# This Symbol On Your Camera Explained! What Are Film Plane Indicators



## Canon Rumors Guy (Jul 17, 2018)

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<iframe width="728" height="409" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VG9gn7Nl3Dc" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>Have you ever noticed that marking on your camera body and wondered what it is? Well ZY Productions explains that interesting symbol on the side of DSLRs and video cameras.</p>
<p>The symbol is very important for video production and less so for photography according to ZY.</p>
<p>Check the video above for the full explanation.</p>
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## tq0cr5i (Jul 18, 2018)

I am in China and cannot see the video. :-[

Can anybody show me a picture which symbol the video is talking about? Thanks!


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## Don Haines (Jul 18, 2018)

Also very important for indoor panoramas


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## Adelino (Jul 18, 2018)

tq0cr5i said:


> I am in China and cannot see the video. :-[
> 
> Can anybody show me a picture which symbol the video is talking about? Thanks!



Sensor plane symbol, a circle with a line through it, shows where the sensor is. Important for macro photography I believe.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Jul 18, 2018)

tq0cr5i said:


> I am in China and cannot see the video. :-[
> 
> Can anybody show me a picture which symbol the video is talking about? Thanks!


This is a photo of the symbol. It indicated the internal location of the sensor. Pro level Videographers measure the distance from subject to focal plane and set it into their lens focus settings.
For most lenses, the distance setting is not accurate enough to let you do this, but Cinema lenses have very accurate distance settings.
For panoramic images, the critical point is the nodal focus point in the lens, the focal plane is not involved.


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## tq0cr5i (Jul 18, 2018)

Oh thanks everybody!  

I have been keeping this symbol in my mind since I got my first Canon DSLR. For me this symbol is to indicate the MFD of the lenses, especially in macro photography.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Jul 18, 2018)

tq0cr5i said:


> Oh thanks everybody!
> 
> I have been keeping this symbol in my mind since I got my first Canon DSLR. For me this symbol is to indicate the MFD of the lenses, especially in macro photography.


Lens MFD is usually less than the specification, so its of little value except as a ballpark figure. If you are using a high quality lens with a hard mechanical focus drive that is calibrated, then you can measure, but macro distances often involve very tiny increments, a few thousandths or less of a inch, to0 small to measure accurately, just get you in the ballpark.


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## Antono Refa (Jul 18, 2018)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> For panoramic images, the critical point is the nodal focus point in the lens, the focal plane is not involved.



Can the nodal focus point in the lens be found with no reference to the focal plane? If so, how?


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## jolyonralph (Jul 18, 2018)

As you can see, the sensor on this boat is close to the waterline


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## fullstop (Jul 18, 2018)

jolyonralph said:


> As you can see, the sensor on this boat is close to the waterline



ROFL! ;D ;D ;D


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## Click (Jul 18, 2018)

;D ;D ;D


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## transpo1 (Jul 18, 2018)

In the filmmaking world, this is where you traditionally bring the end of the tape measure to get exact focus. A good 1st AC (1st assistant camera), responsible for focus, will be able to ascertain that distance with his/her eyes, however


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Jul 18, 2018)

Antono Refa said:


> Mt Spokane Photography said:
> 
> 
> > For panoramic images, the critical point is the nodal focus point in the lens, the focal plane is not involved.
> ...


No, it varies for every type of lens design, for a simple design, it is where the aperture is, but that is seldom the case.
You can find it experimentally, its seldom if ever marked on a lens, it moves on zooms.
https://www.panoramic-photo-guide.com/finding-the-nodal-point.html


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