Taking pictures through a window (What filter?)

[alpine47]

Ok I know this a photo noob question:oops: . I currently have an Olympus C-7070 (don't worry just ordered my Canon Rebel XT :D ) and everytime I take a picture through the glass the camera focuses more on the glass then the object through the glass.

Now my question is for the Canon Rebel XT is there a filter I can get or a setting that can help me around this problem?

also I did a search on both google and this forum with no luck

thanks in advance

[Jack W.]

Welcome to the forum.
As to taking shots through glass, it really depends on the camera and lens.
I think you'll find your new XT much better than your current camera. No filter I know of will prevent your problem, and would probably degrade the shot (but I'm no expert on filters).
Here's a shot through a glass door with the 30D and the 70-300IS.
56K warning: large file.

http://www.pbase.com/jacksmyname/image/58184345/original

Jack

[Hermeto]

Circular polarizer will help if you have reflections on the glass, but for shooting though the glass only Manual Focusing will do the job.

[wazmunstr]

your xt will focus on the image on the other side of the glass, unless there is something on the glass to focus on. you can always manual focus, too ;).. but i would recommend buying a polarizer so you wont have to worry about reflections and glare form the glass.

[Jack W.]

Circular polarizer will help if you have reflections on the glass, but for shooting though the glass only Manual Focusing will do the job.

The shot I linked to was with autofocus.

Jack

[Double Negative]

Definitely a circular polarizer - it'll remove most glare and reflections from the glass. You can AF if you're lucky but sometimes you'll need to MF if the camera insists on focusing on the glass instead of what's behind it.

[exerda]

It goes without saying, but make sure the glass is very clean. Shooting through a single pane and at an angle close to or at orthogonal will really help as well; at very oblique angles, you'll see distortion that isn't uniform across the entire frame.

I have some shots of birds at the backyard feeder that were basically ruined by the three panes of glass (storm windows) I had to shoot through. The camera focused just fine through the glass, and I had no issues with reflections, either... just an overall distortion caused by so much non-optical glass in the way. My solution was to remove the storm panes and clean the remaining glass very well, or open it entirely to the air.

You shouldn't need a UV filter since most window glass already cuts out UV fairly well... and as others have noted, a circular polarizer will help with reflections.

[Lester Wareham]

Ok I know this a photo noob question:oops: . I currently have an Olympus C-7070 (don't worry just ordered my Canon Rebel XT :D ) and everytime I take a picture through the glass the camera focuses more on the glass then the object through the glass.

Now my question is for the Canon Rebel XT is there a filter I can get or a setting that can help me around this problem?

also I did a search on both google and this forum with no luck

thanks in advance

I assume you are shooting from inside to out, if so this should not be a problem if you don't have reflections. If you do try hanging a dark cloth and shooting round the edge of it.

This was shot through a window close to dawn, handheld, no polorizer.

http://www.zen20934.zen.co.uk/photography/GalleryPics/Photos/Wildlife/Wildlife%20Garden%20Fox%2046.jpg

[volleybrad]

Ok I know this a photo noob question:oops: . I currently have an Olympus C-7070 (don't worry just ordered my Canon Rebel XT :D ) and everytime I take a picture through the glass the camera focuses more on the glass then the object through the glass.

Now my question is for the Canon Rebel XT is there a filter I can get or a setting that can help me around this problem?

also I did a search on both google and this forum with no luck

thanks in advance

When you shot through glass with the Olympus, was it with flash?

[Tapeman]

Get the lens as close to the window as you can. Wear black. Living in Minnesota you learn to shoot from inside.

[alpine47]

wow, Thanks everyone I am really glad I found this forum I didn't think a forum wth actual knowledgable people still existed. Most the fourms I've visited in the pat consit of kid's arguing back and forth about anything dumb they can think of. So I will definetly be a frequent visitor here and also plan on adding my help when I can


When you shot through glass with the Olympus, was it with flash?

No, now that I think back I should have cleaned the glass also the light from inside the office was definetly not helping (Perhaps when I get a chance I'll host the pic so I can show you guys how bad it was.

I assume you are shooting from inside to out, if so this should not be a problem if you don't have reflections

Yea, I am no peeping tom here ;) Nice picture by the way hopefully with these tips my thru-window shots will be of the same cailbur along with Jack W as well

[Col_M]

Get the lens as close to the window as you can. Wear black. Living in Minnesota you learn to shoot from inside.
That's what i'd recommend too, that way the glass will be far enough in front your minimum focus distance and the camera won't focus on it.
The problem you have is that there are 2 things that the camera can focus on the glass and the subject behind it, the camera will just focus on the thing that comes into focus first which in your case seems to be the glass. If you move the glass closer than the minimun focus distance then the only thing it can focus on is the subject behind the glass.