Camera focus question.

[Bikerpvc]

I'm ready to purchase the P3 advanced and noticed the camera does not have auto focus.
How do you focus the camera if it doesn't auto focus???
Thanks

 

[msinger]

Check out this thread.

 

[alokbhargava]

Camera lens has a fixed focal length. I get good results for objects at least 20' away from the camera. Never tried close ups.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[WetDog]

Very wide angle lenses tend to have a very large hyperfocal distance (look it up, TL;DR the distance from the lens where the subject is in 'adequate' focus). Simple wide angles tend to work better at distance than close up. Makes sense, you are not flying 200 feet off the ground to get close ups. Anything beyond 3 or 4 feet 'should' be in focus for that lens. Like alok, I get better results from at least a 10 foot distance. That said, you can get nice close ups of trees that you are about to run into....

So you typically don't worry about focus. If you have to worry about focus, you should be more worried about that tree.

 

[Monte55]

Very wide angle lenses tend to have a very large hyperfocal distance (look it up, TL;DR the distance from the lens where the subject is in 'adequate' focus). Simple wide angles tend to work better at distance than close up. Makes sense, you are not flying 200 feet off the ground to get close ups. Anything beyond 3 or 4 feet 'should' be in focus for that lens. Like alok, I get better results from at least a 10 foot distance. That said, you can get nice close ups of trees that you are about to run into....

So you typically don't worry about focus. If you have to worry about focus, you should be more worried about that tree.

I think you are confusing depth of field with hyperfocal distance. Not the same thing.

 

[WetDog]

I think you are confusing depth of field with hyperfocal distance. Not the same thing.

They are related, of course. I'm sure that my one liner explanation wasn't terribly clear.

For a quick one page review, I like the Online Depth of Field Calculator (note the subject ... )

Online Depth of Field Calculator

If you pick '1/2 sensor' you get reasonably close to the Phantom lens (1/2.3")

 

[Monte55]

Hyperfocal distance only applies to a camera that can be focused.

 

[WetDog]

Hyperfocal distance only applies to a camera that can be focused.

You know actually you're correct. Probably should just leave the discussion at 'DOF' like you suggested. Take home lesson is the same.

 

[Monte55]

You know actually you're correct. Probably should just leave the discussion at 'DOF' like you suggested. Take home lesson is the same.

What is DOF?

You know actually you're correct. Probably should just leave the discussion at 'DOF' like you suggested. Take home lesson is the same.

Before we had auto focus and they took the depth of field markings off the lens barrel...people don't learn anymore. They rely on everything being automated.