oscroft
Veteran
I generally tend not to worry too much about framing - I have a reasonable feel for the FOV of a 50mm lens (which is about all I ever use on an FSU body - occasionally a 35), and always frame generously so there is room for cropping. (But then, that's pretty much my RF approach anyway, regardless of which camera I'm using).
KenD
Film Shooter
That about says it unless you shoot enough to come to know what your viewfinder is showing and what your lens is seeing.
KenD
Al Kaplan
Veteran
A lot of practice and a bit of intuition. It's easy enough to really "learn" three, maybe four lenses. Zooms drive me bonkers. For wide and ultra-wide angle lenses I rarely frame with the finder, or even bother looking through it. I learned that years ago when covering news events, holding the camera in one hand so as to shoot over the tops of people's heads. After awhile you get good at it. I kind of like the angular distortion I get in a lot of these 15mm shots. Instead of cursing it work with it, make it part of the photograph. http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com/2008/10/finding-light-in-darkness.html Obviously I'm not composing through the finder on this one! It's printed full negative using a filed out negative carrier. The scan is from a print.
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payasam
a.k.a. Mukul Dube
nzeeman: "...if subject is close i frame it and then slightly move camera up and left."
This is the correct answer. Put another way, discount some of the top and the left of what you see in the finder.
This is the correct answer. Put another way, discount some of the top and the left of what you see in the finder.