Sony a350 how to selective focus?

[callyolson]

<p>So I am trying to learn how to selective focus my camera, I have a Sony a350. I would love to have more control on the focus area when I have a shallow DOF, last time I tried to get a blurred background I have the nose in perfect focus but not the eyes.</p>

<p>So I went to the Sony manual and here is what I found on page 73,<br>

Wide, Spot and Local. But then it really does not give step by step what to do or even what each one does.</p>

<p>Can anyone help me?</p>

 

[gregory_king1]

<p>There are nine or so focus points in the viewfinder. Any ONE of them will be selected to be "in focus". Everything else on that plane will be in focus, depending on your depth of field. Your issue sounds like you used too large an aperture, since putting the eyes in focus would have also made the nose go out of focus</p>

<p><br />"Wide" surveys all the focus points and selects the one that is the closest (I think) or possibly uses some other criteria.<br>

<br />"Spot" uses the center point. I use this one, since it's predictable. But focusing on what you want and recomposing can add error, or lead to problems with unsuspecting shooters who borrow the camera.</p>

<p>"Local" uses whichever you select (using the joystick).</p>

<p> </p>

[callyolson]

<p>Thanks your descriptions are easier to understand then the manual. It sounds like I want to be able to use Local... Do you know how do I select my focus spot and toggle between different ones?</p>

[phule]

<p>[[last time I tried to get a blurred background I have the nose in perfect focus but not the eyes.]]</p>

<p>But if your aperture is too large, changing to "Local" will not help. Increasing your depth of field by choosing a smaller aperture will allow both the nose and the eyes in focus. </p>

<p>If, however, you just want the eyes in focus and not the nose, then keep the larger aperture and either select a different focus area or manually focus your lens.</p>

 

[callyolson]

<p>Yes thank you for that direction. I actually understand that. My point is not if you believe I should have both eyes and nose in focus, but rather that my goal was for the eyes to be in focus and they were not. SO therefore which buttons/toggle to I push to actually tell the camera to change the point of focus. It might be a basic question, but instead of changing to manual focus how to I select my focus point in AF?</p>

[phule]

<p>[[My point is not if you believe I should have both eyes and nose in focus, but rather that my goal was for the eyes to be in focus and they were not.]]</p>

<p>This was not clear from your original statement. Please remember that no one here is standing next to you and no one knows your skill-set. </p>

<p>According to the user manual, the Fn button controls a number of functions, including selection of the AF Area. I would assume that, once you select "Local" you would push the Fn button, pick the AF area and use the joystick to pick your focus point. </p>

[gregory_king1]

<p>I prefer focusing with the center spot on one eye, then recomposing. The focus will lock with a half-press. As I mentioned, it isn't necessarily as accurate, but for me it's simpler. Obviously, it won't work well on a tripod. ;-)<br>

That's part of the sucky part about AF cameras, and DSLR's specfically. The focus screen isn't designed for manual focus. You are forced to use (and trust) the focus indicators. Old manual cameras had focusing adds like split images and fresnel lenses and matte screens to make it MUCH more obvious what was in focus and what wasn't. Unfortunately, they "steal" light and make the viewfinder darker, so the AF cameras got more transparent (and more useless) screen designs.</p>

[isaac_leung]

<p>Hi Cally,<br>

Here is the step-by-step process.<br>

1) Press the Fn button<br>

2) Select "AF Area" with the D-pad/joystick and press the middle button<br>

3) Select "Local" (last option) then press the middle button<br>

4) When shooting, use the directionals on the D-pad to utilise one of the nine AF points. The middle button corresponds to the middle AF point of course. The selected points will be highlighted in red on your OVF, or in orange on your LiveView screen. Of course, your composition must be so that the selected AF point is on what you want to focus on.<br>

Like others have already pointed out in this thread, I personally only use the center AF point, and recompose after attaining focus with that. Not saying that the other AF points are bad or anything, I just find the cross sensor in the center to be that much more accurate and reliable. Of course, this method is not perfect because the shifting in recomposition does affect the area in focus, but the effects of this are not really noticeable in most cases.</p>

[callyolson]

