Samyang 14mm f2.8 - focusing

[Scott_McPhee]

I bought a Samyang 14mm f2.8 wide angle lens for my 5D3 and it arrived yesterday.

This is the first ultra wide angle lens I have used and as we know it is a manual lens so no AF.

On my first test with this lens I have had real trouble focusing - this seems impossible using the viewfinder and I had to resort to using live view in magnified mode to lock on to a foreground subject.

Any people out there on the forum got this lens and have any tips for focusing with it?

I am really please with the quality but don't want to spend five minutes at every shot getting focus.

 

[Random Orbits]

Some people have added a focus confirmation chip to it or they use a different focusing screen. Others learn to set it to max DOF. But if the FG subject is close and you want critically sharp focus (rather than trying to hide it in the DOF), then live view is the way to go.

 

[Scott_McPhee]

Anyone know how to add the focus confirmation chip?

 

[Random Orbits]

Try these guidelines from a previous thread:

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=13526.0

 

[Scott_McPhee]

I've ordered the self install version - calibration looks a nightmare but worth a shot to get AF with this lens.

 

[Invertalon]

For this lens, I made my own custom scale on a small piece of paper and taped it to the barrel.

I just marked hyperfocal distance at each aperture... So my little piece of paper had infinity, f/8, f/5.6, f/4 and f/2.8 on it. I matched it up to the focus scale and taped it right on.

90% of the time I shoot the lens at f/8 and infinity and never have any issues.

 

[Scott_McPhee]

I have heard that at f8 the DOF is massive - it's mainly for focusing on foreground objects I am struggling.

I am hoping the AF chip I have ordered helps, I dont want to have to spend five minutes setting up each shot and checking focus.

 

[Random Orbits]

I have heard that at f8 the DOF is massive - it's mainly for focusing on foreground objects I am struggling.

I am hoping the AF chip I have ordered helps, I dont want to have to spend five minutes setting up each shot and checking focus.

DOF increases quite a bit but the depth of critical sharpness is still thin, so it ultimately depends on how large the final image will be. I find that I often prefer having the subject critically sharp and letting the DOF fall where it may rather than burying the subject in the zone of acceptable sharpness.

 

[Scott_McPhee]

Until I get the AF chip mounted live view seems the way to do it.

 

[preppyak]

what are you shooting most often?

For landscape work, focus confirmation isn't really going to add a lot for you; you're going to want to focus on the object you want sharpest, and possible focus blend shots anyway.

For people or things that move, the AF confirmation will help, but, getting comfortable with hyperfocal will help more. You'll learn to eyeball "oh, that's 1m", etc. Cause really, at f/2.8, unless you are at minimum focus distance, you've got a few feet of focus to work with

 

[Scott_McPhee]

what are you shooting most often?

For landscape work, focus confirmation isn't really going to add a lot for you; you're going to want to focus on the object you want sharpest, and possible focus blend shots anyway.

For people or things that move, the AF confirmation will help, but, getting comfortable with hyperfocal will help more. You'll learn to eyeball "oh, that's 1m", etc. Cause really, at f/2.8, unless you are at minimum focus distance, you've got a few feet of focus to work with

I probably wont be using it for landscapes, more for shots with foreground subjects so this is why the focusing is more critical to me.
The very long throw of the focus ring also puts me off just now, it's much longer then any of my Canon lenses and it taking a lot of getting used to.
It's my first ultra wide so the concept of shooting with them is still strange to me - the fact that everything is "far away" when you look through the viewfinder.
I have done some test shots at f4 and f8 - f8 seems to be a sweet spot on my lens while still retaining a degree of viewfinder brightness, stop down more and the viewfinder view becomes very dark indeed.
AF confirmation chip on it's way so hopefully that will help.

 

[Scott_McPhee]

I have just received my chip and the seller hasn't included the mounting template.

Is there anyone, preferably in the UK, that could send me a loan of one so I can mount this on my Samyang 14mm lens please?

Without the little mounting template it is impossible to get it on the correct position on the lens.

It looks like the white thing on the left of this picture:

 

[Scott_McPhee]

This is a better picture of the locator I am looking for:

Does anyone have one I can borrow, please?