. Then you can set up and get to the stage where you have a 90% solution off the bat and then tweak if necessary - this is what I do using LV zoomed in (and DOF preview) to check the frame is 'sharp enough'.

[@ProjectOverseer]

I'm glad you're a creative photographer and not a technical one. Your work proves that - superb! I know a few technical photographers (change the term to "clinical") their work lacks emotional content and creative composition when capturing the moment. They're almost as bad as gear heads ... My local photo club is fall of them. I keep telling them, "cameras don't take photos. The person behind it does" ... Keep doing what you're doing Thomas 👍

[@dee9692]

I've checked the charts again and there is no mistake in the apps or in any of their calculations. To account for the missed focus to infinity, you should look to the way you measured the distance recommended by your app (with a flexible tape with a huge bend curving downwards which MUST increase the straight line measurement) and obviously added to the error in calculating an appropriate Hfd. But this problem was severely compounded by the point noted by many of your commentators below who recognised that you measured your subject distance (which you conflated with the hyperfocal distance) from the front of the lens and not from the camera's focal plane. Without knowing what lens you had on, and no way of finding out now since it is no longer listed among your gear, this would account for at least a few inches in the calculation and so, if corrected, would have brought your subject distance closer to 6 ft, a distance that, by any measure, would have given you the correct hyperfocal distance and make your entire depth of field acceptably sharp to infinity. Accordingly, in answer to the challenge you yourself posed in your video, "If I've done anything wrong please let me know", I hope you'll accept this critique in the spirit intended. Oh, and by the way, most landscape photographers that I'm aware of don't simply try to MEASURE the hyperfocal distance itself but rather establish a focus point on something that is closest to the camera which they want to include in the framed depth of field as 'acceptably sharp', and then measure THAT distance from which they can then CALCULATE the appropriate aperture for that SUBJECT DISTANCE. Hyperfocal distance need never be physically measured at all. It remains an element of a mathematical calculation, carried out in an app developed for that purpose, and derived from the actual, real SUBJECT DISTANCE (combined with a particular sensor and focal length), a measurement which is close to but, at the minimum aperture allowed for that particular combination of SD + FL + sensor size, always slightly greater than the calculated hyperfocal distance.

[@PipeSteamPowered]

Hi Tom, for your Q&A, I'm curious: what Charlotte thinks of your constant travels? And/or how you make the photography lifestyle work for the both of you?

[@trambolhao]

About the tape measuring: the HFD is the SHORTEST focusing distance that will give you "acceptable" sharpness at infinity. So maybe next time try to focus just a bit further, in order to avoid small errors that make you focus closer (like the tape a bit in a diagonal direction)... In any case, I agree that "acceptable" sharpness is worse than infinity focusing, and way more boring, so I always focus at infinty and take the extra minute to enjoy the vista with my eyes and my wife. Greetings from Portugal!

[@FrankBergdoll]

Good video. I'm sure you know this, but it bears mentioning to viewers. When you focus to infinity, it's important to "pull back" to the "infinity line" on the camera lens. (not very technical - not sure what it's called). It's the little line at the end of the focus L____ you push the focus all the way to infinity, but then just come back a little on the focus to the "L" part of the "L____" Hopefully, that makes sense. I was shown this some time ago - I think I may have asked someone about the L___ mark and what it meant.

[@FrankBergdoll]

Oh - the Canon EF IS USM lenses also have the infrared marks - I've never used those and have no idea how.

[@owenbelanger8589]

Awesome Video Thomas!!! Keep up the legendary work!

[@chavezcastro00]

Hi Thomas. Great video for someone starting in photography. I thought focusing on infinite was focusing on the sky. Now I understand it's the furthest object on the scene. I subscribed and enjoy your videos a lot. Keep up the good work and thanks a lot.

[@joek9843]

regardless of method used, it's ALWAYS prudent to check sharpness for "acceptability" after taking the shot. i've come home too many times with what I thought were great images that were in fact tainted by wind, camera shake, etc. Also, thanks for the tutorial :)

[@MrSupremeguitar]

Thx for posting this! When doing landscapes, the focusing what what I was wondering about the most. Keep up the good videos, I really enjoy them

[@robertbreish8182]

Hey Thomas, Just an amateur photographer here. Started up my own business a while back but its forever a learning process that I absolutely love. I've actually watched your videos for about close to 2 years now but I've never commented. I've been waiting for an image that I think is "absolutely stunning" but haven't come across that image just yet to submit to your HPOW. I saw this video and a few minutes in I heard it and said to myself "oh no" haha. About 2:47 you said it wouldn't apply to you if you use a mirrorless camera but my brain interpreted it as slow as when you made that video about coming up for a name for your photo of the week. Just wondering if you have some constructive criticism for me. I shoot with a Sony A7Rii. As always great work and so glad I came across your channel years ago. Completely inspired me to get out in the world and just jump in. Thank you.

[@IamUke]

Lovely shot of the tree at 2:06. Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@ghosface353]

Everybody remember not a tutorial, just a test.

[@CulturedphotographyBlogspot]

Great test Thomas. Going to give infinity a try out. I've usually just closed down the aperture to make sure it's sharper and focussed on a point about a third of the way in for landscapes. I have been fairly happy with this but I'll be giving this a go next time I'm doing some landscape shooting.

[@rixy]

Haven't watched yet but know this is going to be good.. nice cold beer sat in the garden working! Have a good evening everyone