Comments on: How to Calibrate Your Zoom Lens To Capture What Your Eyes See

By: Barry E.Warren

Barry E.Warren — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 16:01:09 +0000

Using a 18-55 mm lens on a Nikon D5000, it seems to me that 55mm is at the normal. I didn’t try my other lens but it most likely will remain at 55mm.

By: Alberto

Alberto — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:26:16 +0000

Fernando, you are completely right.
For me, the best focal lengths are probably all above 100mm. What is important is the final image and if it works as you wished.
However, I think every site I read suggests a 35mm lens as a normal lens on a cropped sensor and I really don’t get how they can do this while for my eye 35 always seemed too low and thanks to the method in this article I confirmed that.

By: Fernando T

Fernando T — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:15:16 +0000

Alberto,
I think, that after we find the most similar angle, everything else is just talk about nothing.
I think this because the moment we frame a scene, it no longer is surrounded by all we left out side the frame.
So, it is now another thing, another view, and e can not compare it with the all place where it was located.
Its like compare the clay mine with the final handmade pot.
This is also why two photographers at the same spot just don’t make the same final picture.
One example I usually give at my classes – I measure 1m64cm 6,38ft. When I first set my tripod, it is also based and conditioned by this factor. Even if I change it later(almost every time).
You for sure have a starting point different from mine.
Our ALL entire lives are lived from two different points of view. This simple.

Well. at a coffe table we could continue this. But I’m in Cape Verde.

By: Alberto

Alberto — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:56:20 +0000

@fernando t, thank you for your answer. Crop factor for me is not a problem, I was wondering if I have to apply viewfinder magnification to this test results.
I mean, after I determined that 50mm is the focal length closest to how my eyes see, should I multiply it for the viewfinder magnification, in order to have shots close to how my eyes see?

By: Fernando T

Fernando T — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:23:39 +0000

Alberto, the crop factor is just that, it has nothing to do with lenses but with Sensor size. The optics function the same way, the show the same thing, your smaller sensor(also your mirrow) lets you see less.
The body you are using does not afect that.
Prespective, compression efect of zooming, everithing is just the same.

Hasselblad has masks to put over the glass, to conform your view in the viwefinder with the magazine you’re using (in film versions).

Probably, the diference you notice in your pictures from what you see in the viewfinder, is because this one only shows 96% or so of the real frame.Look for this percentage in camera specs.

For me is about 60 something mm. It tends to change slightly, with lenses special zooms, because of different elements number and groups in its construction.
If you compare what you can see, lets say, at 50mm on a 35/70, on a 28/70, a 28/105, and a 50mm, there is a little difference in angle in all of them.
keep shooting,

By: Alberto

Alberto — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:57:17 +0000

I’m really curious about how viewfinder maginfication affects this test.
I tried it and found out that the best focal lenght for me was somewhat over 50mm on a D3000 (1.5 crop factor). Maybe my vision is too tunnelled.
However I often noticed that my shots look a little different of what I saw in the viewfinder. So, how does my camera’s 0.8x viewfinder magnificaiton affect this test?

By: John Madden

John Madden — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:00:44 +0000

Gary,

Cool tip…Nice article…

I just tried this while reading the article on my flat screen tv. It’s kind of like focusing rangefinder with a split focus viewfinder. If you frame part of the tv (or any line for that matter) off the viewfinder when you hit the sweet spot the top and bottom of the screen make a perfect line with both eyes open. Allows binocular vision while shooting.

Mine is at 62mm (just checked the exif data).

What I think is really cool about this is that allows a completely different view when composing because with both eyes open you can view the entire scene with the viewfinder appearing as an overlay.

By: french71oz

french71oz — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:34:48 +0000

Better late than never!

Being a serious amateur in photography, I was very interested by your informative post and after some difficulties to work it out, I finally understood and it worked well.
Having my right eye feeling very stressed and sore after a session of shooting, I was always wandering how to avoid more damages to it, wearing glasses or without them, you have got me the very simple way to save it. My eye specialist only advised me to change eye when I am photographing, but I was not satisfied with this alternative.

Very good info post, simple but effective solution indeed and thank you very much, you have saved me from stopping photography as an activity in my retirement days.

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:51:37 +0000

This question is a bit off subject, but would you call the shots of yourself holding up a camera that covers one eye? i have been trying to find a term for these types of photos. im not talking about the silly teen girl shots in the mirror, but the ones that really artistic people take of themselves with one eye open and one eye covered with the camera. just like the photos in this article. if someone would help me out on this it would be soooo appreciated!
thanks!

By: Fernando Tavares

Fernando Tavares — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:04:47 +0000

I’m late but this website is huge.
Ok Gary, your article is perfect. To match the two views, we have to do it like you said. There is no other way.
I’m a photographer but also a tv cameraman. Tv Lenses have big zoom ratios, 14x, 16x, 20. When i want to put on screen the same “perspective” relation of size distance, etc, of objects, I use this technic. People have to understand, that there are two different things we are talking about here. One is the relation between objects ( the notion we get of the distance between two trees distant apart 50 meters in our line of view, when we use a 50mm or a 300 mm, is huge – mostly the concept of perspective for photography). The other thing is how wide we can see without moving our eyes. I, have an angle of peripheral view, with detail, of about 120º horizontal. With no detail but still can see you move, 175º. Used to be 190 on my 20′s I’m 50 now). Meaning, I can see more wide than my canon 15mmf2.8 fish eye. But if i take picture with it, the relation of things in distance is diferent from how I see it.( strait line in front, not the optical distortion).
This means, that to have the same notion of reality of my eyes, i use the two eyes method, to try to see as wide as my vision, i use a wide angle.

Just one thing more, for those who didn’t understood it, this is not a technic to manually focus a lens.
For that, you can do two things, first, just do it, manually. Second, also with auto focus of, press halfway, and rotate the focus ring at the same time. When your active focus square sensor( the one that illuminates red) lights, the object is in focus. This is a technic widely used by pros. And it is explaned in some user manuals of some cameras.

BR
Fernando