<p>That is exactly what I was looking for thank you. I know what you mean about the center spot, and I might go to that, but want to try this first. Currently my camera is set to wide, I don't know if I changed that at some point or if I have never changed it. Anyway I will pay with both the center idea and with local. I like the idea of controlling it myself but we will see once I try.<br /> Again thank you!</p>

[william-porter]

<p>Cally,</p>

<p>You have two options here:</p>

<ul>

<li>select center-spot focus with focus-and-recompose; OR </li>

<li>select local focus, and use the D-pad to pick the focus point.</li>

</ul>

<p>There are risks and benefits to both approaches. But I would suggest that work with the first option for a while (focus and recompose).</p>

<p>When center-spot focus and recompose works, which is 95% of the time, it works as well as picking your focus point manually. And it's a heckuva lot easier and quicker. Moreover, when you keep the focal point in the center, you always KNOW where the focus point is without having to think. This is, I think, why most pros use center-spot focusing most of the time when they are shooting handheld.</p>

<p>Note that I said most pros use center spot most of the time when shooting handheld. There are two problems with center spot focus.</p>

<p>First, focus-and-recompose is difficult or impossible when the camera is on a tripod. So, when I do tripod work, I generally do set the camera to local. I do other things, like turn image stabilization off. Tripod work is a special case.</p>

<p>Second, there is a potential problem with focus-and-recompose if you are close to the subject. If you are very close to the scene (like within three feet) and you point the camera to some object off to the right of the scene to focus, then recompose to put that object in its proper place on the right, well, your focus may now have moved BEHIND the thing you want to focus on. You focus on a PLANE that is parallel to the camera's sensor. And when you move the camera to recompose, that plane moves and ends up farther back than it was when you were turned to the right or left.</p>

<p><a href="http://visual-vacations.com/Photography/focus-recompose_sucks.htm">http://visual-vacations.com/Photography/focus-recompose_sucks.htm</a><br /><br /></p>

<p>However, this matters mainly (a) when you are very close to the subject and (b) when your aperture is open very wide. Both of these factors—aperture and distance to the subject—have an influence on depth of field. When the depth of field is VERY thin, then moving the focal plane might make a significant difference. But most of the time—say, if you are 10 ft from the general subject area and you're shooting at, oh, f/5.6—moving the camera 45° to the left won't cause things that you want in focus to go out of focus.</p>

<p>And if you use focus-and-recompose, you won't have to keep asking yourself which focal point is currently active.</p>

<p>Will </p>

[richard_thompson1]

<p>What I'm going to say has sort of been referenced already, but the obvious solution is to use manual focus. But I am extremely nearsighted and have to rely on autofocus in many cases.<br>

Use the central focus on the point of focus, then either use focus lock or switch to manual focus. Even though the image I see may be blurred, I'll also look for best focus as an alternative.<br>

I use a different camera in the sony line, but the controls seem to be pretty consistent across the line.</p>

[william-porter]

<p>Richard mentions manual focus. Very good point to add.</p>

<p>But manual focus can be tricky. I don't know about other Sony cameras, but my A550 doesn't have a split focusing screen in the OVF. Without an old-fashioned split screen, focusing in the OVF can be very difficult, especially if your OVF, like the one on the A550, is small and not well magnified. (I like the A550, really I do, but the OVF isn't one of its strong points.)</p>

<p>Manual focusing in live view can be better, especially if you have a feature like MF Check Live View and can blow up what you're seeing. HOWEVER, this too, can be tricky. If you have the camera on a tripod, by all means, use live view, blow up the part of the scene you want to focus on, and get really precise. But if you are holding the camera by hand, after you focus in a magnified view, you probably want to leave the magnified view to double-check your composition before hitting the shutter button. And when you do this, if the focus left you very little wiggle room, you could move OUT of focus as you exit magnified view. I've found this can matter when I'm shooting a portrait with very shallow depth of field and want to focus perfectly on the subject's eyes—so I get the front of the eyeballs in perfect, tack-sharp focus and the ears, perhaps even their temples, a bit blurry. Solution: Use a tripod.</p>

<p>Will</p>

[callyolson]

<p>Thank you for those last few posts, that gives me some more items to think about. I guess right now I am going to practice both so that given the situation I know how to handle it.</p>

<p>Again thank you!</p>