I picked up the Photopills app and was lost for a short while but figured it out with your help. That app is 100% worth it's cost. The Hyper focal distance measuring really does help out a bunch for me. I really do lean on that table and the AR when possible. Your other video where you went out on the snow covered mountain side and ended up on top of it to demonstrate where to focus, that was my true ah hah! moment.
Another outstanding explanation and demonstration. I'm learning to love PhotoPills and I'm going to purchase the Bosch laser "ruler". I like having a backup. ;-) Love OPS!!!!
Thanks so much. I have used Photo Pills, mostly for sunrise, sunset, and moon phase, and it's good to learn how use the AR feature. Science and math are fun!
Brenda, So glad to here you are all doing well. I think everyone is hiding or trying to hide from this C-19 going around now, oh boy... Things are going well on my end, thank you. My Son will be home from college in about 2 weeks to start his co-op and live home for the summer. Looking forward to it. Also I am looking forward to getting out of this crazy rain weather and getting some photos in. Stay safe
Thanks for the information. I’ve always struggled with judging distances. The AR in PhotoPills really helps and since I love gadgets I went ahead and ordered the laser distance finder. I have a mirrorless camera (Sony a7iii) and the distance guide is not much better (IMHO) than what’s on the lens barrel. Maybe someone will put a laser measure within a camera some day. Hope you all are feeling better and the nap on the porch was refreshing.
Hi Gary - thanks for the input on the Sony! I agree - it would be great if the camera manufacturers could come up with a way to tell you the distance of wherever you put your focus point.
Thanks Brenda, great 'liitle tid-bit" for hyperfocal and I agree with you as far as "Photo Pills" goes. Great app and I pretty much always carry my phone when I'm out and about for safety reasons. I do hope you and your little one feel a lot better soon so you all can get back to doing what you do. "Chip"
Hey Brenda, when there used to be aperture markings on prime lenses the HF was easy. I am grateful for this dicuusion about HF an I immediately ran out and the little Bosch laser. I may even foray into real estate photography where the laser would be handy. Cheers from Australia Andrew
Hi Brenda !!! just purchased photopills after seeing this video but the hyperfocal distance AR was totally inaccurate after checking it with a tape measure??? so after a lot of surfing , searching and experimentation it turns ot that you need to set the device height to 1 metre and not the 2 metre factory standard setting , and then it appears to bee bang on accurate after making very careful measurements with the tape measure . hope this helps ??? perhaps you could let your subscribers know this little piece of very useful information ? Also i would like to add that your videos are of the highest quality, very informative and really enjoyable . Thanks for all your hard work !!! Robert .
Thank you. When you suggested the measuring tape I was wondering if it should be measured from the end of the lens, where the lens connects to the camera or from the sensor. You didn't mention it at that point, but did so while using the laser measurer. That's what I needed to know. Appreciate it.
You would measure from the sensor in your camera. Most cameras will have a mark that looks like a letter O on its side with a line through it. That's where your sensor is located.
Hi Brenda.. another great and informative video.. I have to confess that this is something I do struggle to get my head around, so this video has come in very handy. I have the PhotoPills app, which is awesome, but haven’t used it yet.. better get on to that 👍🏻 Take care and look forward to the next video
Thanks, Stuart! I'm glad the timing was good! I'm coming out with a PhotoPills video series that will go over the basics of how to use the app, so hopefully that will be helpful too.
Hi Brenda: The one thing that I can't quite come to terms with regarding Hyperfocal Distance is the concept of 'acceptable sharpness' and the 'Circle of Confusion' parameter. The value of CofC seems to be the same for cameras with the same sensor size, regardless of their resolution. For example, for full-frame SONY's, whether it's a A7III, with 24 megapixels, an A7R III, with 42, or an A7R IV, with 61, the CofC is 0.030. That means the hyperfocal distance for a given lens and aperture is the same for all. But in reality, what's 'acceptably sharp' in an image on the A7 III may not be acceptable at all on an A7R IV. To my mind, there should be another factor, perhaps used to adjust the CofC to account for resolution. Or perhaps these calculations, which originated, I think, with 35 mm film cameras, just aren't quite as valid any more? In reality -- as we all know -- there is only one point where the focus is actually 'tack sharp', so the idea of having a huge range all in pretty sharp focus and looking great is more theoretical than practical. Any thoughts on this? Keep up the good work!
Hi Brian - you bring up some very interesting points. I would need to do a bit more research to better understand how the CoC relates to resolution to be able to answer this -- but I did find this reply on Stack Exchange that seems to go into this question a bit - not sure if it helps: photo.stackexchange.com/questions/69817/how-do-depth-of-field-and-the-circle-of-confusion-relate-to-pixel-size-on-the-se.
