Focusing Almost at Infinity

[BernardLanguillier]

I realize that it might not be helpful for existing MF owners, but this issue is one of the main reasons why I have kept saying for years that live view is critical for landscape work and why I have not invested in the otherwise excellent 645D. Unfortunately I don't believe that there is any good by-pass.

Even with the excellent and tightly calibrated Zeiss ZF 100mm f2.0, infinity is more or less close to the hard stop of the focus ring based on... ambient temperature. It is IMHO impossible to distinguish perfect focus from slight off focus by eye in the viewfinder.

Those who have not invested yet are IMHO better off waiting for the 1ds4/D4x/A1000.

Cheers,
Bernard

[eronald]

I realize that it might not be helpful for existing MF owners, but this issue is one of the main reasons why I have kept saying for years that live view is critical for landscape work and why I have not invested in the otherwise excellent 645D. Unfortunately I don't believe that there is any good by-pass.

Even with the excellent and tightly calibrated Zeiss ZF 100mm f2.0, infinity is more or less close to the hard stop of the focus ring based on... ambient temperature. It is IMHO impossible to distinguish perfect focus from slight off focus by eye in the viewfinder.

Those who have not invested yet are IMHO better off waiting for the 1ds4/D4x/A1000.

Cheers,
Bernard

+1. Any talk of accurate focus near infinity with non-liveview digital is meaningless babble, although it probably makes sense with film, in particular LF.

Edmund

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Those who have not invested yet are IMHO better off waiting for the 1ds4/D4x/A1000.

Cheers,
Bernard

Or perhaps the 645D Mark II?

[BernardLanguillier]

Or perhaps the 645D Mark II?

Yes, indeed. The Pentax folks I spoke with in March had acknowledged that the lack of Live View on the 645D was unfortunate, but that they were limited by available medium format sensors.

Regards,
Bernard