Real dual focus trick

[elz]

I was shooting a baseball game to practice. I used a prime lens with fixed aperture (av) and autofocus. I pointed the lens at the batter a then try not to move the camera and watch the pitcher send the ball to get the batter trying to strike the ball.


Doing that many time I figured I could kinda unfocus my two eyes, the left one was watching into the viewfinder and the right one was watching the real world. This way I could synchronise and frame the batter and the catcher while I was watching the pitcher. It was a bit astraying for the eyes, but it sure was cool, it felt robotic, with the autofocus red square flashing in the 40d viewfinder.


Anyhow, I just wanted to share this trick and know if it's has a common name where I could get more information about it.

[neuroanatomist]

No idea what it's called, if anything, but I've done it. I've sometimes wondered if theEyepiece Extender EP-EX15would help.

[jcrowe87]

From my experience this is a pretty common trait found in sports photographers. Since they are often using longer lenses they can blind themselves to action on the rest of the field, so letting their other eye wonder helps them stay fully aware. It is especially important for sideline photographers (football), as it helps them and their gear avoid being trampled.


It is a pretty cool trick, and certainly has its uses, but I find that it only works for me in some situations, where in others I want to concentrate fully on the subject at hand.

[MrGreenBug]

What eye is on the viewfinder and on the real world? Just curious.. I have my right on the VF and left on real world. []

[elz]

left on da viewfinder and right on the real world. I guess that have alot to do about what is your principal eye.





seem like sport photography is more than the hardware. Those dudes have to have on eye focus on the camera viewfinder and one eye focues on the game...


junkskool.net (http://junkskool.net/pictures.aspx?cd=/photos/PhotoShoot/2010_05_BallGame should you care)

[Jordan]

Yeah I use that trick all the time too. Does do quite a number on your eyes if you do it a certain way or in certain conditions, but I find it generally advantages.


BTW, I LOVE photo 04.jpg! Nice long photo with beautiful action! What site are you using to host/display your photos? I don't think it does very well making them look attractive as thumbnails. I see you're cropping them in all different ways, but even still, the thumbnails should look a little nicer I think. I'm assuming that's generated by that site automatically? Hmm... I use Zenfolio.com ($99/year) and I hear Picasa Web Albums are nice and it's free I think. Maybe try looking into one of those as I think it will make your site much more attractive. You have pretty good photos so they should be displayed nicely.


Speaking of which, you say you were shooting with a prime. I see in the EXIF info on the site that you were shooting at 100mm at f/2.8. Were you using the EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro or the newer L IS USM Macro? Or some other lens I'm not aware of? Just curious.


- Jordan


www.freshphotohawaii.com

[elz]

Hi Jordan, thank you for your reply, it is a very nice one. I dont use that trick "all the time TOO" I just discovered it, but I intend to try and use it more often so it become kind of natural.


I host my web site with my own server. It is a mix of windows and linux (linux host windows with vmware as Iprogrammed the web sitein asp.net but prefer to leave the network stuff to linux). So it only cost me a registrar (no-ip) 10$/yearand the dns (zoneedit) is free. I coded the gallery so I just have to manage directory of .jpg files and the web side does the html presentation. The autogenerated thumbs are of very low quality because some pages have many of them and I had to lower the quality to 1 or 2kb files as I once had a trouble with my isp and I couldnt upload at more than 10kb/s! Now it's fixed (back to 100kb/s) but I think very low quality image for thumbs are enough so I left it that way. Though I'm am not certain that the thumbs image quality is what you mean when you say that it dont make them look attractive. I want it to be easy to spot a particuliar picture on the bunch and the you can have it full size and the details, that's why I'm not to found of javascript or flash slideshow... Photography is a hobby for me and I dont want to become popular or make money out of it, I just want to share my pictures with peoples so I made the web site in that sence. I'm a bit refractory at making changes to my web site as I coded it the way I wanted it be (minus the bug or my todo list) but I'm always happy and open to any objective idea or opinion if you have any.


I used the non-l version of the 100 macro lens


regards


- elz


junkskool.net

[mikehillman89]

It is especially important for sideline photographers (football), as it helps them and their gear avoid being trampled.
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Every single time I've worked a handheld sideline camera for a tv production I've managed to get both myself and my cable puller trampled. I guess I'm bad luck on the side of the field...[:^)] I need to use that trick more often... you just get so absorbed in the moment then wonder to yourself "why is that guy getting bigger in my VF?"