@@outdoorphotographyschool7366 Hi Brenda: Thank you for even trying to investigate this. I did read that whole thread, along with a couple of others on that site. Full of theory and mathematical formulae which, at my age, tend to be ignored in favour of simple Yes/No answers, diagrams or photos. Not only do I not think the CofC can be the same for all cameras with the same sensor size, I also think it's possible different lenses may yield different sharpness at the same focal length and aperture setting. So while I do often consult Photo Pills to get a sense of hyperfocal distance, often I take multiple shots for focus stacking, just in case. But again, thank you very much for your dedication to your channel and I really enjoy your videos.
Great explanation. Question, how accurate must you be? I am mainly a wildlife photographer, but fancied a go at landscape, how hard could it be hey? Well I am amazed at how difficult it is. I am struggling to see the shot?
Like with many things, it all depends on what you are photographing and what sort of composition you are hoping to create. There are many situations where you wouldn't need or want to use the hyperfocal distance. Don't let that hold you back from trying landscapes! :)
Focusing on the lower third of the frame can approximate the hyperfocal distance for some compositions, but not all. It's good to have multiple methods available so that you can pick the right one for your situation. If your method works for the type of images you take - then great!
Hello. Thank you for this video. It's helpful. Hyperfocal distance itself is pretty simple, especially with PhotoPills, BUT what's hard is measuring to the point that you're supposed to focus at. I am awful with distances, and have had out-of-focus foregrounds too often to keep trying to guess. Your video is the first I've seen that actually offers some practical suggestions on how to actually measure that distance. That said, a couple of questions: 1. I have the same Bosch laser measurer that you have, but I cannot see the laser--at all--during the day time, so how the heck am I supposed to aim it? Do you have a suggestion for that? 2. I love PhotoPills augmented reality feature, but what the heck is going on with it? For example: If I calculate that my hyperfocal distance is 6-feet, and I then hold my phone at my chest (just an example here, didn't have my camera on me) if shows me that 6-feet is at my knee. Ummm, no that's more like 2-feet. Am I doing something wrong here? Would appreciate any help you can offer on these two questions. Thank you.
Tricky on moon shots, in the city hyperfocal was at 2000 feet, foreground buildings at 1500 feet. One solution would be smaller aperture but that would require tripod
If you set your camera properly in the app (look at the top of the Hyperfocal Distance table), use the focal length of the lens. PhotoPills will automatically adjust for your camera’s sensor.
To those who read this .The Photopills App is in the final analysis is really the only way to go. This time last year I was getting ready for a very intense trip to China. When you are in Zhangjiajie also known as Heaven's Gate climbing over the guardrail with a 4000 ft drop below you when " you're too fat to fly" only benefits the kids unless the Life Insurance Company decides not to pay. Photopills has many uses. It is really worth the price and the free books make it a very good thing to have. It works.
Hi Ashley - using a higher aperture to increase the depth of field definitely works for many landscape scenes, but depending on how close you are to the nearest foreground element, and what focal length you use, then using the hyperfocal distance would give you the best sharpness throughout the image. If your method works for your style of shooting, then great!
Walking into the scene to help measure hyperfocal distance with strides would not be a problem with sand or snowy scenes as it is not necessary to do this in the direction that the photo is being taken. Just turn the camera 90 or 180 degrees, sort the focussing and then recompose the scene.
Excellent instructor. Very clear explanations on all these topics.
Very well explained, probably the best I have seen.
I finally got it, thank you so much! 👍😃
I picked up the Photopills app and was lost for a short while but figured it out with your help. That app is 100% worth it's cost. The Hyper focal distance measuring really does help out a bunch for me. I really do lean on that table and the AR when possible. Your other video where you went out on the snow covered mountain side and ended up on top of it to demonstrate where to focus, that was my true ah hah! moment.
Yay - I'm so glad that the videos are helping connect the dots and get you comfortable with the app and other techniques!
Hi Brenda, You're enthusiasm is infectious, great presenting style, easy to listen to and funny too.
Haha - glad you think I'm funny! :)
Another outstanding explanation and demonstration. I'm learning to love PhotoPills and I'm going to purchase the Bosch laser "ruler". I like having a backup. ;-) Love OPS!!!!
Thanks so much, Bill! Glad you're having fun here! :)
Yet to use the hyperfocus table on PhotoPills, but I will now you made it sound fairly easy to understand and use.
Oh good! Let me know if you have questions.
thank you very much. it helped me a lot.
your video is overexposed just for information.
