Lens Depth of Field Scales & Hyperfocal Distance

CHAPTERS:
- Intro: 00:00
- What lenses will it work with: 00:11
- The difference between a viewfinder & rangefinder: 1:32
- How to read and use the Depth of Field scale: 4:24
- How it works on a Mamiya C220: 8:14
- How it works on a Mamiya RZ67: 10:18
- How it works on a 6x17 panoramic camera: 11:58
- Hyperfocal distance explained: 12:59
- When the infinity mark is wide: 16:25
- Final disclaimer: 17:36

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VIDEO DESCRIPTION:
Some camera lenses have a handy little feature built in to them called a “depth of field scale”. You’ll find it often on older manual-focus film camera lenses and sometimes on modern auto-focus lenses designed for those digital doohickey’s everyone’s raving about.

If your lens has it, congratulations, my friend. Because whether it’s an SLR, TLR, rangefinder, or mirrorless camera, you’ll be able to use that scale to gain extra insight into the ideal place to focus and what aperture to use to achieve your desired depth of field. It’s simple to use, easy to understand, and an absolute thrill to apply out in the field (THRILLING, I tell you).

In this video I’ll show you techniques for making use of the depth of field scale on cameras that allow you to visually determine where the lens is focused (like on an SLR, TLR, or rangefinder camera) *AND* on cameras where you can’t visually determine focus, like on an external viewfinder style 6x17 camera. Can you say “Fuji GX617”, anyone? Can you also say, “damn I want that camera”? And “holy sh*t it costs that much?”

We’ll also look at what the hell hyperfocal distance is and how to dial it in on just about any camera.

Huh… Normally my video descriptions deteriorate into a jumbled mess of unrelated thoughts by the end of it. I kept it together pretty well this time.

Thanks for watching!

[nickcarverphoto]

For anyone asking about how to apply this on a Large Format camera, it is very possible and very effective but the technique for doing it is a bit different. At the risk of sounding like a salesman on commission...I cover those techniques extensively in my Large Format Photography online course (including how to apply everything covered in this video as well as how to apply it with tilts/swings, how to use it to determine whether your tilt/swing is actually helping, whether you need more or less tilt/swing, and more).

[mamiyaonfilm]

There’s no way hyperfocal distance is this easy. Been searching some tutorials on how it works and actually gave up on it, everyone explains it in a really complicated way, but you just made it so simple and so math free. Thanks!!

[stevenbudd]

Can't think of a better, more succinct, accurate and uniformly interesting photography channel on You Tube. I mention this, as I think you posted a piece a while back expressing some degree of personal doubts about 'being on the right track' and so on, so again, you're not just in the top percentile, you're in a class of your own.
Top drawer stuff.

[justinschroder]

Holy cow the Hyperfocal Distance business was super helpful.

The more learned about manual photography, the more it's understood why autofocus and whatnot on a digital camera is the cause of insanity.

Thank you for your help!

[BriManeely]

Man. I didn't know that after two decades of shooting, I'd learn anything from a video about focusing. Thanks for proving me wrong.

[mproyuclan]

Absolutely brilliant explanation of hyperfocal distance, so much simpler than I have ever had it explained before. 👍👍👍

[rbash]

All I can say is WOW and THANK YOU! This is easily the best, clearest, most thorough explanation of this topic I've come across on YouTube. Demonstrating on different (and very cool) cameras is a huge help as well. I don't know how it could have possibly taken me this long to come across your channel, but I'm glad I did. Can't wait to check out the rest of your content.

[octaviogarcia]

This is a master class. The video does not have enough likes in my opinion. Thanks, Nick, for sharing this info to amateur guys like me. I really appreciate it.

[extremelydave]

Well looky here!! Nick has not only given us a detailed explanation of depth of field, but also the mythical hyperfocal distance!! If I were his bossman, I'd give him the rest of the day off AND an apple!! Thanks for making me a little more dangerous Nick!!!

[devonrayphoto]

Nick Carver channeling Grover from Sesame Street with all of the near and far 😂😂
As always, another excellent video and example of simplifying the overly complicated !

[prsearls]

A excellent demonstration and explanation of this topic. I think I've gotten too lazy over the years with auto focusing. This is a good reminder of the "basics" I should be using instead. Thanks.

[richardsimms]

This is an important and useful topic. Thank you.

[alexanderbeck]

Nicely done, Nick! One thing though to mention: You say "this is how it's done on TLRs". Oh well, not always! To the best of my knowledge, none of the other TLRs, like all those Rolleiflexes and such, have that depth of field scale on the viewing lens. And as a matter of fact, the 3.5/105 mm lens is the only one in the Mamiya C-series range that has it. Not only do all the other lenses lack the diaphragm that allows to visually check DoF, but they also lack the DoF scale one the lens barrel. So all that remains is either guessing and hope for the best, or use a printed table (some older cameras have such a table printed on the back), or use a phone app. Since the Mamiya C-series has interchangeable lenses, the DoF table on the camera back won't work, so Mamiya supplies such tables for all available lenses in the cameras user manual. Now, would you pull out the manual to look up the right distance to focus on? I doubt it! I never did. I take my best guess and shoot. I call that "creativity" 😂

[josgeusens]

Thanks for this comprehensive explanation.
I would like to add that the engraved depth of field scales on lenses are a guide when using film. Depending on the pixel pitch of a digital camera, the actual DOF will differ. But as you pointed out, it all depends on what the goal of the photo is.
In my analog photo era, I used the scale on the lenses because that was the practical way of getting everything in focus when shooting cars, interiours and landscapes. However, when I wanted to print a landscape larger than 20 x 30 cm, I would use the f/11 scale when using f/16 to make sure it would be in focus near to far.
Blessed the digital camera, where you can immediately zoom on your photo to see if all that is good. With film you'd see your success or mistake a week later, but then I'd remember that and adjust future approaches. Best way to learn is to shoot, no matter what gear.

[shangxian]

🤯 you just unlocked a whole new plane of photography for me. Great examples, clear explanations. Thank you so much.

[fotowissen]

Dear Nick, I am super grateful for this video. Tx a lot.

Maybe I can give back some knowledge (Don already did):

You are right about the Fujifilm lenses not having the markings. But: The Fuji Digital Cameras are giving you the Dof in the viewfinder with the help of the blue ranges left and right of the white focal point. Change to manual focus, then change the menu (AF page 2 „Depth of Field“) from „Pixel Basis“ to „Film-Format-Bais“ (assuming you are printing your photos) before using.
Maybe you knew, maybe it helps others.
Best, Peter

[wasdown]

By far the best video online I can find explaining these topics. I got it down pat through experimenting and my own research but still like to watch videos on these topics in case they have anything I’ve missed, and they never do, but this video is an exception, great content!

[don]

Just remember that when you are using your digital fuji, it can be set to show focusing scale while in manual focus mode. It then highlights the in-focus part of it on the scale considering current aperture value. It can also be set to how rigorous it will be.

[Jerry-twsb]

Great video. Simple, accurate, and straight forward. Thanks Nick

[ckronauer]

Perfect description. No need to bring up "circles of confusion." My margin of safety for DoF is usually one stop (where infinity has to be in focus, a landscape for example). If the meter says f/11 I put (rotate) the infinity symbol onto the f/8 engraved line. Thanks as always.