Hasselblad Digital Camera, Manual

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THE HASSELBLAD MANUAL
To focus a lens, point the measuring area at the desired subject part and click the User
button. The lens now focuses automatically on that part of the composition and locks the
setting automatically. You can now move the camera to re-compose the image and press the
release to take the picture. The focus setting stays locked until you press the User button
again to focus on something else. This option maintains the fast, precise, Automatic Focusing
mode while giving you the opportunity to decide on the focusing area within the composi-
tion. To get out of this mode, change from Manual to Automatic Focusing mode. If the User
button does not work as mentioned, it may have to be programmed accordingly.
Ultra-Focus
When working with the H camera models, focusing the lens with the automatic focusing system
is highly recommended as it is unquestionably more accurate than manual visual focusing. This
is especially true for digital work since the sensors in the H cameras are covered by a protective
glass and an infrared fi lter, both of which create a slight change in the focus setting. In Ultra-
Focus, automatic focusing also makes the focus setting for the aperture that is going to be used
for the picture. Again, this may be slightly different from the focus setting at the maximum aper-
ture. While these variations are small, the automatic focusing system in the H cameras (known
as Ultra Focus) assures the best possible focus setting with any lens used at any aperture.
Focusing Override
There are undoubtedly cases when you may want to make a manual adjustment on the auto-
matic focus setting; for example, to change the depth-of-fi eld range toward the front or back
of the focused distance. With a fence leading to a house some distance away, you want the
house sharp but also want as much depth-of-fi eld as possible in the front. To achieve this
effect, you can let the camera focus automatically on the house but then adjust the focusing
ring manually toward the closer distances to place the house close to the end of the depth-of-
fi eld range while keeping a good part of the fence acceptably sharp.
When working from a tripod with a composition where the main subject is not in the
center area, you may fi nd it more convenient to leave the camera set up for the desired com-
position and focus on the main subject manually instead of turning and moving the mounted
camera to bring the focusing area over the main subject.
Both of these problems can be solved with manual focusing. The H camera, however,
offers a better solution — the Manual Override option — which eliminates the need for
switching from the Manual to the Automatic Focusing mode and vice versa. With the camera
left in Automatic Focus, you can manually override and adjust the distance setting on any lens.
In the fi rst example, let the camera focus automatically on the building by pressing the
release halfway; keeping the release pressed halfway, turn the focusing ring manually to the
desired distance. Press the release completely to make the exposure. In the second example,
with the camera set to Automatic Focus, press the release halfway, focus the lens manually for
the main subject, and then press completely to make the exposure. You must keep in mind
that in Manual Override, the camera is still set for automatic focusing (AF-S or AF-C), so you
must keep the release pressed halfway while refocusing. If instead you let the release go and
press it again halfway, a new focusing cycle starts.