"Who killed infinity focus"

[phofseth]

AND not to speak of the many inaccurate mount adapters which for wide-angles can make you wish for even greater inaccuracies. At least one maker sticks to actual mount dimensions. One whom one may perhaps not name or fall foul of advertising rules (new flexibility in English -slightly translated).

p.

 

[charjohncarter]

I'm more concerned about the other distance marks and aperture marks. If a lens doesn't have these, like many entry level lenses, then you have to measure the distance to the focal point, and consult a chart or app in you smart phone. Assuming you can do both. Old way gave you an aperture setting at approximately the DoF you want in seconds.

Yeah, how do you set your flash strobe if the lens doesn't give you a proper distance.

 

[1joel1]

Part of the deal with the old FD mount "L" lenses was that they would focus past infinity to allow for thermal expansion of the fluorite elements.

Joel

 

[TXForester]

Yeah, how do you set your flash strobe if the lens doesn't give you a proper distance.

Yep. Not like I carry a tape measure or a laser distance measurer in my pocket when I go out to take photos.

Why can't a modern digital have the ability to measure the focus distance, then put a screen up on the LCD that is a chart for aperture and DoF for that distance. Essentially doing what an app in your phone can do without the extra burden.

Alternatively you could have a program where you focus on the near side of the desired DoF, then focus on the far side of the DoF and the camera automatically calculates a focus distance and aperture that gives you what you want and sets both. You might have a third focus point for the subject to insure it is sharply focused.

 

[dct]

Yep. Not like I carry a tape measure or a laser distance measurer in my pocket when I go out to take photos.

Why can't a modern digital have the ability to measure the focus distance, then put a screen up on the LCD that is a chart for aperture and DoF for that distance. Essentially doing what an app in your phone can do without the extra burden.

Exactly this.
What I see in my Fuji X series is this approach, having a meter (or feet) bar with an in-focus-field depending on the aperture and a mark where the lens focus is actually set manually or by AF. I try to utilize it when I need true hyper focal focus, but also for zone focus of course.

The implementation in the Fujis is not bad, but for sure it could me optimized widely with the capability of personal configuration functionalities as your suggestion below.

Alternatively you could have a program where you focus on the near side of the desired DoF, then focus on the far side of the DoF and the camera automatically calculates a focus distance and aperture that gives you what you want and sets both. You might have a third focus point for the subject to insure it is sharply focused.

I would add the functionality of broadening and limiting the DoF area depending on the purpose of your image (print small, print big, for pixel peepers...) and the lens in use.

Would all of this solve the whole problem of infinity focus for AF lenses without mechanical coupling to the focus ring?

 

[Sparrow]

Infinity died when Carl Sagan did.

with ... Buzz Lightyear, surely

 

[Ronald M]

Mostly twaddle. Then again, 1970s Vivitar "solid cats" focus "beyond" infinity to allow for thermal expansion: it can matter with very long focal lengths. Overall, with modern lenses, I can't help feeling "Serve you right for using autofocus".

Cheers,

R.

Because it is very helpful in fast moving situations. Unfortunately they have ruined the lenses for the more useful manual focus.