Focusing When you focus the camera you adjusts its lens to produce the sharpest possible image

of your subject with a prime lens, this involves altering the distance between the lens and the cameras CCD (or film in case of a photograph camera). With the zoom lens, focus adjustment is by readjusting the positions of internal lens elements. In other words a camera shot is in focus when the light rays form the rears converge precisely on the face of the camera pick-up tube. Since this distance varies depending upon the focal length of the lens and the camera to subject distance; we must continually adjust the distance between the lens and the pick tubes in order to maintain accurate focus. Focusing Methods: Several different methods are used to focus the cameras lens system: 1. 2. 3. 4. A focus ring on the lens barrel. A twist grip attached to a panning handle. A focus knob on the side of the camera or on a panning handles attachment. Some form of auto focus an automatic focusing system.

1. Focus Ring: - lens system on handheld and light weight cameras can be focused by running a ring on the lens barrel until subject details are as sharp as possible. 2. Twist Grip: - When a camera is fixed onto a mounting; panning handle are usually attached to its panning head to direct or steady it. A rotating sleeve twist grip control clamped onto the left panning handle turns to adjust the lens focus. 3. Servo Motor System: - Here a small servo motor adjusts the lens focus mechanism this has a considerable advantages, for its focus control can be located on the side of the camera, attached to a panning handle, or even remotely at a separate control point. 4. Auto focus: - An increasing number of cameras include automatic focusing facilities. Ideally you just point the camera, and it focuses on the subject autofocus is particularly useful when you are moving around with a handheld or shoulder mounting camera, for it maintains focus, where ever you move allowing you to concentrate on framing the shot and checking out your route. However, it is best to think of the auto focus facility as an aid, rather than assuming that it will relieve you of all focusing worries. Auto focus problems: 1. If your subject is not central; auto focus may sharpen upon whatever happens to be there, leaving your subject defocused.

2. Although you may want two subjects at different distances from the camera to appear equally sharp, the auto focus may indiscriminately sharpen on one or neither 3. If you are shooting through a foreground framework for e.g. branches, netting, railing the system will focus on this rather than your subject beyond. 4. If your subject is behind glass (Showcase, shop window), or beneath the surface of a pool; the auto-focus system can be fooled. 5. If someone or something moves in front of the camera, the system may refocus on it, defocusing your subject, if for instance you pan over a landscape, and a foreground bush comes into shot, the lens may defocus the distance scene and show a well focused bush. Similarly, when following a moving subject (e.g. some one in a crowd) the system may continually readjust itself, focusing randomly on the passing subjects. 6. When you zoom to alter the shot size; the system may refocus as you recompose the picture. 7. If the subject is dark toned, or covered with a black material, focusing may be inaccurate; as such surfaces do not reflect infrared well. 8. When shooting in rain, snow, mist, or fog auto focus may not be accurate. 9. Sometimes detailed backgrounds close behind subject can cause ambiguous focusing. 10. Highly reflective surfaces and areas that are shiny or reflect a lot of light can be a problem. 11. Subject that are moving rapidly or continuous can beat the system. 12. Subjects that have little contrast may not provide accurate focusing. 13. When shooting at night, results can be uncertain. 14. When using a lens filter for effects; it may interfere with the auto focus system. These problems may not arise but it is as well to be warned in doubt, switch to manual focusing instead.

Depth of field: Any lens can focus sharply on an object at one plane (i.e. any object plane) at one time only. All objects planes cannot be brought into sharp focus simultaneously. However, when a lens is focused on a subject, there will be an area in front of the subject and behind the subject on which all objects are seen in focus. This area of acceptable focus is called the depth of field Or It is the range of subject distance with in which the subject can be photographed with an acceptable sharpness is called depth of field

Depth of field is an important optical characteristic of lenses which we can use as a creative tool. When there is very large space surrounding the principal subject in which objects are still seen in focus the lens is said to have a wide or deep depth of field. If the area surrounding the subject is not very large; the lens is said to have a shallow or narrow depth of field