What's the trick for accurate portrait focusing???

Wheatfield · 03-21-2011, 07:18 PM

You really want the bridge of the nose in focus, but most people really want the eyes in focus as well.
I know I do.
This is where knowing what depth of field you will get at varying distances and apertures.
The nice thing about focusing on the nose is that you can pretty safely forget about the DOF in front, and just stop down to get the eyes.
Sometimes this brings the background into too much focus, so you fine tune by focusing a little behind the tip of the nose and opening up a bit.
Usually, I find that portraiture shot wide open is not as salable as something stopped down just a little.
I tend to stop down too much, which is just as bad as not stopping down enough.

Class A · 03-22-2011, 04:48 AM

Originally posted by Wheatfield

If the AF isn't giving you perfectly sharp focus (and most of the time it won't), ...

Then I must be doing something wrong. I can fully rely on my K100D to yield perfectly sharp focus. And I was born a pixel peeper so don't think I don't know how to check perfect focus.

Maybe it has to do with how I calibrated my portrait lens. I fine-tuned it with a doll to yield focus. No focus chart, no batteries, just a simulation of what would occur in real life. I didn't care what the camera focused on in that calibration session (lashes, iris, eyebrow, ...) all I cared about was that would achieve optimal focus in the real portrait shots. And it did and still does. I can rely on AF for my needs. Maybe I couldn't with an 85mm at f/1.4. But with my FA 50/1.4 it works.

RioRico · 03-22-2011, 05:43 AM - **1 Like**

If you want thin DOF and just one eye in focus, go wide-open and spot-focus on that eye. Don't worry about composition, the pic can be cropped later. Doing this right takes practice. Expect many failures, and some rewarding successes.

If you actually want the *face* in focus, stop down. If stopping-down makes the background too noticeable, move the subject further from the BG, or light the subject not the BG, or pick an empty or framing BG. If stopping-down grabs *too much* facial detail, soften the pic in PP.

For sharp full-facials, stop down and move back. If 85/4 is too close, go to 105/5.6 or 135/8. For soft facials, do just the opposite: 85/2 or 55/1.4 will give nice effects, with practice. And be prepared to do whatever is necessary in PP.

You can't fool optics. Sharpness requires the right blend of glass, aperture, focus, distance. Every photo is an equation to be solved. Bother.

TOUGEFC · 03-22-2011, 05:49 AM

Originally posted by RioRico

Sharpness requires the right blend of glass, aperture, focus, distance. Every photo is an equation to be solved. Bother.

Words of wisdom right there.

hoanpham · 03-22-2011, 06:23 AM

very good round up RioRico...

RioRico · 03-22-2011, 04:50 PM

Originally posted by TOUGEFC

Words of wisdom right there.

Originally posted by hoanpham

very good round up RioRico...

Hey, there was lots of great advice before I threw in my bit.
But y'all can hit my rep anyway. I'm only it it for the lulz.

C-Factor · 03-23-2011, 10:12 PM

Looks like you already have some very good advise available, but here is my two cents. If you like auto focus, stick with it but move the auto focus point to the area where the eyes are in the frame. This worked very well for, but on the other hand I could see the auto focus points in the viewfinder. If you are using fast primes from 35-50mm for the bokeh with wide open apeture, try a telephoto stopped down. This can give the same or better out focus look the fast primes provide, but with enough DOF that you should walk away with more faces in focus.

hoanpham · 03-25-2011, 04:35 AM

Originally posted by RioRico

Hey, there was lots of great advice before I threw in my bit.
But y'all can hit my rep anyway. I'm only it it for the lulz.

Sure. There are few free things in life:
It's free to give people a nice smile.
It's free to give people a polite greeting.
and it's free to give people creditability in this forum.

;-)

and I must spread some Reputation around before giving it to RioRico again.

Wheatfield · 03-25-2011, 05:46 PM

Originally posted by Class A

Then I must be doing something wrong. I can fully rely on my K100D to yield perfectly sharp focus. And I was born a pixel peeper so don't think I don't know how to check perfect focus.

Maybe it has to do with how I calibrated my portrait lens. I fine-tuned it with a doll to yield focus. No focus chart, no batteries, just a simulation of what would occur in real life. I didn't care what the camera focused on in that calibration session (lashes, iris, eyebrow, ...) all I cared about was that would achieve optimal focus in the real portrait shots. And it did and still does. I can rely on AF for my needs. Maybe I couldn't with an 85mm at f/1.4. But with my FA 50/1.4 it works.

Maybe it has to do with you missing the part about the OP not getting reliable focus with AF.

Class A · 03-30-2011, 04:20 AM

Originally posted by Wheatfield

Maybe it has to do with you missing the part about the OP not getting reliable focus with AF.

I understood that much, but I consider the possibility that the OP has a "focus / recompose" problem or an AF adjust issue or some other problem.

Seems fair enough when other people can use AF for portraiture.

Class A · 03-31-2011, 07:03 PM

Originally posted by Wheatfield

Maybe it has to do with you missing the part about the OP not getting reliable focus with AF.

Here's what the OP wrote in another thread:

But to answer your question my focusing issues have been resolved by my technique (go for the right OR left eye not the bridge of nose)

I also AF on the eyes, so maybe that's the trick...

03-25-2011, 04:35 AM	#23
hoanpham Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Strand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,366	Originally posted by RioRico Hey, there was lots of great advice before I threw in my bit. But y'all can hit my rep anyway. I'm only it it for the lulz. Sure. There are few free things in life: It's free to give people a nice smile. It's free to give people a polite greeting. and it's free to give people creditability in this forum. ;-) and I must spread some Reputation around before giving it to RioRico again. Last edited by hoanpham; 03-27-2011 at 02:15 PM.

