You know where that 6, 10, 15 feet thing started? Press Cameras. It gives you f32, f22, and f16 with a #5 flashbulb on ASA 100 film. I use those settings all the time with my Graphic, and yes they give just enough DOF to cover the usable exposure.
Still a useful technique in this day and age, but no longer well known.
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Butch Black wrote:
If you are defining hyperfocal distance as a setting that will give you X distance to infinity in focus then you don't need to be at hyperfocal distance to use zone focusing. I learned the technique shooting weddings. Using a mild wide angle (55mm on a 645 camera) we would mark the 6', 10', and 15' mark on the lens. We got good at estimating how far we were from the subject. 6' would be a tightish couple shot, 10' a small group, etc. Shooting at f8 or f11 it would give us enough depth of field that the subject would be in focus. It works wonders in a dimly lit hall where focusing would be hard or with enough movement (dancing) to make staying in focus hard. I still use it occasionally with 35mm, using my K 35/3.5 or K 28/3.5 (I prefer the 35mm lens for that)
-- graywolf http://graywolfphoto.com/graywolf.html
