Rule of thirds

40Driggs wrote in post #5970207
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!

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.

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20droger wrote in post #5978265
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!!!

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.

Now let's really confuse things:

http://photoinf.com …_Mean/photo-adjuster.html

http://www.diagonaalme​thode.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).

mattograph wrote in post #5978304
Awesome. This should seriously be stickied!!!

I second that!

20droger great job!

marjnap wrote in post #5979344
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!

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.

20droger wrote in post #5979748
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!

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.

Right Cranium Imaging wrote in post #5979964
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.

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..

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.

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?

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.