Rule of thirds

[betty1704]

I have a Canon 40D and I haven't found yet (haven't finished reading the manual yet) a thirds grid. Does it have one? Under which menu?

[Mike]

No.

At least I don't think it does!

The way I do it with my cameras is to use the focus points as guides to where the thirds fall.

[betty1704]

I also do that and it works

[Ade H]

Only optionally in Live View via a CF. Or you could fit a grid-lined focus screen.

[gooble]

The four points on the sides of the diamond AF indicator pattern are roughly your rule-of-thirds intersections. You can also use the sides of the box those four points form to level horizons and straighten verticals.

There is a thirds grid overlay in live view mode setable in a the Live View custom functions.

Also, don't know if you were under the mistaken assumption that you could turn on a grid in the viewfinder, but you can't (read another thread on the forum where someone wanted to know how to turn that feature on).

A

[betty1704]

My husband's new Olympus has the grid and I found it cool :)

[Lowner]

I would not try to get it that precise. If you want something on a thirds point, then do it by eye, its plenty good enough. Better to develop an feel for what works and what doesn't. Any "rule" is there to be broken!

[KayakPhotos]

Let's not forget that you are able to get a replacement screen for your viewfinder. It is known as the EF-D screen and costs around $40 shipped from B&H. This screen uses grid lines that can help with the rule of thirds, and can also be handy for alignment of horizons etc.

[M5Man]

go into menu -> 6th menu across -> then live veiw settings its in there .....

[superstes]

and can also be handy for alignment of horizons etc.

I would have thought the line in your viewfinder would have to be self leveling for this to be any use to get a straight shot.

If the horizon was a little biased in any direction you may find yourself tilting to keep your viewfinder line, in-line with a horizon.

Steve

[20droger]

I would have thought the line in your viewfinder would have to be self leveling for this to be any use to get a straight shot.

If the horizon was a little biased in any direction you may find yourself tilting to keep your viewfinder line, in-line with a horizon.

Steve
This depends upon what you mean by a level horizon.

If you mean that the picture should really be level and the horizon falls where it may, then use a level. They make them for your hot shoe. This is, in fact, lveling an artificial horizon, something done with many scientific instruments.

If you mean the horizon should appear level in the picture, whether or not it is level in reality, then make it "level" in your viewfinder.

And, the EF-D focus screen for the EOS-40D does not divide the image into thirds, so it is of limited use for Rule of Thirds framing. There is a picture of it on page 162 of the manual.

Katz-Eye Optics makes a split-prism focusing screen with Rule of Third grid lines for the 40D. Look here (http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/item--Canon-40D-Focusing-Screen--prod_40D.html) and here. (http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/page--Custom-Grid-Crop-Lines--gridlines.html) This screen has the advantage of the split prism as well, which really helps with manual focusing.

[marjnap]

I used a shareware program called Composition Pilot to place the Rule of Thirds on a picture with all AF point active. It now gives me a reference to which AF point to use to apply the rule. The picture was taken with my 40D. I hope this helps.

291282

[gooble]

I used a shareware program called Composition Pilot to place the Rule of Thirds on a picture with all AF point active. It now gives me a reference to which AF point to use to apply the rule. The picture was taken with my 40D. I hope this helps.

291282

Nice job and as I mentioned in my post above the 4 points on the sides of the diamond are roughly in the intersections of the lines.

[marjnap]

No problem, I'm a very visual person and learn more by examples. I was hoping to help people like me who need to see to understand. I'm glad you brought up the live view, I didn't know it had thirds lines. I learn so much on this forum, I like when I can contribute something.

[polarbare]

Also remember that the "Rule of Thirds" (man do I hate that name, it should be "Suggestion of Thirds" or something) isn't a hard/fast rule. The point of it is to remind you not to center all of your subjects, and not to have them butting right up against the edge. Anywhere in or around the "thirds" is fine, then again so is dead center, and right up against the edge at times. :)

** Ponders a petition to change the name to "Often Recommended Guideline of Thirds"**

[mattograph]

Let's not forget that you are able to get a replacement screen for your viewfinder. It is known as the EF-D screen and costs around $40 shipped from B&H. This screen uses grid lines that can help with the rule of thirds, and can also be handy for alignment of horizons etc.

I installed one in mine, and love it. Its not a thirds grid, but functions like one. Not to mention that I cannot remember the last time I had to straighten a photo in post -- my pics may stink, but they are level!:)

[20droger]

Because there seems to be an interest in determining the Rule of Thirds through the viewfinder, I threw together a collection of viewfinder images divided into thirds.

Hopefully, seeing where the viewfinder marks fall relative to one-third divisions will help someone out there.

