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Focus point in LRCC ?

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This always seemed odd to me too..
I convert everything to DNG so I assume this would be lost though.

What camera or RAW files are you using?

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I believe that the software that comes with your camera will provide the focus points. However, be aware that if you focus and then compose, the indicated focus point will not be accurate. Also I only use the central focus point as don't want my camera deciding on what to focus on.
 
I believe that the software that comes with your camera will provide the focus points. However, be aware that if you focus and then compose, the indicated focus point will not be accurate. Also I only use the central focus point as don't want my camera deciding on what to focus on.

Mark, I'd suggest stretching yourself and working with different focal points to support the composition. Sometimes I focus on the centre but many times my focal point is in another area following the rule-of-thirds.
 
I shoot with Canon and set up the multi-controller so I can move the AF point around to minimize/eliminate focus/recompose. Also both my bodies have AF area selection buttons to quickly change AF modes. I use zone AF often for flying birds. Multiple AF points have their place and are very effective in the right situation. I also do it just to mix things up a little when I'm shooting. I'm set up to toggle back and forth between one AF point and zone with the back focus buttons.
 
The musselwhizzle/Focus-Points works nice even if we have to run the Plug-in Extra from Library.
And there is an extra, a bonus: it also returns a detailed metadata. Good.
Thank you JohanElzenga ! That was a big help ! :)
- Side note and focusing and recomposing -
Focus and recompose is something one should never do. Period.
It is however, a very common advise even from professional ! They are wrong !
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You may want to reconsider that if you use a really fast lens with shallow DOF. Using the central focus point with the 'focus, then recompose' technique will lead to back focus. Focus + recompose = back focus | Johan W. Elzenga

Thanks Johan but I'll pass on that. The outer focus points on my Canon 6D are not as accurate as the center point and are fiddly to select, I only have one lens faster than f/4 and rarely shoot with a narrow DOF and if I do would not recompose.
 
Mark, I'd suggest stretching yourself and working with different focal points to support the composition. Sometimes I focus on the centre but many times my focal point is in another area following the rule-of-thirds.

Thanks but the outer focus points on my camera are not as accurate as the center focus point. I prefer to concentrate on composition rather than fiddling about trying different focus points.
 
Same here.. I focus on the point then compose..

Only gets tricky if metering and focal points differ.

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Same here.. I focus on the point then compose..

Only gets tricky if metering and focal points differ.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Exactly. That is why I have set up my camera up to focus using the back* button rather than the shutter release button. So my work flow is to focus on the subject using the center point (using the back* button) > recompose to then fix exposure with a half press of the shutter release button > recompose again and take the shot.

Sorry to the OP if this has gone a little off topic but it was a good conversation starter :)
 
Exactly. That is why I have set up my camera up to focus using the back* button rather than the shutter release button. So my work flow is to focus on the subject using the center point (using the back* button) > recompose to then fix exposure with a half press of the shutter release button > recompose again and take the shot.
Read that link again that I gave you. Using the back button has nothing to do with this. What happens when you focus and then recompose is that by recomposing you rotate the focal plane. And as a result your focussing is now incorrect (you focussed too far). You may be 'saved by the bell' or in this case 'saved by the DOF' so you don't really see it, but it is incorrect nevertheless. Use a very fast lens at full lens opening and you will see it.
 
Read that link again that I gave you. Using the back button has nothing to do with this. What happens when you focus and then recompose is that by recomposing you rotate the focal plane. And as a result your focussing is now incorrect (you focussed too far). You may be 'saved by the bell' or in this case 'saved by the DOF' so you don't really see it, but it is incorrect nevertheless. Use a very fast lens at full lens opening and you will see it.
Seen it, but never figured out why. Nice summary in your blog.

Thanks,

Tim

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Read that link again that I gave you. Using the back button has nothing to do with this. What happens when you focus and then recompose is that by recomposing you rotate the focal plane. And as a result your focussing is now incorrect (you focussed too far). You may be 'saved by the bell' or in this case 'saved by the DOF' so you don't really see it, but it is incorrect nevertheless. Use a very fast lens at full lens opening and you will see it.
Johan. I was replying to Gingeraman about tricky metering when recomposing. I was not replying to your reply on the rotation of the focal plane during recomposing.
 
