Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!
SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

Focus - Underground.
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Techniques
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 8:47 pm    Post subject: Focus - Underground. Reply with quote
Okay, this is a bit of a weird one.

I realise that most of you don't go underground, but suffice to say it's dark. Add to that you have a helmet on, with a big old light hanging off the front, preventing you from getting your eye up to the viewfinder properly.

Usually, I will stick it on infinity, and go for it. This works well when I'm shooting wide and large spaces. Today however, I was trying to get some "people shots", almost portrait. I was fairly close with my focus, but not quite there. The camera was on a Tripod with a remote release, so it's not shake. I'm using a Pentacon 30/3.5 with a .45x WA adaptor on the end of it. Even with some daylight (.5" to .7" exposure even so), I had trouble seeing if I had focus correct. I do have, and know how to use, a Split Prism screen in my 400D.

I find it really hard to get my eye right up to the viewfinder without taking my helmet off altogether, which is not advisable in anything other than an emergency. If I can do this, I usually get my focus correct.

Is there any general advice? Any glaring errors with my technique? Can I get a Magnifier for the Eye piece that isn't huge, as space in the bag is most certainly an issue when you get to carry it for a good number of hours, doing fairly strenuous physical activity?


PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Live view?


PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 11:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sadly, not on an EOS 400D.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 1:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
You know the solution, upgrade and life would be easier Very Happy
Now, back to business, are you allowed to shine some light on their faces with a torch/lantern for a few seconds until you nail the focus?

Edit
Forgot, you have the helmet on.
Upgrade.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 2:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I used to do tons of cave photography back in film day. Always manually focussed. I'd suggest a bright flashlight to shine on subjects, perhaps held by an assistant, then focus and turn it off, maybe use brighter flash so you can get near f/8 or smaller.

Good luck. Smile


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 1:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Possibly silly suggestion:

In the comfort of the above ground, experiment to get good distances for composition with your chosen lens, let's say 8 feet lets you frame headshots.

Cut a piece of string to that length, set your focus to 8 feet, and use the string to quickly put your camera 8 feet from the subject.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
fuzzywuzzy wrote:
Possibly silly suggestion:

In the comfort of the above ground, experiment to get good distances for composition with your chosen lens, let's say 8 feet lets you frame headshots.

Cut a piece of string to that length, set your focus to 8 feet, and use the string to quickly put your camera 8 feet from the subject.

Good advice!


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Kram wrote:
I used to do tons of cave photography back in film day. Always manually focussed. I'd suggest a bright flashlight to shine on subjects, perhaps held by an assistant, then focus and turn it off, maybe use brighter flash so you can get near f/8 or smaller.

Good luck. Smile


I have plenty of bright lights (Yesterday we were packing lights with a combined output nearing 10,000 Lumens). My headlamp alone is 1,000 Lumens, and my exploring partner was packing a 1,750 Lumen headlamp and 1,200 Lumen handtorch. Light, even in the biggest slate chambers, is very rarely a problem. I tend to prefer Flash over Multiple exposures to get nice crisp lines that light painting cannot achieve, but that's at a tangent to my issues.

It not the actual act of focusing itself, it's more a problem seeing the image in the viewfinder itself. "Himself" nailed it. With my helmet on, I can't get my eye close enough to be sure the image in the prism is aligned properly. I know the prism is right, as it's fine aboveground, and also underground in the rare situation I can remove my hat. Due to the instability of a lot of the Mines I explore, removing your hat is generally a bad idea, small pieces of stone feel kinda huge when they have picked up velocity from 80+ feet above your head, and having seen the aftermath of such an impact (Do not pass go, do not collect £200, go straight to hospital for a week with concussion and 24 stitches), I don't care to risk it.

What I would ideally like (short of just getting an NEX series body, which is a last resort at the moment), is a viewfinder magnifier that extends a little back from the body. That would give me enough clearance behind the camera to shoot with my Helmet on my head. I'll see if I can shoot some images that illustrate the problem I am having.

Suggestions, Links or other pointers are equally welcome. If I'm missing something, feel free to yell.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
How about making a wire frame "viewfinder" and fitting it to the hotshoe? It's what we used to call a "sportsfinder" in the olden days Wink


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well, sounds like a very good excuse to get a NEX! =)


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Arkku wrote:
Well, sounds like a very good excuse to get a NEX! =)


Hmmm... I'll look into that, see if I can make something rugged enough, and foldable. I like the thinking though.

GrahamNR17 wrote:
How about making a wire frame "viewfinder" and fitting it to the hotshoe? It's what we used to call a "sportsfinder" in the olden days Wink


The issue I have with the NEX is that I'm not convinced it will last long in this environment. Although I love the camera itself, having played about with a friends, There's not much point it it turns into a "disposable" camera.

For example, here's where I was on Thursday, it's a distinctly unfriendly environment for a camera.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ewxEex_Q1M

You can see how constricted the space is, and the cameras, even in a padded bag, takes a bit of a beating, hence I prefer to take the bigger, more robust D60 underground when it's this tight, despite it's shortcomings in comparison to the 400D.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Some ideas here...

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/canon_eyepiece_magnifiers.html

Some people remove the lens elements from the EP-EX15 extender to get round the reduction in magnification.

There's a MkII version as well but I'm not sure which cameras it fits.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hyperfocal focusing?


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Bob... the Magnifier S is pretty much what I had visualised in my mind. Thanks for putting a name to it. I suspect that will do the job perfectly.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
GrahamNR17 wrote:
How about making a wire frame "viewfinder" and fitting it to the hotshoe? It's what we used to call a "sportsfinder" in the olden days Wink


Something like this?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/raulm/3168865916/


PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I agree with the string idea for focusing. For seeing the image, doesn't Canon make a periscope-type thing that lets you see the image either further back or at a perpendicular angle?


PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 6:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
My first published work was underground, shot for the National Speleological Society News (1983):



I shot the cover too. The sessions with models were expeditions in "wild" not commercial caves in Western Kentucky.
Manually focused of course, shot on Kodachrome 25 and 64, Nikon F probably some sort of Nikkor 50mm and 105/2.5.



PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nicely shot, Kram.

Gotta say that these days the 80s hair/clothes/makeup looks damn silly though! Rolling Eyes


PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Silly? I find them super sexy! Smile
Great job Mark
about the focusing - why not resort to the old time photographer's helper, the focusing scale on the barrel?


PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
i am not shure if the NEX will help you - in dark environment the LCD ist extrem noisy, you won´t get it sharp ( NEX 5, old model)
can´t you use a laser distance meter, as long as you avoid contact with your models eyes - point on hipp and then go with Orios proposal ?
I cannot see your video, it is blocked in Germany.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Kram - you really never had problems with focusing ..
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Techniques
Page 1 of 1