How do I get a sharp candle flame photo, and should I focus manually or with autofocus?

Question

I’m photographing a candle flame on a tripod with a Nikon D7000 and a 50mm f/1.4 lens. Many of my shots look soft, whether I use manual focus or autofocus.

With manual focus, the flame often looks sharp through the viewfinder over a fairly wide range of focus-ring travel, so I’m not sure exactly where to stop for best focus.

With autofocus, the camera often struggles in the dim light, and it sometimes chooses a different focus point than the one I intended. I’d also like to know how to control the autofocus point myself.

What’s the best way to focus for this kind of shot, and is the softness more likely to be a focusing issue or motion/atmospheric distortion from the flame itself?

user2838 · Answer

How can I tell when the flame is in focus? When and how do I detect where to leave the focus ring in order to get a crisp and sharp photo?

In general you know that the flame will be in focus when the wick is in focus, so I would tackle this as follows:

Set the candle in the location you plan on taking pictures of it. If possible set it in a location without a lot of air movement (a steady flame will be easier to take a properly focused picture of)
Set your camera/tripod where you plan on taking the picture
With room light on dial in your camera settings and AF on the wick. I'd shoot for an f-stop of 4 to 5.6 because the 'mid' f-stops on a lens will generally produce sharper results than f-stops on the extreme ends.
Turn off AF on your camera
Turn the room light off and light the candle
Take the picture(s)

I think this'll give you the best chance for in-focus pictures with the least amount of 'fiddling' with it. As long as you don't move the candle, the camera, or change lenses (e.g. alter the variables), your shots should always be as in focus as they are going to be.

Should I and how can I use auto focus in this situation?

Once you eliminate the need for the camera to focus 'on the fly' it almost doesn't matter any more. I'd say use the AF to get the wick in focus, and then turn it off as you won't need it again (as long as you don't move anything).

How can I control this box so I can tell the camera what I want to focus on?

I think this will become a moot point if you're 'pre-focusing' as I've described above, but in general it is possible to control which AF point the camera uses. You'll need to check with your manual to discover the specifics of how to do this, though...

How do I get a sharp candle flame photo, and should I focus manually or with autofocus?

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