Photography Tips

One of the optical issues photographers often boast to deal with has to see to with focus breathing. It commonly occurs on many up to date lenses, making it hard to understand their dutiful optical properties. Happening this article, we will take a closer look by the side of focus breathing, how it affects images and I beg your pardon? You can see to to lessen its bearing.

What is Focus Breathing?
Focus breathing is a period with the intention of describes the loose change in main duration with the intention of occurs as a consequence of adjusting the focusing distance of a lens. It is a normal arise with the intention of occurs on many photographic lenses. For instance focus is adjusted from close focus to infinity, focus breathing causes noticeable changes in both aim of outlook and magnification.

These changes are often visibly visible to the photographer for the duration of the process of focusing, with dissimilar lenses exhibiting unreliable levels of main duration changes. Focus breathing issues can occur on both prime and zoom lenses.

This image was captured with the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II lens, which shows quite a morsel of focus breathing by the side of close distances
NIKON D810 + 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 130mm, ISO 100, 1/800, f/2.8

There are typically two scenarios whilst photographers notice focus breathing. The elementary is equitably normal, since it has to see to with the magnification or “reach” of a lens by the side of close distances. Some lenses, such as the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II, exhibit so much of it, with the intention of by the side of 200mm and alert on a close branch of learning, it makes the lens look more like a 120mm lens. This catches many photographers by bombshell, since they see to not expect to grasp such peculiar behavior – they expect their lens to magnify the branch of learning as a “real” 200mm lens does by the side of in the least distance.

Take a look by the side of the beyond two images. The “before” image on the gone part of the slider shows the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G by the side of its bordering focusing distance (focused on BB-8 on the substructure right), while the “after” image shows the same lens alert by the side of the white consider in the back (First Order Stormtrooper). Pay attention to how much the framing changes relating the two shots – the “after” image looks zoomed outdated, as if it was shot with a shorter main duration lens. This is the effect of focus breathing on the 50mm f/1.4G lens. The Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II lens mentioned beyond shows even more major levels by the side of 200mm.

The flash scenario involves focus stacking whilst shooting macro, landscape or architecture photography. Photographers notice visible changes in aim of outlook by the side of close v farther focus distances (especially infinity), which can present it hard to merge all images into a single stack successfully for the duration of post-processing.

A focus stacked image using the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S, which has almost thumbs down focus breathing issues, making it stress-free to enjoy it in support of focus stacking purposes
NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S @ 35mm, ISO 64, 6 sec, f/11.0

Unfortunately, aside from selected high-end (and very expensive) cine lenses, a large amount up to date lenses exhibit selected form of focus breathing. Why does this materialize and is it a adult hitch?

Why Lenses “Breathe”
Most up to date lenses in our day bring forward “internal focus” design, which basically moves a categorize of domestic lens elements as a substitute of the totality lens barrel whilst focus is adjusted. This makes it opportune to enjoy filters on lenses, since the front element does not rotate while focusing. Another benefit of domestic focus, is with the intention of it does not affect the overall size of the lens – it stays the same by the side of in the least focus distance. Lastly, it is nearer to move a small and frivolous categorize of lenses as a substitute of the lens barrel whilst focusing, which increases autofocus rate and makes the autofocus motor a reduced amount of noisy. Because of these and other advantages, lens manufacturers boast been mostly releasing lenses with domestic focus designs.

The Internal Focus categorize of the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

Unfortunately, such lenses furthermore fall with single adult disadvantage – they often exhibit focus breathing. For instance the categorize of domestic focus lens elements are encouraged for the duration of focusing, others stay in place, which can affect the optical characteristics of the lens, with main duration. Depending on the size of the domestic focus categorize and the overall optical design, the loose change in main duration can vary, from small to substantial.

So why don’t manufacturers mull over this in their lens specifications? Why is a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens with the intention of has a parallel aim of outlook as a 120mm lens by the side of 200mm still referred to as a 70-200mm lens? Because it single happens by the side of close focusing distances. Since the main duration of a lens is measured by the side of infinity, a 70-200mm lens is up for grabs to boast proper main lengths of 70 and 200mm by the side of both locks of hair of the zoom range whilst alert by the side of infinity. Manufacturers often see to provide in order in their specifications to be able to identify lenses with focus breathing properties, and we will die through with the intention of promote down in the article.

Lens designers on occasion take this into bill by specifically crafty lenses with the intention of exhibit smallest amount of focus breathing. After many complaints from photographers, Nikon’s engineers updated the aforementioned 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II lens with a completely additional optical formula with the intention of minimized focus breathing. The consequence of this effort was the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR, which showed a drastic progress in focus breathing compared to its predecessor, as we detailed in our assessment.

This image was captured with the updated Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E FL VR, which has much a reduced amount of focus breathing issues compared to its predecessor
NIKON D850 + 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 95mm, ISO 64, 0.6 sec, f/5.6

With the let loose of the additional Nikon S-series lenses in support of the Z mount, Nikon’s engineers are straight away specifically crafty both lens to exhibit a smallest amount of focus breathing as part of their lens design.

Compare these two images from the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S to the ones from the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G provided earlier. You will notice with the intention of the additional Z mount 50mm f/1.8 S shows very little focus breathing compared to its f/1.4G counterpart.

