Focusing DSLR

Michael

Michael

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Hey everyone,

I was wondering how you go about focusing your DSLR manually when recording alone and say 8ft away from the camera, does adjusting the aperture to a smaller one help? Does anyone know any techniques/tips to achieve proper focus when on your own? I understand people use remote controls for this but can you do it without one?

Thanks
 
Michael said:
Hey everyone,

I was wondering how you go about focusing your DSLR manually when recording alone and say 8ft away from the camera, does adjusting the aperture to a smaller one help? Does anyone know any techniques/tips to achieve proper focus when on your own? I understand people use remote controls for this but can you do it without one?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I have a Nikon D3100 and from the little experience I have, I would say what lense you use matters LOADS. For e.g. the one I have 18-55mm does not zoom too good, but is great for macro shots and general 'close' shots. I hate auto. The way I see it, auto is for amateurs, if you're gonna spend hundreds on an SLR, learn the manuals and you'll have better pics :D
 
I sit a tall lamp or just something tall where I am going to be standing, focus it on that then stand where it is and record
 
Thanks everyone, it will be a vlog style video either standing or sat. I did manually focus earlier today by holding a sheet of paper up and it turned out alright, the autofocus STM lens I have is meant to autofocus well but it kept focusing fine and then going out of focus or it looked focused from a distance looking at the LCD but it didn't turn out focused.

I normally shoot everything in manual but the lens is meant to be decent for autofocusing in video:

http://www.procamerashop.co.uk/canon-ef-40mm-f-2-8-stm.html?gclid=CKDm9aX_z7QCFSHHtAodmRkAeA

Thanks for the tip Brodie, I might get someone to come and manually focus me in a certain spot and then record afterwards and make sure to keep it there :D
 
Yeah I would go with what Brodie said. Just put something in your scene where you will be, focus on it, then record you.

Best of luck to you!
 
Protip :​
​
Plant your camera to teh ground with a tripod, zoom as far as the background (where you'll be standing), do your manual focus there, unzoom and tad-freaking-dah, the background is still in focus :)​
 
Hardisk said:
Protip :​
​
Plant your camera to teh ground with a tripod, zoom as far as the background (where you'll be standing), do your manual focus there, unzoom and tad-freaking-dah, the background is still in focus :)​
Click to expand...

Interesting thank you, does this work without any zoom too? I assume it does. So just focus on say a green screen for example, as long as thats in focus you will be too when stood in front of it?
 
Michael said:
Interesting thank you, does this work without any zoom too? I assume it does. So just focus on say a green screen for example, as long as thats in focus you will be too when stood in front of it?
Click to expand...

If your lens has a fixed focal length then it's easy you just have to focus the background and.. well.. go talk to the camera in the background :p

You don't even have to use an object as a reference, in a situation like in a street, I just zoom in to the max focal length , focus , dezoom, done.
 
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