Help with hyperfocal distance....

Ok, I need to buckle down and really learn this and i am still having a hard time. I read the link from DOFMaster that is commonly posted here and am still having a hard time. Lets say I am taking a landscape photo at f/22 because i want a deep DOF. Can someone walk me through the baby steps of where i should focus? From what i am gathering, turn AF off and use MF. Adjust the MF unitl the distance scale on my lens reads what the Hyperfocal distance for that fstop is? Thanks.

Well, shooting at f/22 may cause more problems than it solves due to diffraction (loss of sharpness at small apertures).

Most EF lenses don't have great distance scales, but essentially you have the basics correct.

Perhaps these links will help:

http://www.cambridgein​colour.com …ffraction-photography.htm

http://www.cambridgein​colour.com/tutorials/d​epth-of-field.htm

http://www.aguntherpho​tography.com …-hyperfocal-distance.html

Technique with the modern AF zoom lens...

A. Choose shooting aperture
B. Choose shooting FL of lens
C. Look up (in DOF Master or similar program) hyperfocal distance for chosen aperture and focal length.
D. GUESS where the hyperfocal distance is on your distance scale, and set that with manual focus
E. Shoot and pray

Technique with the 'old' manual focus fixed focal length lens
A. Choose lens
B. Choose shooting aperture
C. Look for DOF scale mark indicating your shooting aperture (or the next larger aperture size, to be safe), align the infinity mark to that
D. Shoot

Interesting question... Honestly, I never worry about the MF part - I just eyball it.
But I think to get the maximum depth of field - you need to try to focus at the hyperfocal distance. This should give acceptable focus from about 1/2 the hyperfocal distance out to infinity.

Hope others will offer more authority on the subject

Wilt wrote in post #6146813
...
D. GUESS where the hyperfocal distance is on your distance scale, and set that with manual focus

You got that right, Wilt.

If you look in the bottom of the page, you'll see "Similar threads".

There this is discussed in depth.

One of the links takes you to this thread, where in turn one of the links takes takes you to this thread, where in turn....

Have a nice read

I focus on the furthest object I want sharp.

Apparently, some focus about 2/3 into the landscape and call it good. I haven't spent a lot of time trying this.

The rule of thumb is to focus one-third of the way into the frame. Unfortunately, this method is pretty much focal length dependent and will not work properly for all focal lengths.

Best way to use hyperfocal distance...get yourself a nice manual focus lens with the real lens barrel markings, set, and shoot. No need for guesstimating, no need for DOF calculators, no need for tape measures, etc. Modern AF lenses leave a lot to be desired in this area...

The trouble with the "1/3 of the way in" rule of thumb is that it is almost never correct, and usually wildly wrong.

Since hypefocal shooting is your desire, why not simply make a table or chart for the lens in question. It's pretty easy to do. The equation is:

H = f + (f² / ac)

where:

H = hyperfocal distance
f = focal length of lens
a = aperture ratio denominator (f/number)
c = diameter of the circle of confusion

Or, get the table values from a DoF_Calculator.