Radical low-light focusing strategies?

[don_miller2]

With fall almost upon us in the northern half of the world I've begun

again to think about how I can use my 4x5 in really low light. I like

to take misty, saturated dawn (pre-dawn) shots. But how to focus?

Here's my list so far, please critique:

 

-Artificial light. Someone speculated in the archive's about using a

laser pointer. Or, if I'm near the truck, I could use a halogen

spotlight.

 

- Preset hyperfocal. Make a chart with the millimeter settings for

certain lens/aperture combinations. No movements but easy.

 

- Preset focus with front tilt. Many of my setups are typical near-

far landscape shots. Perhaps I could use the prefocus idea and

include a preset tilt? This probably wouldn't work on my new field

camera (no scale) but it might with a monorail.

 

So, how do you work with 1EV?

[emrys]

I must admit I've thought a lot about this lately, and I would also appreciate a consistent, practical method that doesn't involve wearing night goggles.

 

The problem is compounded by the fact that we 'focus on the far, and tilt for the near'. It's all very well shining a torch (or a laser pointer!) on the ground nearby, but try aiming a torch at a hill, or the like, a mile off.

 

For my money, the light around dawn, or pre-dawn, produces the most evocative and atmospheric photographs so an answer to this puzzle would be very useful indeed.

[ken_schroeder]

Don, the old press cameras had vernier scales for focusing. All you need to do is (in good light) put a white stick on label next to your rail with a couple distance markings and slash marks. Add slash marks on a similar stick on on the focusing rail and just align the two lines in low light.

 

Regarding the tilt, all you need is a plastic carpenter's level/protractor. In good light make sure the front and rear standards are plumb (vertical) and make the tilt you think you want. Note the angle on the level/protractor. Recreate the situation in the field, and you are ready to go. Your field camera should work fine for this.

 

Then, just open the shutter, go for coffee, and, when you return, your negative will be exposed.

[emrys]

I should have added: I work with a field camera and have no intention (read money) to buy a monorail.

[skygzr]

I've used the flashlight solution for near stuff. In fact, I usually don't shine the light on the foreground, I turn on the light and place it in the picture. The bright pointlike source makes focusing easy.

 

Note to self: remove flashlight before taking picture.

 

Alas, there is no universal solution for the distant stuff.

[david_goldfarb]

With my Linhof Tech V, this is where the rangefinder comes in handy, at least to locate the near and far points or the subject. I often find myself using the rangefinder to confirm focus with wide lenses particularly.

 

Another issue is to be sure that you have a really dark darkcloth that blocks out light from all sides, including the bottom, and to let your eyes adjust to the light under the cloth.

 

I seem to have pretty good low-light vision at the age of 36, and the fact that I've worn eyeglasses that adjust to the light since I was a teenager may have something to do with that. Maybe it's diet. Maybe I'm just lucky.

[pvp]

I've thought about the laser pointer thing, seems like you <I>might</I> be able to focus on the spot some distance away if you got there early and set up while it's still dark. Haven't tried it though. What about setting up the shot the day before, then lock all the settings and mark the tripod holes? Next morning just plunk it down and pray...

[armin_seeholzer]

Hi Don

 

If it is a very important payd shoot I be there 1 hour bevor it gets dark and do everything set up as long as I can see it very easy and then i take some shoots already during the blue hour till I get also the shoot in the dark!

And my leaserpointer works up to only 50m but it is a good tool for focusing if I was to late because of to much traffic!

Good luck!

[guytal]

All good tricks but, when possible, the foolproof way is to scout your shot ahead of time, set the camera up in full daylight, and wait for the light to change.<br>

Another factor in favor of this method is that dawn/dusk light changes rapidly. If you try to set up too close to the decisive moment you have a good chance of missing it while fumbling with the controls.

<br><br>

Guy<br>

<a href="http://scenicwild.com">Scenic Wild</a>

[conrad_hoffman]

Mini-Mag lights make a great point source if you fully unscrew the reflector assembly. Just put it out in the scene. With two, you might be able to focus using tilt. Never tried this, but it might be possible to use a ground glass with a clear spot and crosshair to do aerial focusing. That doesn't take much light at all.

[kelly_flanigan1]

<a href="http://members.lycos.co.uk/jolommencam/page3.html"><i>Focussing with a "spotlight"<BR><BR><BR>

 

With some Graphic models you'll find a top mounted range finder, with a built in battery house and a 3 volt bulb. The bulb is placed in de beam of the mirrors from the range finder. If you push the little red button on the left side from the top mounted range finder, you'll see, two spirals, in fact the projection of the spiral of the electric bulb, on your subject. By turning the focusing knob you'll see the two spirals merge. If the two spirals are one, the range is adjusted.</i></a>

[wayne_crider4]

I wonder if a car battery and a 50k spotlight would work? Guess it would if it's

close enough to the car; Or you could use a golf cart..(^:

[william_whitaker1]

I have in the past pre-focused in the evening light and left the camera until the dawn. Clearly, however, this would not work in some neighborhoods! In one situation I simply marked the focus with tape on the bed of the camera so I could easily find it again. Sounds crude, but it worked.

 

Oddly enough, though, this particular problem has long been my argument to not sell my medium format equipment!

 

Cheers,

[lars ake vinberg]

I shoot some pre-dawn, but never really Ev 1. Also, twilight lasts forever up here (59 degrees north) so there seems to always be enough time. I like the flashlight/laser pointer ideas, though.

 

At midsummer solstice I shot an 8x10 Velvia around midnight, had a 30 minute exposure (f/64, lots of reciprocity failure!) but nowhere near EV 1. Still it was too dark for me to really appreciate the composition at that time.

 

So how do you compose when it is too dark to see? Yes, scouting of course. Stepping out at twilight to look for a composition would for me be a bit meaningless. Guy has a point, although I don't see myself setting up the camera for a morning shot before darkness falls very often.

 

My focusing strategy was to focus on the bright areas using a large 4x loupe, get the plane tilted approximately right, and step down to f/64. The result was (except for the reciprocity failure) usable but not the absolutely sharpest exposure.

[ken_schroeder]

I think you guys are making this too complicated. The old press photographers wouldn't have any problem with this. Just put the camera on tripod and use the focusing scale on the bed.

 

There are several posts here about caluclating the hyperfocal distance. I would do that and make tape marks. Use the lens at f22 or 32, and you are covered.

[darin_cozine]

I think pre-focusing is the way to go here. Calculate the hyperfocal distnce. Focus during daylight. Mark the points on the bed of the camera. Come back in the early morning. Braket your focus just to be safe.

 

-If you are not walking too far, you may want to lock the movements and focus, leave the camera in that position. Just remove it from the tripod and dont close it. Then when you come back to the location, just place it back on the tripod and aim.

 

Let us know what you do and how well it worked.

 

-Darin

[allen_whittier]

I use the flashlight solution too. Mini mags used to be my choice (lasers are to dim), but I've changed to the new high intensity LED lights. they are about 5 times as bright and a smaller point for focusing. The other advantage, they're so bright I never forget to remove them before shooting. They're available at all sporting goods stores.

 

I place a light at every point that is of importance to me in the photo to help with focus and tilt. I also place a light at the edge points in the composition. The light I shoot in is frequently low, the lens wide and my eyes dim. A little help at the edges during setup is helpful. My work is usually confined to an interior space that allows me to go overboard, but I'm sure you can apply it to your work.