How do you use focus peaking and magnification to check your focus accuracy?

1 What is focus peaking?

Focus peaking is a feature that highlights the edges of the objects that are in focus on your camera's LCD screen or electronic viewfinder. It usually appears as a colored overlay, such as red, green, or white, depending on your camera settings. Focus peaking can help you visually confirm whether you have nailed the focus on your subject, or whether you need to adjust the focus ring on your lens.

2 What is magnification?

Magnification is a feature that zooms in on a specific area of your frame, allowing you to see the details more clearly on your camera's LCD screen or electronic viewfinder. It can help you fine-tune your focus by showing you the texture, contrast, and sharpness of your subject. Magnification can be activated by pressing a button or using a dial on your camera, depending on your model.

3 How to activate focus peaking and magnification?

The exact steps to activate focus peaking and magnification may vary depending on your camera brand and model, but generally, you can find them in the menu settings or as dedicated buttons on your camera body. For example, on some Sony cameras, you can press the Fn button and select Peaking Level and Peaking Color from the options. On some Canon cameras, you can press the Info button and select MF Peaking Settings from the options. To activate magnification, you can usually press a button with a magnifying glass icon, or use a dial to zoom in and out.

4 How to use focus peaking and magnification together?

Focus peaking and magnification can work together to help you check your focus accuracy. You can use focus peaking to get a rough idea of which areas are in focus, and then use magnification to zoom in on the most important part of your subject, such as the eyes in a portrait, or the stamen in a flower. You can then adjust the focus ring on your lens until you see the maximum sharpness and contrast on your screen or viewfinder. You can also switch between different levels of magnification and peaking to check the depth of field and the background blur of your image.

5 How to adjust focus peaking and magnification settings?

Focus peaking and magnification settings can be customized according to your preferences and needs. You can change the peaking level, which determines how sensitive the feature is to the edges of the objects in focus. A higher level will highlight more edges, while a lower level will highlight fewer edges. You can also change the peaking color, which determines the color of the overlay. You can choose a color that contrasts with your subject and background, such as red for a green scene, or white for a dark scene. You can also change the magnification ratio, which determines how much your image is zoomed in. A higher ratio will show more details, while a lower ratio will show more context.

6 How to practice focus peaking and magnification skills?

Focus peaking and magnification skills can be improved by practicing with different subjects, lighting conditions, and lenses. You can try to use manual or custom focus modes on your camera, such as manual focus, single-shot autofocus, or continuous autofocus with manual override. You can also experiment with different apertures, focal lengths, and distances to see how they affect the depth of field and the focus accuracy of your image. You can review your images on your camera or on a computer and check for sharpness, contrast, and noise. You can also compare your results with and without using focus peaking and magnification, and see how they differ.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?