03-31-2011, 07:03 PM	#26
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251	Originally posted by Wheatfield Maybe it has to do with you missing the part about the OP not getting reliable focus with AF. Here's what the OP wrote in another thread: But to answer your question my focusing issues have been resolved by my technique (go for the right OR left eye not the bridge of nose) I also AF on the eyes, so maybe that's the trick...

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Not accurate purple colors?	kenhreed	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	11	02-13-2011 02:52 PM
Is the electronic level accurate for you?	m8o	Pentax K-5 & K-5 II	25	11-30-2010 10:19 AM
K20 battery reading accurate?	FHPhotographer	Pentax DSLR Discussion	11	01-09-2010 05:43 AM
How accurate is K20 autofocus with FA31mm Limited?	Scrib	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	10	12-29-2009 05:07 PM
Pls help on focusing for a self portrait	rustynail925	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	8	12-01-2009 11:30 AM

03-21-2011, 07:18 PM	#16
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,976	You really want the bridge of the nose in focus, but most people really want the eyes in focus as well. I know I do. This is where knowing what depth of field you will get at varying distances and apertures. The nice thing about focusing on the nose is that you can pretty safely forget about the DOF in front, and just stop down to get the eyes. Sometimes this brings the background into too much focus, so you fine tune by focusing a little behind the tip of the nose and opening up a bit. Usually, I find that portraiture shot wide open is not as salable as something stopped down just a little. I tend to stop down too much, which is just as bad as not stopping down enough.

03-22-2011, 04:48 AM	#17
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251	Originally posted by Wheatfield If the AF isn't giving you perfectly sharp focus (and most of the time it won't), ... Then I must be doing something wrong. I can fully rely on my K100D to yield perfectly sharp focus. And I was born a pixel peeper so don't think I don't know how to check perfect focus. Maybe it has to do with how I calibrated my portrait lens. I fine-tuned it with a doll to yield focus. No focus chart, no batteries, just a simulation of what would occur in real life. I didn't care what the camera focused on in that calibration session (lashes, iris, eyebrow, ...) all I cared about was that would achieve optimal focus in the real portrait shots. And it did and still does. I can rely on AF for my needs. Maybe I couldn't with an 85mm at f/1.4. But with my FA 50/1.4 it works.

03-22-2011, 05:43 AM - 1 Like	#18
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	If you want thin DOF and just one eye in focus, go wide-open and spot-focus on that eye. Don't worry about composition, the pic can be cropped later. Doing this right takes practice. Expect many failures, and some rewarding successes. If you actually want the face in focus, stop down. If stopping-down makes the background too noticeable, move the subject further from the BG, or light the subject not the BG, or pick an empty or framing BG. If stopping-down grabs too much facial detail, soften the pic in PP. For sharp full-facials, stop down and move back. If 85/4 is too close, go to 105/5.6 or 135/8. For soft facials, do just the opposite: 85/2 or 55/1.4 will give nice effects, with practice. And be prepared to do whatever is necessary in PP. You can't fool optics. Sharpness requires the right blend of glass, aperture, focus, distance. Every photo is an equation to be solved. Bother.

03-22-2011, 05:49 AM	#19
TOUGEFC Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,561	Originally posted by RioRico Sharpness requires the right blend of glass, aperture, focus, distance. Every photo is an equation to be solved. Bother. Words of wisdom right there.

03-22-2011, 06:23 AM	#20
hoanpham Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Strand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,366	very good round up RioRico...

03-22-2011, 04:50 PM	#21
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Originally posted by TOUGEFC Words of wisdom right there. Originally posted by hoanpham very good round up RioRico... Hey, there was lots of great advice before I threw in my bit. But y'all can hit my rep anyway. I'm only it it for the lulz.

03-23-2011, 10:12 PM	#22
C-Factor Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Posts: 113	Looks like you already have some very good advise available, but here is my two cents. If you like auto focus, stick with it but move the auto focus point to the area where the eyes are in the frame. This worked very well for, but on the other hand I could see the auto focus points in the viewfinder. If you are using fast primes from 35-50mm for the bokeh with wide open apeture, try a telephoto stopped down. This can give the same or better out focus look the fast primes provide, but with enough DOF that you should walk away with more faces in focus.

03-25-2011, 05:46 PM	#24
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,976	Originally posted by Class A Then I must be doing something wrong. I can fully rely on my K100D to yield perfectly sharp focus. And I was born a pixel peeper so don't think I don't know how to check perfect focus. Maybe it has to do with how I calibrated my portrait lens. I fine-tuned it with a doll to yield focus. No focus chart, no batteries, just a simulation of what would occur in real life. I didn't care what the camera focused on in that calibration session (lashes, iris, eyebrow, ...) all I cared about was that would achieve optimal focus in the real portrait shots. And it did and still does. I can rely on AF for my needs. Maybe I couldn't with an 85mm at f/1.4. But with my FA 50/1.4 it works. Maybe it has to do with you missing the part about the OP not getting reliable focus with AF.

03-30-2011, 04:20 AM	#25
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251	Originally posted by Wheatfield Maybe it has to do with you missing the part about the OP not getting reliable focus with AF. I understood that much, but I consider the possibility that the OP has a "focus / recompose" problem or an AF adjust issue or some other problem. Seems fair enough when other people can use AF for portraiture.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
	Search this Thread: Advanced Search