Hyperfocal distance

[DeLallo]

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I have a M8 with a 28mm lens. Can anyone tell me how to set the hyperfocal distance with a prime lens on a digital body? In the days of film cameras you set the f stop and the put the infinity mark on the f stop you selected. Is it the same for digital cameras?

thanks

Gene DeLallo

[alex7075]

It's the same thing on the M8, but for different reasons (that some members more prepared than me explained in other threads), you should consider one f-stop less. That means, if you close to 8, just put the infinity mark on 5.6. That should give you sharp infinity. I tried myself and that's precisely how it works.

[DeLallo]

Thank you

[luigi bertolotti]

From the point of view of the optics in itself, there is no reason to act in different way: the DOF is traditionally calculated on the LENS parameters, and in particular on the basis of the "circle of confusion" principle (you can easily find somewhere tech explanations on what it is) , which does not take in account on which kind of sensible media (film, historically, and now sensors) the image is put on focus. But... seems to be a general consensus on the fact that the circle of confusion principle had to be revised with the general adoption of digital sensors... you can find well in depth discussions on this, browsing in the forum threads (search with keywords like "DOF" "Hyperfocal" or so). Generally speaking, the DOF depicted on the lenses has to be treated as "optimistic" with a M8 : personally, I use a "dumb rule" to set the hyperfocal acting in the usual way you quoted, but as if the lens was closed one stop LESS : crude and unscientific, works decently with "normal" lenses like 28 to 90.

[rosuna]

I suggest this:

 

Luminous landscape

 

R.

[guy]

I don't pretend to understand the science, but Alex is right: f-number minus a stop.

[johnbuckley]

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Ruben has very modestly pointed you to the right place. Read the piece he and his colleagues produced last year for the Luminous Landscape. It is definitive, clear, and all you really need to know.

[mgcd]

Ruben has very modestly pointed you to the right place. Read the piece he and his colleagues produced last year for the Luminous Landscape. It is definitive, clear, and all you really need to know.

 

Well done Ruben! Certainly one of the most informative pieces I have read in a long time.

 

Cheers,

[stunsworth]

Will film Ms I always used one stop less than indicated, with the M8 I use 2 stops less, and still expect to see thinks out of focus at 100% magnification.

[Dennis]

On 10/20/2007 at 3:32 AM, rosuna said:

I suggest this:

 

Luminous landscape

 

R.

I was looking for some threads about hyperfocal, which is often use, and I found this. They say is a great reading, but the link is 404. Do you know/remember by chance the title/topic? 13 years ago, I know.    

[Jeff S]

Two years later, Michael Reichmann (RIP) wrote about DOF, including a section on hyperfocal.

https://luminous-landscape.com/dof/

Jeff

[chris_livsey]

I think this maybe the original link article if not the section on hyperfocal is specific to the M8 

https://luminous-landscape.com/leica-m8-ae-another-perspective/

The attribution to Ruben Osuna is a match to that link.

RIP Michael 

[Guest]

I have a related question: is the depth of field scale on a lens accurate on an M8, or do you need to apply some kind of scaling factor?

[01af]

vor 31 Minuten schrieb AndyGarton:

I have a related question: is the depth of field scale on a lens accurate on an M8, or do you need to apply some kind of scaling factor?

When a lens originally meant for 35-mm format (such as M lenses) is used on a smaller-format camera (such as the Leica M8) then depth-of-field will be narrower than indicated by the DOF scale on the lens' barrel. The scaling factor is the same as the linear format factor which for the M8 is 1.33×.

So with your M8, read DOF from the scale at one aperture but stop down the lens by another f-stop. For example, shoot at f/8 but read the scale at f/5.6. That's not perfectly accurate but close enough.

[Guest]

Understood, thanks.