@King

Reciprocity failure happens to be one of my favorite photographic terms! (And one of my least favorite obstacles, especially at night!)

Coincidentally, I have just (this week) begun Reciprocity Images, as a semi-professional side project.

Only had the opportunity to use a view camera on one occasion, but one day I'll own one... and, f/64? I wish!

P.S. http://www.seekingfocus.com/WS/Scheimpflug.jpg

@beckjo4

Sorry to hijack the thread!

Jason,

The link you posted appears to refer to the hyperfocal distance (another good one), which is not the same as the Scheimflug effect.

http://www.seekingfocus.com/WS/Scheimpflug.jpg

Anybody know that the hyperfocal distance is and how and when to use it...this is an easy one for folks who own manual-focus lenses.

King,

While the two principles (I believe) may be related, hyperfocal distance, is used to keep objects in focus across an assumed parallel (to the object being focused upon) film plane. For instance, with an SLR, TLR, etc., where the film plane is fixed to be parallel with the lens plane (with the exception of tilt and shift-lenses), hyperfocal distance would be the distance at which the widest range of focus is achieved. That is, that the most objects throughout the field of view are in focus, while keeping objects at infinity relatively sharp. (e.g. A wide DOF.)

The Scheimpflug effect has to do with keeping the three photographic planes (object plane, lens plane, and film plane) parallel, or distorting them to control depth of field. This concept can be used to either compensate for objects not on a parallel field, or be used to distort an object that is on a parallel plane.

It's quite tough to explain this without diagrams...

Page four of the link below will help tremendously to demonstrate what I am so inadequately trying to describe:

http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/FVCADNDM.pdf

SeekingFocus...I hope you don't understand the old man. I'm quite an expert in using both the hyperfocul distance and the Scheimpflug effect. I was testing you.

I won't take any more of Jonathan's space to yak, but thanks for playing!

@Jason again (sorry Jonathan),
If the old man could spell, that might help.
First, Jason, you pass.
Second, the link you provided provides an excellent diagram of the Scheimpflug effect.

http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/FVCADNDM.pdf

By the way, the Scheimpflug effect can be used on either the vertical axis (as diagramed), the horizontal axis, or on both at the same time. It's a great benefit of working with the view camera.

For instance, at the same aperture used by Jonathan, the item in the photo above could very easily be photograhed with a view camera such some that part of the broken thing would be in perfect focus throughout its entire length, front to back.

Hyperfocal distance and Scheimpflug are not related except as they are both photographic terms. They can be used together, and usually are by careful view camera photographers, but one is not necessary to the other.

Here's how I define hyperfocal distance: with a lens of a given focal length (say 100mm), the hyperfocal distance if the combination of f-stop and focal plane (the point of focus) that will provide the appearance of sharpness from your subject to the horizon (i.e., infinity).

View camera product photographers (who are often working at close distances to their subject and the horizon is irrelevant) use a variation. They use the Scheimpflug effect to establish the plane of focus (which is two dimensional) such that the desired combination of f-stop and shutter speed (or flash output) will provide the depth of field necessary to encompass the areas of the subject that is needed to appear to be in focus.