'Focus Breathing' in Thirty-Four Seconds

I like visuals—especially with visual things. I've never been terribly interested in theory. Back in the film days, for example, I never cared to learn the chemical components of developers or the explanation of how they worked—but show me examples of the effect they had on pictures and I'd perk right up.

The other day when learning about the Nikon Z lenses I came across a visual explanation of focus breathing in a Nikon promo video titled "NIKKOR Z Lens Technology." The relevant illustration starts at about the 1:25 mark and lasts a little more than half a minute:

That's it, in just a few seconds. It's not something we still photographers (formerly known as photographers) tend to learn about so I thought I'd pass this along.

Mike

Original contents copyright 2020 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Book of interest this week:

PhotoWork: Forty Photographers on Process and Practice, Edited by Sasha Wolf
(clicking on the link above takes you to Amazon)

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Crabby Umbo: "'Breathing' is not only a problem that shows as a slight change of view, but might also as a change in edge exposure, and even distortion. Change the focus on any lens formulated for still photography while shooting video on a still camera, and all this could happen. I've seen still photography rigs shooting video, and just the focus change can show the background lines go from rectilinear to slightly bowed (just with focus, not zoom). There's a reason 'real' video and film lenses cost a wheelbarrow full of money, and that's because all this is corrected. That's why I'm very suspicious of all these Chinese lenses that are 'allegedly' for video. At that price, I'm sure all they have is a geared focus. They can't have the number of elements and formula to be focus-image neutral."

Comments

[Andre Y]

There are really obvious examples of focus breathing in the Hunt For Red October, which always made me think that issue is a little overblown today since it obviously didn't stop Hunt from being a good and successful movie. For example, look at the focus pull from Jack Ryan in the background to the CO in the foreground at around 1:00, and then back again to Jack when he says “busy morning”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrnlF73r6ms

[Mike Ferron]

We are not still back in the film days? Delta 100 in Rodinal stand makes me happy.

[John Krumm]

My most noticeable focus breather happens to be my favorite Fuji lens, the 27 2.8. It almost feels like a slight zoom.

[robert e]

I agree with Andre Y. Once I was alerted to it, I started seeing focus breathing in many high-end Hollywood productions, including movies I'd seen before, when the phenomenon hadn't bothered me.

In this example from an anamorphic lens, it manifests as distortion at 0:22 and 0:27

https://youtu.be/fWgpZ_2oYfE?t=21

That's from the Abrams/Spielberg-produced "Super 8", shot by Larry Fong. Note that these guys are trying to convey their own childhood thrills with cheap camera equipment and aren't going to mind such phenomena. Elsewhere in this scene, there's evidence of Abrams' trademark infatuation with lens flare, though the bridge scenes in "Star Trek" are the ultimate example of that.

But it goes to show you how one person's flaw is another's creative tool, or pet effect. I suspect that many action/thriller filmmakers, in particular, may even appreciate focus breathing as a "cheap" source of visual dynamism.

[Doug C]

Because of video we are being told that focus breathing is a bad thing. For most of us, most of the time, is it?

The narrowing field of view in macro focussing is a good thing, it gives us the effect of a longer focal length when we need it, in close up.

The rest of the time it's pretty much irrelevant except in video. Isn't it?

[It is. --Mike]

[Stephen S.]

Breathing is indeed an issue for stills photographers - I recall a customer at the camera store I used to work at returning for a refund a Tamron 28-200mm lens he wanted to use for macro work, because the focus breathing was so bad that at the closest focus distance at 200mm the field of view ended up being the same as a 135mm lens, and that wasn't enough for him.

I've heard that some cinema lenses are corrected by breathing by a mechanism that as you focus, other elements are moved to maintain the field of view, essentially working as a bit of zoom as you focus, even though they are all prime (single focal length) lenses.

[Dennis Ng]

I wonder the curved part mentioned in one comment might also due to non global shutter and not lens. That is a problem with 907x with adapter lens as it is 0.3s sensor scanning from one side to the others. If so, lens can’t help you. But even the black magic deo cam can help. Use that to test is better than z6 which seems to be 1/15s.

I associated breathing more with 70-200 being not 200 but much shorter. For still photo that matter a lots. That is what that video seems to show. The coverage changed.