Thanks so much. I have used Photo Pills, mostly for sunrise, sunset, and moon phase, and it's good to learn how use the AR feature. Science and math are fun!
Yay! I agree! :)
Hey Brenda,
Thank you for your time, as usual I really appreciate it. How's the family ?
Have a wonderful week.
Stay safe
Thanks, Kevin! We are recovered from the flu, thankfully! February was a rough month. Hope you are well too!
Brenda,
So glad to here you are all doing well. I think everyone is hiding or trying to hide from this C-19 going around now, oh boy... Things are going well on my end, thank you. My Son will be home from college in about 2 weeks to start his co-op and live home for the summer. Looking forward to it. Also I am looking forward to getting out of this crazy rain weather and getting some photos in.
Stay safe
@@KevinAClassA You as well! Yes, this covid-19 is crazy - changing by the day! Fingers crossed the spread slows soon. Enjoy the time with your son!
Thanks for the information. I’ve always struggled with judging distances. The AR in PhotoPills really helps and since I love gadgets I went ahead and ordered the laser distance finder. I have a mirrorless camera (Sony a7iii) and the distance guide is not much better (IMHO) than what’s on the lens barrel. Maybe someone will put a laser measure within a camera some day.
Hope you all are feeling better and the nap on the porch was refreshing.
Hi Gary - thanks for the input on the Sony! I agree - it would be great if the camera manufacturers could come up with a way to tell you the distance of wherever you put your focus point.
Thanks Brenda, great 'liitle tid-bit" for hyperfocal and I agree with you as far as "Photo Pills" goes.
Great app and I pretty much always carry my phone when I'm out and about for safety reasons.
I do hope you and your little one feel a lot better soon so you all can get back to doing what you do.
"Chip"
Thanks, Chip! We are feeling better now. Maya is back to zooming around with lots of joy :).
Hey Brenda, when there used to be aperture markings on prime lenses the HF was easy. I am grateful for this dicuusion about HF an I immediately ran out and the little Bosch laser. I may even foray into real estate photography where the laser would be handy.
Cheers from Australia
Andrew
Hi Andrew - I'm glad you enjoyed it! The laser measure will be great for architecture and real estate images.
Hi Brenda !!! just purchased photopills after seeing this video but the hyperfocal distance AR was totally inaccurate after checking it with a tape measure??? so after a lot of surfing , searching and experimentation it turns ot that you need to set the device height to 1 metre and not the 2 metre factory standard setting , and then it appears to bee bang on accurate after making very careful measurements with the tape measure . hope this helps ??? perhaps you could let your subscribers know this little piece of very useful information ? Also i would like to add that your videos are of the highest quality, very informative and really enjoyable . Thanks for all your hard work !!! Robert .
Thank you. When you suggested the measuring tape I was wondering if it should be measured from the end of the lens, where the lens connects to the camera or from the sensor. You didn't mention it at that point, but did so while using the laser measurer. That's what I needed to know. Appreciate it.
You would measure from the sensor in your camera. Most cameras will have a mark that looks like a letter O on its side with a line through it. That's where your sensor is located.
@@kirkpeterson7726 Thanks for the helpful info.👍
Please arrange to teach about Focus stacking
Hi Brenda..
another great and informative video.. I have to confess that this is something I do struggle to get my head around, so this video has come in very handy. I have the PhotoPills app, which is awesome, but haven’t used it yet.. better get on to that 👍🏻
Take care and look forward to the next video
Thanks, Stuart! I'm glad the timing was good! I'm coming out with a PhotoPills video series that will go over the basics of how to use the app, so hopefully that will be helpful too.
Outdoor Photography School with Brenda Petrella
That would be fantastic.. look forward to seeing that.. 😊👍🏻
helped me like none other
Hi Brenda: The one thing that I can't quite come to terms with regarding Hyperfocal Distance is the concept of 'acceptable sharpness' and the 'Circle of Confusion' parameter. The value of CofC seems to be the same for cameras with the same sensor size, regardless of their resolution. For example, for full-frame SONY's, whether it's a A7III, with 24 megapixels, an A7R III, with 42, or an A7R IV, with 61, the CofC is 0.030. That means the hyperfocal distance for a given lens and aperture is the same for all. But in reality, what's 'acceptably sharp' in an image on the A7 III may not be acceptable at all on an A7R IV.
To my mind, there should be another factor, perhaps used to adjust the CofC to account for resolution. Or perhaps these calculations, which originated, I think, with 35 mm film cameras, just aren't quite as valid any more? In reality -- as we all know -- there is only one point where the focus is actually 'tack sharp', so the idea of having a huge range all in pretty sharp focus and looking great is more theoretical than practical.
