pre-setting focus question - help!

[pfricke]

I'm fairly new to using my Digi Rebel on the manual settings. I've read B. Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" cover to cover several times. I am confused about his directions for presetting the focus for what he calls "storytelling" apertures. He says to set the aperture and then preset the focus so that "the distance of 2 feet is aligned directly above the center mark near the front of the lens." (p. 39) Trying to duplicate this with my camera and lens (both 50mm fixed length and a 28-90mm lens) I don't understand where I find the distance of 2 feet he's talking about. Where is this distance scale? Maybe it's so obvious, but I need remedial help, I think. Thanks.
pfricke

[aam1234]

I'm no expert, so don't take my answer very seriously. As far as I know, not all lenses have distance scale.

[Penguin_101_1]

You can see a distance scale on my rangefinder:
http://tinypic.com/19qded

Sorry about the big pic.
The top is M and the bottem row is FT.

Here is a Canon lens with scale:
http://www.camerahacker.com/impression/24-85mm_lens.jpg

You need a better lens.

[pfricke]

Thanks for the reply. I guess I'll just stick to trying other kinds of photos for now. Just for curiosity, what is the price range for a lens with this feature?

[RichardtheSane]

Depends on the lens. My 50mm F1.8 Mk I has this feature as well as the DOF scale.

[gmitchel]

Most of the Canon AF lenses do not have distance scales.

Distance scales were useful back in the days before AF and DOF Preview. The hyperfocal distance scales gave you an idea how far DOF would extend.

Now, most people use AF most of the time. If we want to see what the DOF will look like, we press the DOF Preview button and peer through the viewfinder (not always easy, since it can be very dim with small apertures or low light).

I use manual focus most of the time with my 180mm "L" macro lens. I have found no need for a distance scale.

Cheers,

Mitch

[Tom W]

Mitch, I'd say that its more like about 1/3 the Canon lenses that do not have them. Most of the mid-priced zooms and nearly all the primes have a distance scale. AFAIK, all "L" lenses have them. In fact, the only prime I can think of that has no distance scale is the 50 mm f/1.8 Mk II (the Mk I had one).