Road to no where, please CC

[90blackcrx]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/90blackcrx/552ec897.jpg

[90blackcrx]

Original
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/90blackcrx/4008dd4d.jpg

Using a grey card, opinions please
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/90blackcrx/8011e124.jpg

[Glenn NK]

I'm one of those types that sees colours strongly - so B+W doesn't work for me.

Using a small portable white/gray disk (Color Balance Coach), there are times when I don't like the colours when they're adjusted to the disk.

Personally I prefer the greens in the second one better, but others may prefer the balanced third shot.

Looking at the EXIF, I see f/4.5 with the lens focal length at 70 mm (which lens did you use?). At this focal length, the hyperfocal distance is hopelessly long. Which means no matter where you focus, there won't be much DOF. Even at f/22, the HD is over 37 feet. Values were obtained from the DOF Master Hyperfocal Distance Chart with the CoC = 0.019 mm.

[90blackcrx]

17-70 sigma, did not change the aperture cause I had a mind block today and was pressing the wrong button. I just changed my focus lock button and thought the * was the aperture setting.

What are you suggesting, maybe focus on something closer ?

Care to explain exaclty what the hyperfocal distance means ?

[Glenn NK]

When a lens is focused at its hyperfocal distance, the range of "acceptable focus" is from one half the hyperfocal distance to infinity.

Some references which can explain how it works much better than can I:

http://www.dofmaster.com/hyperfocal.html

http://www.dofmaster.com/doftable.html

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/DOF-calculator.htm

For example using the dofmaster chart (second link):

With your lens set at 70 mm focal length and aperture at f/4.5 (let's use f/4 on the chart), the far left column (green) is the distance the lens is focused at. For a focus distance of 100 feet, your near and far limits of acceptable focus are 86 and 120 feet respectively; not a large range.

If you focus at infinity, the range of acceptable focus is 599 feet to infinity, and that's the best you can do. Not too good is it?

Now try your kit lens set at 18 mm:

It's fastest aperture is f/3.5. At f/4, if you focus at sixteen feet, the acceptable range of focus is from 7.02 feet to infinity. That's better.

Set the aperture to f/8, focus at 8 feet, and from 3.75 feet to infinity should be in acceptable focus.

That's why landscape photographers generally use wide angle lenses (plus the fact the wider angle takes in more landscape) and the serious ones don't use f/2.8.;)

Someone on another thread about macro lenses (which to buy) complained that the 100 mm f/2.8 macro was soft other than at the centre. I think what they meant was that at the point of focus it was sharp, but since the depth of field for a 100 mm lens is measured in millimetres even at f/8, for a focus distance of 12 inches, the problem was no depth of field. I have this lens and it's killer sharp - where it's focused. It's not the lens's fault, it the focal length that kills depth of field.

Another useful tool on the same site that might be easier than the chart:

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

[guernicasongs]

cant help much with the technical aspect, but to my eye the 3rd version was the most pleasing. nice work