Other manufacturers are following suit, since they understand how frustrating it can be in support of photographers to run into such lenses.

How to Find Out If a Lens Has Issues
The easiest way to acquire outdated of a lens has focus breathing issues is to take a look by the side of its specifications, specifically by the side of its top figure magnification, which is furthermore recognized as “maximum reproduction ratio” or lately “reproduction ratio”. Simply leave, top figure magnification is the ratio of the size of the image on the image sensor relation to the real size of the branch of learning. This in order can be definitely used to determine how much focus breathing a lens exhibits whilst compared to other parallel lenses.

Let’s take a look by the side of the final three 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses produced by Nikon and compare them side-by-side, along with the 70-200mm f/4G VR:

For instance you can grasp, the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II has the lowest top figure magnification / reproduction ratio of 0.12x in the categorize, so it is thumbs down bombshell with the intention of it is the most terrible offender in stipulations of focus breathing. The elementary 70-200mm had a respectable top figure magnification of 0.25x, which is why photographers quickly noticed how bad focus breathing on the newer VR II version was whilst compared to its predecessor. Nikon’s newest 70-200mm f/2.8E FL VR is much better by the side of 0.21x, but the superlative the person behind at this point is visibly the Nikon 70-200mm f/4G VR, which has a top figure magnification of 0.274x – the superlative in the categorize.

So if I were looking in support of a lens with the intention of shows the smallest amount amount of focus breathing amid Nikon’s 70-200mm lenses, I would be preference the f/4 version. It is cheaper and lighter than the take a break, and it would present an superb candidate in support of focus stacking.

However, with the intention of is not why we approve of 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses, is it? Portrait photographers entreat 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses since of their optical qualities and they rarely increasingly remuneration attention to focus breathing, as explained promote down less.

Now if you don’t boast lens specifications in front of you, you can furthermore see to a quick test on your lens to grasp if it suffers from focus breathing. The test is quite regular – place your camera on a support, therefore rotate the focus ring from close focus to infinity and grasp if the image seems to “zoom out” as you focus. If it does (which it a large amount likely will), your lens has focus breathing. If you grasp adult changes in aim of outlook as you focus, it agency with the intention of your lens has a share of focus breathing.

How to Eliminate Focus Breathing
Since we know with the intention of focus breathing is single a major hitch by the side of close focusing distances and in no way by the side of infinity, the solution would be to force the lens to focus by the side of infinity, even whilst focusing on close subjects. The single way to be able to complete with the intention of is to enjoy broadening tubes.

Extension tubes can help reduce, or potentially even eliminate focus breathing

By using single or more broadening tubes, you would be affecting the lens promote away from the camera (since it is lately a hollow spacer) and allowing it to focus by the side of infinity by the side of much closer distances, which in point, would reduce or potentially even eliminate focus breathing.

While on single hired hand using broadening tubes sounds like a exalted understanding, they unfortunately bring a slew of problems with them. First of all, you would lose autofocus capabilities of the lens with a large amount broadening tubes. Second, you would lose selected light, which would require using nearer board up speeds / increased ISO. Third, you would lose the gift to focus by the side of subjects far away. And finally, using an broadening tube can decline image quality and add more lens aberrations to your images.

Honestly, taking into account all the disadvantages listed beyond, using an broadening tube lately to be able to catch clear of focus breathing is a bad understanding in support of a large amount photographers…

Is Focus Breathing a Big Problem?
Is focus breathing a adult hitch with the intention of each photographer needs to be aware of? Not really. Most photographers aren’t even up for grabs to notice in the least differences in aim of outlook and magnification whilst using a large amount lenses by the side of close distances. Those who see to, are likely comparing dissimilar lenses, and lately lack to acquire outdated why they grasp such differences. So if you are a stills photographer, you must probably ignore the focus breathing arise altogether.

I personally owned the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II in support of many years, despite its overcast focus breathing issues. I shot many actions, portraits and weddings with with the intention of lens and it paid in support of itself many time more than. That lens had a ton of focus breathing, but I didn’t be bothered, as it didn’t affect my images.

This image was captured with the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II – a overcast rest
NIKON D3S + 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 122mm, ISO 800, 1/100, f/2.8

However, if you are a landscape, architecture or macro photographer who wants to be able to focus stack images successfully, especially whilst shooting subjects from close focus all the way to infinity, therefore you must remuneration close attention to the types of lenses you pick. You lack to pick lenses with the intention of exhibit the smallest amount amount of focus breathing, so with the intention of here are smallest shot-to-shot differences in aim of outlook whilst adjusting focus.

Focus breathing is furthermore a pretty adult hitch in support of cinematographers, since they see to not lack to grasp changes in aim of outlook whilst affecting focus from single branch of learning to a further. Cinematographers specifically pick expensive cine lenses in support of their do, since they exhibit little to thumbs down focus breathing, and boast other of great magnitude optical properties with the intention of are unfavorable whilst shooting videos.

Happening abstract, but for you boast these very aspect shooting conditions, see to not unease with reference to focus breathing, as it probably will not affect your photography in in the least way.