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Infinity focus


Rocky31186

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I need help with Finding infinity on my lens.

 

Can you focus to infinity with any lens? Or only specific high dollar glass? Reading through google I have found most cameras that have a infinity setting show the symbol for infinity...

 

If my lens does NOT go to infinity what should I do to help focus in the buildings?

 

 

I have takin a few photos that I wanted the background in focus but it seems blurry..

 

Such as my downtown photo, the buildings are not in focus it seems..

 

http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/rr133/probin007/maydowntown.jpg

 

 

 

Tonight is the waterfire downtown and I want to take a few photos of the fire with the buildings in the background.. But dont want to waste my time if I cant focus..

 

 

 

I run a D3000 with NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6G, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8, and the kit lens..

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Tonight is the waterfire downtown...

 

I've never been but always though it would be cool to see, I'm glad I caught this post.

 

You know more about photography than me, but are the buildings out of focus or is it just the bright areas getting blown out due to white balance? Kind of hard for me to see in this size/zoom pic... maybe a crop of the buildings would be easier to see?

 

Ok, I see the far back buildings on the left being blurry even in the normally light areas. It still seems like focus + ballance is maybe making the lights on the Leveque tower and Columbia Gas sign stand out the most.

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There is no EXIF data on that pic, can you share that with us?

 

I know my kit lenses don't have a window to show your focal range/distance but the 'infinity' setting will be there on any lens. I really struggle with this specially if I want to do a really late night shot with no light (can't focus on anything!). Really if you are focusing on any of those buildings you will effectively be at the 'infinity' setting of your lens.

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Could you post up the RAW or original JPG somewhere? If you need some temp space, I can throw it on my server for others to dissect. My first guess looking at it (and I'm sure Tim and Trish will chime in shortly as well) is that you shot at a middle ASA (maybe 400 or 800) since there's no obvious noise, but still too slow to prevent the brighter lights from bleeding into adjacent pixels.
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There is no EXIF data on that pic, can you share that with us?

 

Camera Maker: NIKON CORPORATION

Camera Model: NIKON D3000

Image Date: 2012-05-30 20:39:08 (no TZ)

Focal Length: 18.0mm (35mm equivalent: 27mm)

Aperture: f/3.5

Exposure Time: 2.500 s

ISO equiv: 100

Exposure Bias: none

Metering Mode: Matrix

Exposure: Manual

Exposure Mode: Manual

White Balance: Auto

Flash Fired: No

Color Space: sRGB

GPS Coordinate: undefined, undefined

Software: Ver.1.00

 

Exif for the image above ^^

 

1. Lens: Not bad but it is consumer glass and in tough shots the details will show.

 

2. Shutter/Camera: check your camera manual to see if it offers mirror-lock up when shooting long shutter shots. On lots of basic SLR's MLU is not a feature that's offered. At this setting the slap of the mirror likely is the main cause for the blurred image.

 

3. Aperture: f/3.5 is likely not the sweet-spot of that lens. It's likely more around f/8. It's not relative in terms of hyperfocal distance as the scene is far enough away that everything is in focus.

 

4. RAW: Shoot RAW to help recapture the highlights and details. You'll also be able to more carefully process the image vs. just using the camera's default jpeg settings.

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Thanks, since that photo I have learned a lot. I went downtown to the Waterfire and it was pretty cool.

 

Unfortunately my battery died before it even got dark. I did take a couple decent photos though.

 

The more I thought about the picture above, I realized I took it from a bridge , so the bridge could have also been moving.

 

I tried loading the new photos from my phone but totally killed the resolution. I'll try to load them tomorrow from my computer.

 

I will never have a dead bartery issue again, now keep a power inverter in both my cars, and have a spare battery.

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Doh I realized I had my browser re-installed and didn't put in the exif plug-in.

 

Spare batteries are a must specially in night shots with long shutter times, eats it up (processing).

 

I was going to make the same comment as Tim, that big of an aperture on the big end of the lens and it probably didn't help. Don't go too high up, i learned sometimes going into the F22 range you also have adverse effects. Some of it just has to do with the lens quality and maybe even that its a cropbody sensor here is a sample (similar shot) in London. I had the blow outs, i was on a pedestrian bridge with folks walking on it so it moved a bit.

 

I know what you mean when you say its not as crisp as you want. You see some of these pro-photos and are like WTF I used a tri-pod, low iso, etc. But I think sometimes it just comes down to equipment.

 

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Fred%20Miranda%20Forum%20Entries/Berto%20Photography/UK%20Goodness/DSC_0947_edited-1.jpg

 

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Fred%20Miranda%20Forum%20Entries/Berto%20Photography/UK%20Goodness/DSC_0697_edited-1.jpg

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I know what you mean when you say its not as crisp as you want. You see some of these pro-photos and are like WTF I used a tri-pod, low iso, etc. But I think sometimes it just comes down to equipment.

 

Once you have the "Basics" down its all gear and PP-ability. I hear people say all the time how the camera doesn't matter or the lens doesn't matter. I agree for studio shots where the environment (Lighting) is controlled but not anywhere else. If you are good enough (And have enough time) then PP skills can out-weigh gear in many instances but not all. If it isn't in focus there isn't much you can do after the fact.

 

I've never tried any night / long-exposure shots so I will have to give it a try and see how it goes. Buying a tripod is step #1 lol

Jeff

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Not all tripods are created equal. I love my 2lbs fullsize benro, but it won't replace my 5lb manfrotto.

 

I notice in semi strong wind that the benro still shakes. If I know i'm going out for super long exposures I bring out the big boy.

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