[mattograph]

Because there seems to be an interest in determining the Rule of Thirds through the viewfinder, I threw together a collection of viewfinder images divided into thirds.

Hopefully, seeing where the viewfinder marks fall relative to one-third divisions will help someone out there.

Awesome. This should seriously be stickied!!!

[evizzle]

I think we can keep the name "Rule of Thirds" because it states that a photograph is more visually pleasing of the object of focus is not centered, but placed along lines which split the area into thirds, and in the corners where these lines intersect. It simply says that a shot in the middle is less pleasing than a shot framed using the thirds rule. If that makes sense.

[Glenn NK]

Now let's really confuse things:

http://photoinf.com/Golden_Mean/photo-adjuster.html

http://www.diagonaalmethode.nl/

The only comment I will add is that the Rule of Thirds is a good starting point, and the most efficient way to utilize it is to learn to see it in your mind's eye (so to speak) when composing. This way it will become instinctive more quickly than if you use a crutch (with lines).

[marjnap]

Awesome. This should seriously be stickied!!!

I second that!

20droger great job!

[mattograph]

I second that!

20droger great job!

In fact, the title fairy should dub him the

"Ruler of Thirds"

Not that I would ever presume to tell the title fairy what to do!

[20droger]

So! I do something you like, and you reciprocate by wanting to sic the Title Fairy on me!

So far, I've managed to avoid him/her/it, and would just as soon leave it that way, thank you very much.

[mattograph]

So! I do something you like, and you reciprocate by wanting to sic the Title Fairy on me!

So far, I've managed to avoid him/her/it, and would just as soon leave it that way, thank you very much.

No worries. Everyone know the title fairy never comes when called!

[Right Cranium Imaging]

There is some good info in this thread, but is it just me, or is breaking your viewfinder into thirds just by looking at it really that difficult? Maybe I am just in a pessimistic mood, my apologies if it came across that way.

[Glenn NK]

There is some good info in this thread, but is it just me, or is breaking your viewfinder into thirds just by looking at it really that difficult? Maybe I am just in a pessimistic mood, my apologies if it came across that way.

No it's not difficult - estimating one third of the way across/up/down really isn't that hard, and with practice it becomes automatic - I don't even think of the ROT unless someone starts a thread about it.:)

[polarbare]

You guys are in line with what I was trying to say.. Getting something exactly on the Guideline of Thirds lines isn't necessary, somewhere in the general area is good enough..

[20droger]

Especially since it should really be "The Rule of the Golden Sections"! But then, that's a lot harder to say (and understand).

Besides, dividing a dimension into thirds is easier for me to draw than dividing the same dimension into sections where the smaller is to the whole as the whole is to the sum of the smaller and the whole.

[gooble]

This is off topic, but looking at the 5D focus points there, I come away wondering what good are they when 7/9 of them are in the center?

[20droger]

I just double checked, and my drawing is correct (see page 17 of the 5D manual).

I would guess that the focusing system is exactly the same as that used on the 20D, but since the sensor is larger....

But hey, the 5D is a great camera. Those who own them seem to love them.

[gooble]

I just double checked, and my drawing is correct (see page 17 of the 5D manual).

I would guess that the focusing system is exactly the same as that used on the 20D, but since the sensor is larger....

But hey, the 5D is a great camera. Those who own them seem to love them.

I wasn't saying your image was inaccurate, I'm sure it's right, it's just that moving your focus point nearer to subject is almost pointless unless the subject is in the middle.

It's basically center point only AF and recompose or MF which is fine by me it's just a weird design choice.

[photoguy6405]

This depends upon what you mean by a level horizon.

If you mean that the picture should really be level and the horizon falls where it may, then use a level. They make them for your hot shoe. This is, in fact, lveling an artificial horizon, something done with many scientific instruments.

If you mean the horizon should appear level in the picture, whether or not it is level in reality, then make it "level" in your viewfinder.

And, the EF-D focus screen for the EOS-40D does not divide the image into thirds, so it is of limited use for Rule of Thirds framing. There is a picture of it on page 162 of the manual.

Katz-Eye Optics makes a split-prism focusing screen with Rule of Third grid lines for the 40D. Look here (http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/item--Canon-40D-Focusing-Screen--prod_40D.html) and here. (http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/page--Custom-Grid-Crop-Lines--gridlines.html) This screen has the advantage of the split prism as well, which really helps with manual focusing.

Those screens are pretty cool. I'm going to look into those. I have (and use) a spirit level on the hot shoe quite often, but I'd still like to have grid lines in the viewfinder for times where the spirit level doesn't suit my needs at the moment.