Hasselblad Digital Camera, Manual

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Operating the H Cameras for Digital and Film Photography
67
Manual Focusing
Because the Automatic Focusing system focuses more accurately and faster than most photog-
raphers can do manually, I see little reason for using the Manual focusing mode. The H camera,
however, offers the option of manual focusing, and the LED focusing aids make manual focus-
ing accurate. This is something to be appreciated, especially by photographers who have
problems focusing a lens visually.
Depth-of-Field
In many cases, the focus setting and the lens aperture must be made based on the desired
depth-of-fi eld. All H lenses, except for the zoom, have depth-of-fi eld scales. The use of these
scales and the setting of the focusing ring are discussed in Chapter 16. To set the lens for a
specifi c depth-of-fi eld range, focus (manually or automatically) on the closest subject to be
sharp and then read the distance on the lens. Do the same for the subject at the longest dis-
tance. Then set the focusing ring accordingly, either manually or with the manual override.
METERING AND EXPOSURE CONTROLS
The H Camera’s Metering Modes
The Metering mode refers to the method of taking the meter reading of the subject or scene.
For more details read Chapter 15. The H cameras give you a choice of either average meter-
ing, now indicated as CentreWeighted, center area metering now indicated as CentreSpot, or
true spot metering indicated as Spot in the later cameras.
The set mode is always indicated in the viewfi nder and on the grip LCD display and can
also be imprinted on the fi lm. The subject areas measured in each approach are shown in
Figure 4-19. The spot area is also engraved on the camera’s focusing screen. The mode is natu-
rally based on personal preferences. Most of my readings are made in the Spot mode where
I can see on the focusing screen exactly what area is measured. Sometimes I switch to the
CentreSpot mode.
Setting the Metering Mode
To set or change the metering mode, proceed as follows:
1. Click the Exposure Mode button (item 3, Figure 4-1) on the viewfi nder.
2. Turn the rear wheel until the desired Metering mode and symbol appear on the display.
3. Press the ISO/WB (Drive) button to lock the setting.
Exposure Modes
“Exposure mode” refers to the way the meter reading is transferred to the aperture and shutter
speed settings. You can set the H camera for either manual exposure (M) or automatic exposure,
Program (P) or Program Variable (Pv), or Aperture Priority (A) or Shutter Speed Priority (S).