Depth Of Field Preview Button?

[pcfranchina]

I was reading a book on exposure and it was discussing a Depth-Of- Field Preview button. I have never owned a camera with this feature(RF or SLR) so I was just about to skip the section. I read the term Poorman's DOF Preview, myself being a poor man was interested. Hit the lens release button and turn the lens 1/4 toward the direction as if you was removing the lens.
Seems to just darken the VF. Every hear of this before?

 

[furcafe]

Never heard of that, but it wouldn't surprise me if it worked w/certain cameras (don't know which ones). I may try it w/1 of my Contarexes, as they don't have real DoF preview (grrrr).

 

[beethamd]

All my SLRs apart from my Yashica FX-3s have Depth Of Field Preview buttons. It just stops the lens down so you have an idea what's in focus. It's not much more useful, for me, than experience or just looking at the lens markings.

On the Yashica, if you half-unmount the lens, the pin that holds the aperture open (when mounted), moves away, so enabling the aperture to close down. The problem with DOF Preview, as you say, is that the viewfinder is much darker, and so that makes it even harder to see what's in focus.

 

[dll927]

As far as I know, RF cameras don't come with DOF stop-down. (I'm sure to be corrected by some model around somewhere.) It only serves it purpose when you can see the results in the viewfinder, which you couldn't with an RF.

Most of my SLRs, starting with a 35-year-old Minolta SRT-101, have the feature. With digitals, it's a menu thing usually. Yes, it does darken the viewfinder, but that's essentially what has to be done to judge the effect of the DOF button.

 

[jonasv]

It works the way you describe for Nikon SLR's without DOF-preview, and not for G-type lenses.

 

[pshinkaw]

The Leica M2 has a set of needles in the viefinder that is supposed to be some kind of front to back focus indicator based on the lens which is mounted at the time and the point of focus. I have never paid much attention to them.

-Paul

 

[Nikon Bob]

DOF preview is for SLR users who see what they are getting through the lens. As rangefinder VFs do not look throuth the lens there is no DOF preview available to RF users. I have never found DOF preview of much use on an SLR because, as you say, the VF becomes too dark to make it usable for me.

Nikon Bob

 

[pcfranchina]

Yes. I definetly understand what DOF is and obviously can not preview on a RF, but the the 1/4 turn thing seems kind unrealistic.

 

[jonasv]

Yes. I definetly understand what DOF is and obviously can not preview on a RF, but the the 1/4 turn thing seems kind unrealistic.

No, it works on Nikon SLR's. Even when just turning the lens about 1/8th. When the index dot points to the last N of Nikon, the aperture will be fully stopped down and you get your DOF-preview. I do it all the time if I use the F70 (most of the time I use the F4s nowadays though, which has a proper DOF-preview-button).

It might work on other SLR's as well, but it certainly does on Nikon's (bar with G-lenses).

 

[Nikon Bob]

Yes. I definetly understand what DOF is and obviously can not preview on a RF, but the the 1/4 turn thing seems kind unrealistic.

Sorry, my misunderstanding after reading your original post stating that you never owned a either RF or SLR that had this feature. As others have stated the 1/4 turn thing is not unrealistic on some SLRs without the DOF preview feature.

Nikon Bob