topic Re: someone please help me...driving me mad! in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

someone please help me...driving me mad!

suffolkcanon — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 18:42:29 GMT

Hey guys...love the forum, and hoping someone here can help me out with their own experiences.

I am a professional archaeologist in the UK, and I have just set up a mast for aerial shots on site. I want to shoot pics using the laptop with the camera remotely tethered, and downloaded the EOS utility software. I was under the impression that I could auto focus whilst also having live view on screen, but it seems that if live view is on with the viewfinder picture on the screen I cannot autofocus...only press the shutter button and get an out of focus picture??

Is there any way that I can get over this?

Really help someone can help! cheers!

Re: someone please help me...driving me mad!

TCampbell — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 19:52:26 GMT

Which camera do you own?

Re: someone please help me...driving me mad!

suffolkcanon — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 21:21:32 GMT

sorry about that...its a canon 500D!

Re: someone please help me...driving me mad!

ebiggs1 — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 17:36:01 GMT

It has been a while since I had or used a T1i but I don't think auto focus was available in Live View.

But, if the camera is on a “mast” you can probably pre-focus it by using a smaller aperture.

You also didn't mention what lens you are using? You also didn't mention the lighting conditions you are under?

The more info you can provide, the better we can give you some suggestions.

Re: someone please help me...driving me mad!

jrhoffman75 — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 19:27:31 GMT

This might help.

Re: someone please help me...driving me mad!

suffolkcanon — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 00:07:09 GMT

hey guys....thanks for your replies...all very helpful indeed...the last post there was perfect...I have tried it out, and now have autofocus working perfectly!

Just one question...

If I am shooting from eight metres up and want to get, for example, an eight metre round house fully in focus how can I make sure the focus is spread across the whole shot, not just in the selected box in live view?

cheers!

Re: someone please help me...driving me mad!

ebiggs1 — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 14:20:54 GMT

"... not just in the selected box in live view?"

This will likely depend on the lens' DOF (depth of field). Like I mentioned you may want to just pre-set the aperture, to a larger number, and forget AF.

Did you mention what lens you are using?

It would be good to know the lighting conditions, too. But a smaller aperture will make most of, if not all of the frame in focus.

And without any input from you or the camera.

Re: someone please help me...driving me mad!

amfoto1 — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 19:11:55 GMT

"...you may want to just pre-set the aperture, to a larger number..."

I agree....

Actually, first be sure you are using a relatively wide angle setting on the lens (I'm assuming it's a zoom). Wide lenses naturally have greater depth of field that will help keep much of the area encompased in the image in focus. Ultrawide lenses such as Canon 10-22mm, at its wider end, or even wider "fisheye" lenses hardly need to be focused at all... DOF is so deep. But an 18-55mm lens set to 18mm will also give fairly great depth of field.

Nextbe sure to select a small aperture (a higher number).... for example, use f/8 or, better yet f/11. These smaller apertures will get you maximum depth of field possible with the lens, yet aren't so small that "diffraction" starts to become a problem. (You can test f/16 and f/22 to see if they meet your purposes, but watch ouf for loss of fine detail in your images, at such small apertures.)

I'd still go ahead and focus the image, as per above recommendations. Be sure the camera is in One Shot mode, so you get Focus Confirmation. Hopefully you'll be able to hear the "beep" when focus is achieved. Focus in Live View mode is rather slow, so the confirmation might be important.

There are Depth of Field charts and online calculators. Another thing you might want to study up on is "hyperfocal focusing distance". Between these two, you'll know better how to get a pre-planned shot fully in focus.

***********
Alan Myers

San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & PRINTROOM

Re: someone please help me...driving me mad!

suffolkcanon — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 18:59:23 GMT

hey guys...yeah, I have a stock 18-55mm lens...I have been trying it out and its not going to badly...only issue is a 5 metre high wall with trees branches in front of it...and I need to get the wall in focus without the branches being in focus first!! Driving me a bit mad to be honest!

Re: someone please help me...driving me mad!

jrhoffman75 — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 19:52:09 GMT

There are two methods. 1. Set lens to manual focus and focus on wall, or 2. Select a single auto focus point that will "see" the wall and not any branches (i. e. look through an open section of the tree).

Re: someone please help me...driving me mad!

ebiggs1 — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 19:58:03 GMT

This is going to be a tough assignment on top of a pole (mast)! Everything in focus would be a whole lot simpler.

First you are going to have to know the DOF. From that you may figure out a f rario that will do what you ask.