Manual focus bracketing of small live subjects

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Marcepstein
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Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2022 8:39 pm
Location: USA
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Re: Manual focus bracketing of small live subjects

Post by Marcepstein »

I found the thread and the methods discussed insightful. Pictures or links to the hardware mentioned would be helpful.

MarkSturtevant
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Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:52 pm
Location: Michigan, U.S.A.
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Re: Manual focus bracketing of small live subjects

Post by MarkSturtevant »

Marcepstein wrote:
Thu Jan 19, 2023 1:52 pm
I found the thread and the methods discussed insightful. Pictures or links to the hardware mentioned would be helpful.
For my stuff, it isn't that technical. But here is a V-yoke for a monopod: https://www.amazon.com/Hammers-attachme ... 159&sr=8-3

And here I am using it with the big lens. It works great with the regular macro lens too:
ImageRoyalRiver1 by Marcoli Sturtevantione, on Flickr

A bit off topic, but this is a tall "plant clamp" or "plamp" that I came up with years ago and its one of the most useful things I have for the field. Its used to help keep a plant still while I take pictures of something on the plant. Details are in the description, and you can see other pictures on the Flickr page. A key thing is the big nail and the angle bracket at the bottom which are used to stake it into the ground.
ImageIMG_1611 by Marcoli Sturtevantione, on Flickr

This is my 'thingy' that is often used for shooting indoors or on the back yard patio table. It helps to hold things. Details are in the description.
ImageIMG_1407-1 by Marcoli Sturtevantione, on Flickr
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

Troels
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Re: Manual focus bracketing of small live subjects

Post by Troels »

My take on Focus bracketing in the field.

It is common wisdom that for real macro and focus bracketing you want manual focus.
It is obvious that if you want to do manual focus bracketing in the field by moving your camera in small steps autofocus will totally destroy the concept.

On the other hand autofocus may be handy in some situations. I you are hunting moving insects and some are very close and some a little farther away fast focus can be essential.

Very often the perfect solution for me is a combination of manual and auto focus called 'back button focus'. On my Olympus E-M1 II I have assigned autofocus to the AE/AF button when shooting with manual focus in macro mode (one of my general settings). This button is in a perfect position for my right thumb.

The procedure is:
1: Point the camera towards the object
2: Press the auto focus with the thumb
3: Choose the point where you want the bracketing sequence to start
4: Press auto focus button again to adjust the focus distance (or move the camera to the correct distance)
5: Pres the shutter release

If focus bracketing or focus stacking is activated it is just a matter of keeping the camera steady. If you don't use auto bracketing you move the camera a little closer manually between the following shots.

When hunting shy animals it is an advantage that the whole procedure can be performed with almost invisible finger movements. If you are lying flat on the ground you can concentrate on supporting the lens with the left hand and forget about simultaniously adjusting the manual focus. In this way you avoid disturbing the object or changing the framing.

With just a little practise I find this very convenient and reliable. So much that I often use back button focusing also for single shots. In many situations it is nice to choose exactly when to activate auto focus independent of the shutter release and know that focus stays where you left it.
Troels Holm, biologist (retired), environmentalist, amateur photographer.
Visit my Flickr albums

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