You wont see it when shooting a landscape 1 mile away at f/11.
Correct, but besides the point. You may not even see it when you are shooting a model 20 meters away at f/5.6, but the idea that using the center focus point and then recomposing would be more accurate than using a peripheral focus point is false. If that is true with your camera, then your camera needs to be repaired. You can come up with all kinds of reasons why this technique won’t ruin your photos in certain circumstances, and these may all be valid reasons, but that doesn’t change the fact that this technique is fundamentally flawed and based on a lack of understanding of what actually happens when you use it.
 
Correct, but besides the point. You may not even see it when you are shooting a model 20 meters away at f/5.6, but the idea that using the center focus point and then recomposing would be more accurate than using a peripheral focus point is false. If that is true with your camera, then your camera needs to be repaired. You can come up with all kinds of reasons why this technique won’t ruin your photos in certain circumstances, and these may all be valid reasons, but that doesn’t change the fact that this technique is fundamentally flawed and based on a lack of understanding of what actually happens when you use it.
Johan, I never said that the focus would be more accurate using the centre focus point and recomposing than using the outer points without recomposing. What I said was that centre focus point on my camera is more accurate than the outer focus points. It is also significantly better at focusing in low light than the outer points and that is why I exclusively use it. I believe on this occasion you have missed the point ;)
 
Really? What you said when I pointed out the link was:
Thanks Johan but I'll pass on that. The outer focus points on my Canon 6D are not as accurate as the center point and are fiddly to select, I only have one lens faster than f/4 and rarely shoot with a narrow DOF and if I do would not recompose.

And also:
Thanks but the outer focus points on my camera are not as accurate as the center focus point. I prefer to concentrate on composition rather than fiddling about trying different focus points.

And:
Also I only use the central focus point as don't want my camera deciding on what to focus on.

That strongly suggests that you think that using the center point and then recomposing is better, or at least as good as, using the less accurate outer points. Maybe you did not say that with so many words, but it does suggest it IMHO.

Enough said. I have no desire to continue this discussion till eternity. These are your photos, not mine, so do as you please. Just be careful about advising other people to do the same, because that is bad advice.
 
Really? What you said when I pointed out the link was:


And also:


And:


That strongly suggests that you think that using the center point and then recomposing is better, or at least as good as, using the less accurate outer points. Maybe you did not say that with so many words, but it does suggest it IMHO.

Enough said. I have no desire to continue this discussion till eternity. These are your photos, not mine, so do as you please. Just be careful about advising other people to do the same, because that is bad advice.

Johan, An issue was raised (focus and exposure) and I have merely stated what I do based on my 40 years of taking photos. If others wish to give it a try then that is up to them. If they don't like it then I am sure they will try something else.

Your advice could be quite misleading. Can you please clarify your comments on the focus and recomposing technique (as you call it). Are you advocating that this technique should never be used otherwise it may ruin your photo ? I would hate to think that anyone who read this will refrain from this technique because they have been told it may ruin their photo.

Can you please also clarify your comments on when the the focal plane rotation phenomena is likely to occur and whether it in fact only applies in certain limited shooting scenarios, i.e. with fast lenses that are wide open, and with a close subject with resulting shallow DOF ?
 
Did you read that link at all, or did you just look at it briefly? The page explains that the focal plane rotation always happens if you use this technique, and so I indeed advocate that you should not use it at all, unless you have no choice because the point you want to focus on falls outside the range of focus points. In that case I would suggest you use the outer focus point for your initial focussing, so you have to recompose as little as possible.

So if you focus and recompose, you create a situation where the camera has focussed behind the subject, period. Whether or not you clearly see this (and so the photo is ruined) depends on a few factors, like the DOF and the subject distance, but the fact remains that focussing is not correct when you use this technique.

I agree that in many cases you may never notice it, because of the subject distance and/or because you used an adequate DOF to hide the effect of your back focussing. However, there is one thing you should remember as well. DOF is not about absolute sharpness, it's about acceptable sharpness. The only part of your photo that is really sharp is the focal plane. If you make a large print of your photo, and people watch it from the normal distance, they see the DOF that you intended. But if they go closer to have a good look at some details, then the DOF becomes smaller. That means that what may look like a subject in focus when viewed from the standard viewing distance, may become slightly blurry when they get closer. That's because you used a technique that placed the focal plane behind the subject. For an explanation of DOF see Understanding Depth of Field in Photography
 
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