Re: Hyperfocal focusing: Use judgment first!

[P3D Gregory J. Wageman <gjw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul Talbot comments:

>> I don't know that I could
>> necessarily 'see' this while composing the shot, without a
>> depth-of-field preview feature (and possibly not even then).

>I think that for stereo a DOF preview would help only a little
>unless the viewfinder were also stereoscopic.

Well, on the RBT X2B, it is, and my eyes are widely-enough spaced
that I can view through both (words cannot describe how much more
pleasant that is than squinting through a one-eyed SLR all day).
Too bad it lacks DOF preview. :-(

I've decided thanks to this discussion that it will be worth burning
a few rolls of film to go out and experiment very deliberately with
selective focus, against a variety of backgrounds and in a range of
lighting conditions.  The f/1.4 50mm lenses, wide open, should be perfect
for short DOF shots.  With enough examples of what works and what doesn't,
maybe I can start to develop a sense for it, instead of relying on
luck.

I think that the "Everything must be sharp" rule is another one like
"The camera must be level".  For the beginning stereographer,
adhering to these rules will generally produce more successful shots,
until you know when and how to intelligently break them.

	-Greg W.


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