Focusing in the dark

lolage

lolage

Messages
911
Name
Ben
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi, just came back from doing some night photography to find out when I got home my shots were completely out of focus.

Is there any guide or easy way to try and focus at things in the dark? I find it so hard and frustrating? I'm tempted to invest in a powerful torch maybe? :lol::cuckoo:
 
yup use a torch to focus on something in the foreground. thats what I do :-)

or zoom in, in live view to make sure your subject is in focus...
 
Yeah cool - I think I just need to be more planned really. We always tend to be climbing hills at 2am in the morning with 10% battery on our phones using our lights on those... :p

Could do with a headtorch and a slightly more powerful light maybe. Will get looking! :thumbs:
 
No, you don't need a torch to shine on where you'll focus, that will involve a really powerful and probably heavy one.

I have a small single button cell led light that one of the kids picked up somewhere for about 50p and simply place this where I want to focus pointing at the camera, then come back to the camera, lock focus then remove the light.

Perfect every time :)
 
I use the torch method, as mentioned a few posts up, to illuminate what I am trying to focus on.

A couple of torches are just things I consider as part of my kit and always have them in my bag along with spare batteries for them.
 
I have used my SB600 before now. Set it to focus assist, but set the flash to not fire. It then sends out a red grid of light which it focusses on, job done.
 
vizzair said:
laser pen, as long as you don't point it at passing vehicles
Click to expand...

+1
I first heard about it on the Urbex forums.

Use Live View and zoom in on the dot.
Because the dot is tiny, simply manually focus aiming to get the dot displayed as small as possible.
I've achieved focus this way at 1/4 mile - which is excessive but shows what can be done....
 
DuncanDisorderly said:
+1
I first heard about it on the Urbex forums.

Use Live View and zoom in on the dot.
Because the dot is tiny, simply manually focus aiming to get the dot displayed as small as possible.
I've achieved focus this way at 1/4 mile - which is excessive but shows what can be done....
Click to expand...

Cool, looks like an ebay job then. I'm sure its not necessary to zoom but a few here are saying zoom, then focus. I presume it would be fine to just zoom out and focus on the laser pen?
 
GHP said:
I have used my SB600 before now. Set it to focus assist, but set the flash to not fire. It then sends out a red grid of light which it focusses on, job done.
Click to expand...

How do you do this, i've had a play around with my 600 but can't seem to turn flash off and focus beam on?
 
Rapscallion said:
How do you do this, i've had a play around with my 600 but can't seem to turn flash off and focus beam on?
Click to expand...

Sorry, my typing error. I have a SB800, not the 600, and I'm not sure whether the 600 can do it. Sorry.
 
GHP said:
Sorry, my typing error. I have a SB800, not the 600, and I'm not sure whether the 600 can do it. Sorry.
Click to expand...

never mind. was one of the few things i wish it had but didn't.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top