Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/12/17

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Focusing difficulties
From: Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 19:53:54 -0800

P2CON@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Mark commenting on Jeff commenting on Julian's focusing difficulties:
> 
> << I think lots of people go for eyelashes or eyebrows in that order. They
> are the
>  easiest and most needful of being sharp in the first place. When I check
>  sharpness with a loupe I check for individual eyelash hairs instead of a
> fuzzy
>  line of all of them. >>
> 
> Hey guys, the man said he had difficulty focusing on a child's face, and you
> want him to go for the eyelashes??  He is talking about a bunch of little
> kids at play or whatever in a preschool environment. Maybe 1 in 400 shots
> will nail an in-focus eyelash, (and quite by accident IMO). What he really
> needs is some depth of field, and an M6 + lens, (of course), to help the hand
> holding.
> 
> Regards, Paul Connet

I still say you train yourself to go for the bottom set of eyelashes. You hit or
you miss. And obviously I'm not talking about a group of kids or any
particularly aged people but one person when I say that.
I just finished photographing two kids last week and printed them this week. I
aimed for the eyelashes, My technique didn't change because they were someones
precious kids. I don't know what the hell you are talking about you zone focus
kids with enough depth of field to get them just like you would grown-ups or
fence posts. The fact that they are young humans does not make them any
different. Why would "one in 400 shots nail an in focus eyelash" if they are
there and in focus and your film and lens resolution is good enough with not too
much camera or subject motion to get them? Depth of field and resolution
discussions will overlap. A kids eyelashes are much finer I think than an
adults. A true test for your technique if you are into that stuff. I've done
kids with Agfapan 25 this time round I went for Delta 400 and I got the darn
little eyelashes in some shots!. Camera movement was the culprit because I went
for depth of field to get both kids and the darn dog and the mom on the overcast
location. What the heck!
Mark Rabiner