UP CLOSE AND PIN-SHARP

Mike Harris shares a few tips and tricks for focusing on close-up subjects with pinpoint precision

- Mike Harris

If you’re lucky enough to have one of the latest mirrorless cameras from the likes of Nikon, Canon or Sony, you’ll have no doubt been bowled over by the speed and accuracy of their incredible autofocus systems. Their advanced AI algorithms can automatically detect subjects including humans, birds, cars and planes, and track them with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

Nowadays, we take autofocus systems for granted. They’ve become so good that manual focus often seems like something from a bygone era – and that’s because it kind of is. However, there are still a few situations in which many photographers would rather not rely on AF systems – and in such cases, they’ll revert back to the tried-and-tested focus ring.

Macro or close-up photography is one such instance. That’s not to say AF isn’t capable at focusing at extreme magnifications, but when pinpoint precision is required, some photographers still prefer to trust their eye, whether they’re twisting the focus ring or using a focus rail on a tripod to accurately position the point of focus via incremental movements.

As is often the case, there’s more than one way to work, so in this Crash Course, we’ll share a number of tips that will help you settle on your preferred focusing method. For example, you might focus manually while shooting a true 1:1 macro image, but rely on AF for a telephoto close-up.