I've had a quick search of Google and the discussion boards here but can't see anything that seems to explain my query...
I've just been given the AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens for my Birthday and took it out for a test drive this morning (absolutely love it!) I thought I'd swing out while the morning mist was lying low and think about how to actually use it properly later.
While I was out and about I noticed the DOF Scale along the top, I had a bit of a play around with it but didn't really understand the logic behind what I was doing.. can anybody explain to me if this is something I need to learn about?
Google told me a few contradictory comments on what it did, including one that said it was only for use in manual focusing... is this the case or is it something that I'm massively missing out on as an amateur photographer?
The important thing to understand is the minimum focusing distance of your lens (the smallest value on your scale). This can be really useful for closeup photography, as you can switch to manual, turn the ring to the minimum and find out how close you can get while keeping your subject in focus. (More details here http://www.boostyourphotography.com/2013/05/why-wont-my-lens-focus.html .)
If you are using autofocus, then you don't really need to worry about the scale, as the camera will choose the focus for you. Hope that helps, let me know if you have other questions!
@archaeofrog Thank you that is really, really useful! I think that was what was throwing me, because I was trying to use the scale then half hitting my button and it was auto focusing anyway.. didn't make any sense! I'll certainly be having a read through of your blog though. Thanks for posting that, I know what I use but tend to steer clear of what I don't so I'll definitely have a good look around your blog!
@dlaxton Thank you Dave! I have a scale similar to this in the lens box but now it's got a bit of explanation it's starting to come together. many thanks for your response!
One concept to understand to make sense of the numbers is the placement of the depth of the focus field around the prime focus point. It is not evenly spread front to back around the prime focus point, but about 1/3 in front and 2/3 behind. You see this referred to by the fancy name "hyper focal distance" but that is all it means. This is the logic behind the "near" and "far" in the table above. The precise numbers for each lens vary, depending on the optics and the focal length, and of course the aperture you have chosen on any particular lens. Don't sweat the numbers. Just understand the concept. What it boils down to in practice is that, except for the widest apertures, you might consider focusing just a little behind the main subject. Or not, depending on how you want the shot framed. Good luck with the fast prime.
I'm so happy to find this discussion. I also just purchased the very same lens and was happy with most of my photos, but couldn't figure out what went wrong in others. Thank you!
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The important thing to understand is the minimum focusing distance of your lens (the smallest value on your scale). This can be really useful for closeup photography, as you can switch to manual, turn the ring to the minimum and find out how close you can get while keeping your subject in focus. (More details here http://www.boostyourphotography.com/2013/05/why-wont-my-lens-focus.html .)
If you are using autofocus, then you don't really need to worry about the scale, as the camera will choose the focus for you. Hope that helps, let me know if you have other questions!
@dlaxton Thank you Dave! I have a scale similar to this in the lens box but now it's got a bit of explanation it's starting to come together. many thanks for your response!