Any thoughts on this? Keep up the good work!
Hi Brian - you bring up some very interesting points. I would need to do a bit more research to better understand how the CoC relates to resolution to be able to answer this -- but I did find this reply on Stack Exchange that seems to go into this question a bit - not sure if it helps: photo.stackexchange.com/questions/69817/how-do-depth-of-field-and-the-circle-of-confusion-relate-to-pixel-size-on-the-se.
@@outdoorphotographyschool7366 Hi Brenda: Thank you for even trying to investigate this. I did read that whole thread, along with a couple of others on that site. Full of theory and mathematical formulae which, at my age, tend to be ignored in favour of simple Yes/No answers, diagrams or photos. Not only do I not think the CofC can be the same for all cameras with the same sensor size, I also think it's possible different lenses may yield different sharpness at the same focal length and aperture setting. So while I do often consult Photo Pills to get a sense of hyperfocal distance, often I take multiple shots for focus stacking, just in case.
But again, thank you very much for your dedication to your channel and I really enjoy your videos.
Great explanation. Question, how accurate must you be? I am mainly a wildlife photographer, but fancied a go at landscape, how hard could it be hey? Well I am amazed at how difficult it is. I am struggling to see the shot?
Like with many things, it all depends on what you are photographing and what sort of composition you are hoping to create. There are many situations where you wouldn't need or want to use the hyperfocal distance. Don't let that hold you back from trying landscapes! :)
I've always focused on the lower third of the frame (often playing with it) and never had any problem
But it also matters the F you set.
Focusing on the lower third of the frame can approximate the hyperfocal distance for some compositions, but not all. It's good to have multiple methods available so that you can pick the right one for your situation. If your method works for the type of images you take - then great!
Hello.
Thank you for this video. It's helpful. Hyperfocal distance itself is pretty simple, especially with PhotoPills, BUT what's hard is measuring to the point that you're supposed to focus at. I am awful with distances, and have had out-of-focus foregrounds too often to keep trying to guess.
Your video is the first I've seen that actually offers some practical suggestions on how to actually measure that distance.
That said, a couple of questions:
1. I have the same Bosch laser measurer that you have, but I cannot see the laser--at all--during the day time, so how the heck am I supposed to aim it? Do you have a suggestion for that?
2. I love PhotoPills augmented reality feature, but what the heck is going on with it? For example: If I calculate that my hyperfocal distance is 6-feet, and I then hold my phone at my chest (just an example here, didn't have my camera on me) if shows me that 6-feet is at my knee. Ummm, no that's more like 2-feet. Am I doing something wrong here?
Would appreciate any help you can offer on these two questions.
Thank you.
Tricky on moon shots, in the city hyperfocal was at 2000 feet, foreground buildings at 1500 feet. One solution would be smaller aperture but that would require tripod
1st... Very good. Thanks for sharring
If we have equivalent focal length, for instance 50mm on APSC, which we need to follow on PhotoPills app? 50mm or 75mm?
If you set your camera properly in the app (look at the top of the Hyperfocal Distance table), use the focal length of the lens. PhotoPills will automatically adjust for your camera’s sensor.
To those who read this .The Photopills App is in the final analysis is really the only way to go. This time last year I was getting ready for a very intense trip to China. When you are in Zhangjiajie also known as Heaven's Gate climbing over the guardrail with a 4000 ft drop below you when " you're too fat to fly" only benefits the kids unless the Life Insurance Company decides not to pay. Photopills has many uses. It is really worth the price and the free books make it a very good thing to have. It works.
Glad you like PhotoPills too! I agree that climbing over guardrails is not recommended.
@@outdoorphotographyschool7366 You can find some of my shots on Unsplash
and what if there are no nearest foreground object, can I just set the distance as I wish?
Yep - just focus on your main subject.
I just focus at infinity at f11 - f16... Sharpness never an issue 🤷♂️
For 100mm F11 is still requiring quite a big minimum distance.
Hi Ashley - using a higher aperture to increase the depth of field definitely works for many landscape scenes, but depending on how close you are to the nearest foreground element, and what focal length you use, then using the hyperfocal distance would give you the best sharpness throughout the image. If your method works for your style of shooting, then great!
Walking into the scene to help measure hyperfocal distance with strides would not be a problem with sand or snowy scenes as it is not necessary to do this in the direction that the photo is being taken.
Just turn the camera 90 or 180 degrees, sort the focussing and then recompose the scene.
Good tip - thanks!
Very useful information, ma'am, but there is absolutely no need for you to rush describing what you're attempting to teach people.