Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:23:25 -0500 To: kodachrome@lists.kjsl.com From: Ron Schwarz Subject: [Kodachrome] "Hyperfocal distance, isn't!" Reply-To: kodachrome@lists.kjsl.com Meant to include these links (below) with my last post, where I made that comment, but forgot. (Having a bad bone day, feh.) Read this stuff, it will change your life. I can honestly say that "my life was dull" until I read his material (at least, the photographic part of my life). I think back to all the time I wasted, carefully setting my lens to the "hyperfocal" distance for whatever aperture I was using, and wondering why my images weren't *sharp*. Then I think of how I did what I later found to be the conventional wisdom of "give it an extra stop" -- or, "give it *two* extra stops" (either on the aperture, or on the matching number on the DOF scale) -- and *still* wondering why I wasn't getting all that wonderful sharpness I *thought* I should have gotten. Ended up blaming it on everything from camera movement to "bad lens, I must have ended up with a bad lens, not *every* 'identical' lens really *is* exactly as good as the next" and so forth. Then, I read his stuff, and the scales fell off my eyes -- and now my stuff is sharp. Check out the various articles on his site (the one fault I can find with him is the site layout -- it's a bit convoluted -- but I assure you it's worth the effort to navigate, even if you *do* find yourself walking in your own footsteps every so often (I found myself in "circular reference" mode, while trying to find all the various bits of info there). Make sure you read his Magnum Opus -- his dead tree book, available as PDF download. If you read nothing else, make sure you look at *that* item. While looking at it, check out the series of shots he took with a Leica, that demonstrate the difference (at *extreme* magnification) in resolution between *real* focus and "hyperfocal" setting. (They were shot on Tech Pan using a Leica M6.) It is a real eye opener -- the differences are dramatic. PS: Much of his work addresses Scheimpflug effect and Hinge rule management, which you'll find very useful if you do any LF work. This is somewhat distinct from his DOF work, although there is obvious overlap. Depth of Field Revisited by Harold M. Merklinger ======================== http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/DOFR.html His DOF book, "The INs and OUTs of FOCUS," can be downloaded here: http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/download.html I see he's added another book, "FOCUSING the VIEW CAMERA," which I don't recall having been available in PDF form the last time I looked at his site (a while ago). I *do* recall having read much of his view camera tutorial information, but not the actual book (which I will be downloading). I should also send him a "shareware payment" -- the amount he requests if one finds value in the books is miniscule compared to the actual value presented. A true bargain! (You do NOT need to pay anything to view or download the books, but I don't think you'll find a better value for your $5 dollars if you do decide to mail him a check!) Here is his main books page: Technical Books on Photography by Harold M. Merklinger ====================================================== http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/ There is MUCH more info available on that site! Many content-packed web pages, PDF files, movies, etc. It is a real gold mine of photographic information for anyone who's serious about their work. I doubt you'll find a better signal-to-noise ration *anywhere*! BTW, I see that his site was updated last month, and there is a lot of new info for me to view and download! Take a look at the site now (and maybe download those two books), and then reserve a block of quality time to be spent digging into the information he's posted there. I'd considered posting a bunch of deep links to various bits and pieces of his stuff, but there's just *so* much of it that I'll simply point you in the right direction and let you dig it out on your own. Not everything will appeal to everyone, but there's something there for all. PS: After you grasp what he's saying, you'll know why I said, "Hyperfocal distance, isn't!" -- Photos: http://www.michi-kogaku.com/picsdir Modern "Privacy": "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." Suggestion: Watch "Cabaret!" (It's a documentary, not a musical; a portrait of the end-game of a decadent culture.) _______________________________________________ Kodachrome mailing list Kodachrome@lists.kjsl.com http://lists.kjsl.com/mailman/listinfo/kodachrome