What Is Zone Focusing?
- Ian Miller
- Jul 23
- 2 min read
Zone focusing is a manual focus method where you pre-set your lens to a specific distance range (a “zone”) based on aperture and focal length. Instead of focusing on each shot, you rely on depth of field to keep subjects within that zone sharp, allowing you to shoot quickly without drawing attention or losing rhythm.
⚙️ How Zone Focusing Works
Zone focusing depends on three main factors:
Most manual-focus lenses and older AF lenses have distance scales and depth-of-field markings, making zone focusing intuitive. Some newer lenses omit these, but you can still practice it by estimating distances and memorising how depth behaves at certain settings.
📏 A Practical Example (35mm Lens on DX)
Let’s say you’re using the 35mm f/1.8G on your D300S (roughly 52mm equivalent):
You set the aperture to f/8
Focus at 3 meters (10 feet)
You’ll likely have a sharp zone from about 2m to 5m
This means anything that moves into that space can be photographed without refocusing. Perfect for streets, market scenes, and moments where you want to stay present.
🎯 Zone Focusing in Field Use
Benefits:
Silent shooting—no focusing noises or delays
Stealth and speed—ideal when you don’t want to be noticed
Predictive framing—you position yourself for the shot rather than chase it
Consistency—you can shoot faster sequences without the lens hunting
It's especially powerful when paired with:
Pre-visualisation: anticipating where the subject will land
Fixed framing: holding the composition and letting the subject enter your zone
Manual lenses: Nikkor 28mm, 35mm f/2 AI, or legacy primes with hard stops and clear DOF scales
🧘 Zone Focus Is a Mindset
This isn’t just technique—it’s a way to see deliberately. You become more aware of spatial relationships, light falloff, and gesture. You stop chasing and start waiting.
In many ways, Ian, zone focusing mirrors your philosophy: the camera doesn’t lead—you do. It’s photography with trust, presence, and enoughness.
Comments