big stopper

colliedogman710

colliedogman710

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hi i know this is a silly question,but i have been lent a big stopper to play with for a while.

my question is do i need to focus the camera first before i put the filter on??,
or will it focus with the filter on ok ??

thank u :bonk:
 
Effectively yes....


Once you put it on the camera it will be to dark for camera to AF and for you to see for manual focus unless your distance focusing :)
 
You normally prefocus without the filter, switch to manual after you have the spot you want in focus. Then put on the filter and take the shot. That's how I do it with the lee big stopper.
 
happygolucky said:
Don't forget to cover your viewfinder.
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POAH said:
you don't have too unless your camera is ****ed. can't ever having effects of the viewfinder on any long exposure shots
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I also have never had trouble with it, but to be on the safe side I carry around a light weight (but thick) black anti-static cloth for this purpose, as screwing around removing the eyepiece once the shot is set up, is a complete PITA and likely to ruin the shot. I just plug in the remote, drape this little cloth over the top/back of the camera and im ready to go :)
 
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Haven't experienced any problems without covering the eye piece....maybe I am just lucky :D

But the previous posters are right, the correct way is to cover the viewfinder, canon actually provides the 'shade' on the neckstrap and some nikons have a 'shutter door'.
 
Those folks that haven't had a problem without covering the viewfinder are living on borrowed time. It happens, and it will affect your pictures, sometimes severely.

Easy enough to check. Set something like a 20secs exposure with the lens cap on and shine a torch through the viewfinder, or do the same in bright sun outdoors. Light creeps around the piggy-back mirror used for AF. That's why cameras come with a little eye-piece cover.

If the ambient light is lower, or you stand over the camera during exposure and shade it, you'll probably be okay. Some cameras are more prone than others.
 
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HoppyUK said:
Those folks that haven't had a problem without covering the viewfinder are living on borrowed time. It happens, and it will affect your pictures, sometimes severely.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't deny it happens.

Recently out at night on a beach on the south east coast of IOW, doing some long exposures looking out onto the shipping lane, the sea front behind me with all the bars/pubs/traffic. I'd taken 2 test shots, then my first proper shot was ruined half way through by some idiot sitting in their car with the headlights pointed over the beach at me (I think it was deliberate, as the same people had walked over the beach to see what I was doing earlier on). Once they'd gone I simply stood right up close to the camera and hoped for no more idiots.

It's common sense really though, you have to understand what's going on behind the camera as well as in front of it.
 
ok thank u for thoughts ive got a view finder cover on the cam strap,so when we have a summer :lol: im going to have a play lol thanks guys


Brian
 
I've no idea where the 600D sits in the scale of things, but Live View is worth a go.....
Newer camera's will give a usable Live View display with the Big Stopper in place.
Using my 5DII and Big Stopper on an overcast day, Live View is darned noisy, but good enough to manually focus.
 
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