To Infinity and BEYOND!!

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ScottinPollock

Banned
For the last 10+ years I've been shooting with a D50 and D80 (the D50 took better looking pics) and a big bag of glass. I decided to chuck it all and pick up a D3300 with the two new kit lenses.

While I am so far thrilled with the results, I've never had a lens focus past Infinity before, and both of these focus "well beyond Infinity", even at 18mm.

Is there a reason for this, or is it just because they're cheap?
 
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10 Gauge

Senior Member
Not sure what lenses you've got but do they have an infinity readout on the barrel? A lot of lenses will focus past infinity, you have to line your focus line up with the infiinty symbol rather than just cranking the focus all the way to where it stops.
 
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ScottinPollock

Banned
The lenses are...

AF-S DX 18-55 F3.5-5.6 ED VR II
AF-S DX 55-200 F4-5.6 ED VR II

There is no distance scale on either. Guess I've just been lucky with the glass I've had in the past.
 
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ryan20fun

Senior Member
Lenses that support AF need to be able to go beyond infinity so that the AF system can insure that it was able to aceive focus properly.
That may be just for contrast detection and not phase detection.

HTH.
 
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Sandpatch

Senior Member
I just noticed this same thing when using manual focus on distant fireworks. While interesting, it didn't present a problem. I guessed it was related to what ryan20fun noted.
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
It should be a feature of all lenses. Even for manual focus, you're turning the lens and focus is getting better, then you suddenly hit a stop and it won't go any more... that leaves you wondering if you actually saw the best spot. Going past it and coming back is very reassuring. Just how it works.
 
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