What's the point of the DOF preview

[illy]

I don't fully get the point of the depth of field preview button. Firstly I've found that I can allready pretty much predict the DOF based on distance, focal length, and aperture. Secondly, I find its much faster to take the shot and review it on the LCD screen - this way it isn't as dark and it's much easier to tell whether you need to stop up or stop down.

The only real use I see from it is frightning your friends when your flash strobes :p

[jiggling_john]

Well, you can't judge sharpness perfectly well with the lcd normally, but I'd have to agree that on most dslr's its fairly pointless as the viewfinder is neither large or bright enough to actually be able to see the dof...

In my opinion, anyway !

[illy]

Yep, I think that on a 1.6 crop, stopped down to f/16, with a pentamirror the LCD screen would be more accurate.

I'm not sure what would happen on a 5D with a 50mm f/1.0?

[red hot sheep]

Why would a fast lens help? You're stopping down to smaller apertures! The larger viewfinder would help, but the brightness would be the same for f16 on a f1 lens as an f2.8

[illy]

Why would a fast lens help? You're stopping down to smaller apertures! The larger viewfinder would help, but the brightness would be the same for f16 on a f1 lens as an f2.8

Ofcourse, sorry my mistake :oops:

[arunchs]

Although I wanted to, I have never managed to use the DoF button much. When I shoot landscapes or anything that required more depth of field, I just use the smallest aperture I can manage, so I found using the DoF button pointless.

But I have known that while shooting birds, flowers, etc, understanding and knowing DoF would help a lot to get the best image because it matters a great deal in telephotos. But like most people say, I havent been too comfortable with DoF button and don't use it very often.

[yonni]

Well, you can't judge sharpness perfectly well with the lcd normally, but I'd have to agree that on most dslr's its fairly pointless as the viewfinder is neither large or bright enough to actually be able to see the dof...

In my opinion, anyway !

Yeah, with the XT the Dof preview is not much help. I did use it on an old F-1 quite frequently though. I have looked through the view finder of a 1 series digital cam and was truly impressed with the brightness, so I would imagine those who own a 1 series or 5D would find the Dof previewer to be quite useful.

[crn3371]

I never messed with my dof preview button until I picked up my 100 macro. There's no dof when your 1:1 at f2.8, so even though my viewfinder gets pretty dim, I've got some idea what the dof looks like with the lens stopped down.

[smirchfa]

It has 2 great uses:

- You can stop down and then look through the lens at your pretty aperture blades.

- If you have a speedlight atttached, on a Canon, you can blind people with a searing "modeling light."

[Jim G]

It has 2 great uses:

- You can stop down and then look through the lens at your pretty aperture blades.

That's what I use it for! :p



- If you have a speedlight atttached, on a Canon, you can blind people with a searing "modeling light."

And that accidentally until I found the custom function on the 580EX to prevent this from occuring :p Startled the bejeezus out of me the first time it happened accidentally, I thought my flash was having some kind of fit...



Anyway, regarding the original topic the DOF preview button (poky little viewfinders beside) is probably more useful when you can't review your shots on the spot and you're paying for each press of the shutter button... with chimping we can often notice gross DOF errors :)

[Livinthalife]

That's what I use it for! :p


Me three! lol


ALSO this can be useful when reversing a lens, say you want to reverse your 50 1.8 but can't stop it down. Well conect the 50, go to whatever Fstop you want (F8), presss the DOF button, and while holding the DOF button take the lens off! You will see the aperture blades still closed thus you can stop down your reversed 50.

[Spearin]

If you have used an older 35mm SLR, you will see that it has been around for a while and they just haven't gotten rid of it. To some it may be seen as pointless, but to others it still may serve a purpose. No real point in getting rid of it.

[dedsen]

I shoot lots of wildflower pictures. I use it to see if there is a blade of grass or a spider web between the lens and the flower that does not show up when the lens is wide open.