Focusing SR3 by eye?

[James Ballard]

Hey folks,

 

I'm shooting a music video on an SR3 soon with some superspeeds. I had a look through the viewfinder the other day, wide open at t 1.3 and I 'seemed' to be able to pick the focus fairly accurately. I don't want to eyeball the whole shoot however and get back soft rushes. Has anyone judged focus by eye and been ok? Or should I always be measuring? By the way, I'm not going to be shooting the clip at t1.3!

 

Cheers!

 

 

[Stephen Williams]

Hey folks,

 

I'm shooting a music video on an SR3 soon with some superspeeds. I had a look through the viewfinder the other day, wide open at t 1.3 and I 'seemed' to be able to pick the focus fairly accurately. I don't want to eyeball the whole shoot however and get back soft rushes. Has anyone judged focus by eye and been ok? Or should I always be measuring? By the way, I'm not going to be shooting the clip at t1.3!

 

Cheers!

 

If the FDD is correct eye focusing will be fine, you may have a problem with very wide angle lenses so be careful with wides.

[Michael Ong]

Hi,

 

Even though I had never used an SR3. personally you probably still want to measure it just in case the camera does not have a ground glass.

[James Ballard]

If the FDD is correct eye focusing will be fine, you may have a problem with very wide angle lenses so be careful with wides.

What's the FDD? Thanks!

Edited November 10, 2013 by James Ballard

[Adrian Sierkowski]

FFD, Flange Focal Distance. E.g. that the camera is in spec, and the lenses are in spec.

I've focused by eye and I've focused by measuring.

Normally measurement is a bit better; but there certainly isn't anything wrong with by eye either as i've had to do many times.

Super speeds soften considerable at 1.3, normally I don't like to go below 2.8 on 'em which'll give you a bit more DoF anyway.

[James Ballard]

Nice, thanks Adrian.

[Josh Gladstone]

The old trick for when you're having trouble focusing by eye is to take the top off a maglight and focus on the pinpoint of light. (If you're going to do this next to an actor's eye to focus on their face, warn them first so they can close their eyes. It's super bright.)

[Stephen Williams]

Hi,

 

Even though I had never used an SR3. personally you probably still want to measure it just in case the camera does not have a ground glass.

 

A camera without a ground glass :D. Thats the reason you do a camera check out, you won't be able to frame the camera either without a GG.