What is the focus recompose technique?

9 years 7 months ago #403501 by Ryan711
I've seen this term used by a few photographers and I'm not 100% sure what they are referring too.  I picking up the obvious:  it has something to do with focusing your shots, is there a special trick that goes along with this.  Or just a general term?  


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9 years 7 months ago #403507 by garyrhook
It means that you aim the camera and push the shutter button halfway down to lock the focus. While holding that button you move your camera to get the shot you want.

If you have a button to hold focus (i.e. a button (on the back) of the camera that you can hold to lock the current focus) it's a bit easier to implement this technique. Trying to hold the shutter release half-way down can be challenging (he says, from experience, until he learned more about his camera).


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9 years 7 months ago #403523 by KCook
Back in 35mm SLR days the only focus aids were located in the center of the field so you had no choice but to focus first, centered on the object desired, then shift the frame away to get the composition you wanted.  Auto focus points on today's cameras are arrayed around the frame.  In theory the camera's AF programming will find a good point somewhere in the frame to latch onto for focus.  But in practice you may still need to use a fixed point of your choice instead.  My Canon DSLR AF does a reasonable job of finding a useful focus point.  My mirrorless camera, not so much.  So I am more likely to use the center point focus, then re-compose, with my mirrorless.

Kelly Cook

Canon 50D, Olympus PL2
kellycook.zenfolio.com/

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9 years 7 months ago #404005 by Joves
:agree:  :goodpost:
Yeah Kelly nailed the why it even needed to be one in the old days. I do not even bother with it at all with my digital cameras. Floating the AF point where I want it is way easier.
There are many techniques from the old days that I do not miss at all. Like the way that when you stopped down the split prisms became difficult to use because they darkened so much. So you literally had to focus, then stop down to your desired depth of field. I am glad I got old when photography became easier.


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