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08/04/2005 09:51:26 AM · #51 |
Originally posted by terje:
Funny to see how many Pentax *ist DS owners say they use MF. :-) |
I have to admit my first thought was 'Then you need better AF'. :-)
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08/04/2005 09:55:32 AM · #52 |
To those who are bemoaning the lack of a center-prism focusing aid in the dSLR screen;
Back when iw as shooting film Nikons, I actually tosses all my split-screen focusing screens and replaced them with grid-marked straight ground glass. As far as I'm concerened those split circles are a complete pain in the keister to use. They are very problematical with long glass, especially.
If you have marks on your ground glass (in Canon's case, a cluster of little black-outlined squares, manual focusing is easy; just hold the squares in focuse with your eye and watch the image "pop" as you rotate the focusing ring. I donno, maybe it's easier for me after years of focusing on plain ground glass with a large format camera, but I find that the default screen works really well for achieving focus.
My main reason for usin MF is I'm always looking at DOF options. So I shoot 90% of the time in Av mode and MF; I focus on the near subject, I focus on the far subject, I note the range between, and lay my focus a thrird of the way from near to far. I'll then choose aperture to give me sufficient DOF at that range.
Tripod, of course...
Robt.
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08/04/2005 09:55:36 AM · #53 |
| I don't really have much choice, I can't tell if my manual focus even works. This camera sucks for manual focus (and the AF sucks in low light conditions). |
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08/04/2005 10:01:46 AM · #54 |
Originally posted by NathanW:
I don't really have much choice, I can't tell if my manual focus even works. This camera sucks for manual focus (and the AF sucks in low light conditions). |
I used a 4900z for 2 years. The MF is not much use, you are correct. BUT... Here's how I used it in macro work, where AF was consistently seeking the wrong focus point:
1. Tripod
2. AF for coarse focus
3. switch to MF and get it "in the range"
4. Move camera in and out for precise focus.
Robt.
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08/04/2005 10:06:19 AM · #55 |
I almost always use AF unless I'm shooting a macro or I want to maximize DOF and need to pre-set my focus point. Sometimes there may not be something at that place in the scene to focus on.
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08/04/2005 10:28:01 AM · #56 |
Originally posted by PaulMdx:
Originally posted by terje:
Funny to see how many Pentax *ist DS owners say they use MF. :-) |
I have to admit my first thought was 'Then you need better AF'. :-) |
It's an interesting trend (I am an *ist DS owner), but I have used a number of cameras and prefer, whenever possible, MF. Autofocus is great whenever you are shooting quantity or moving subjects, but I like the control you retain when you select the primary focus point.
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08/04/2005 10:45:33 AM · #57 |
| When using less than 30mm focal length I use AF about 5-10% of the time. Above 30mm maybe 1% of the time. |
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08/06/2005 12:55:28 AM · #58 |
| I'm worried that something is wrong with my AF, since I got it back from the shop( for a totally unrelated problem) it hasn't seemed as sharp and I have people commenting that my photos are "soft focus". I certainly don't mean for them to be and they are not set at "soft focus". Since I have trouble getting a decent pair of contacts that actually work with my eyes, I don't trust my vision with the MF, and hadn't noticed the "soft look" so much til it was pointed out to me. Guess I need to do some experimenting to see what's up-- has anyone ever had their AF go bad? |
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08/06/2005 01:51:54 AM · #59 |
Originally posted by terje:
Funny to see how many Pentax *ist DS owners say they use MF. :-)
One even says: "I use MF because the AF on my camera doesn't work properly" |
I've heard plenty of Canon/Nikon/Minolta whatever users find their AF not working properly.. that isn't a clue to anything.. as for how many *ist Ds owners using MF.. hrrm.. maybe it's because we all trust our eyesight and have a *damn* fine viewfinder on our cameras.
But.. nah.. it's because Pentax' AF is for shit. *rolls eyes*
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08/06/2005 04:46:24 AM · #60 |
MF is retarted.. Allthough I must admit, I used MF for my room entry. *dont tell anyone*
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08/06/2005 05:50:00 AM · #61 |
I quite like the split circle focusing screen on my old Olympus OM-10.
Most of the time i use AF, except in low-light or macro work |
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08/06/2005 09:40:10 AM · #62 |
I used to shoot AF and AE and AASA and suppose if the camera had come with an "Auto-Composition" mode I would have used that too. But as I grew more intimate with the "personality" and controls of my camera, one function at a time, I switched to totally manual about a year ago. I have found my frustration level has gone way down this way. I can only blame myself for the bad shots and conversely, can take the credit for the good ones. I feel I am in touch with the roots of photography, not acting as a human tripod. I suppose it is just a "retarded" thing (as someone labeled manual users earlier in this thread), but I also feel my shots are less mechanical and a bit more of my personality is transferred to each frame, if that makes any sense.
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08/06/2005 09:58:22 AM · #63 |
Originally posted by RonBeam:
I used to shoot AF and AE and AASA and suppose if the camera had come with an "Auto-Composition" mode I would have used that too. But as I grew more intimate with the "personality" and controls of my camera, one function at a time, I switched to totally manual about a year ago. I have found my frustration level has gone way down this way. I can only blame myself for the bad shots and conversely, can take the credit for the good ones. I feel I am in touch with the roots of photography, not acting as a human tripod. I suppose it is just a "retarded" thing (as someone labeled manual users earlier in this thread), but I also feel my shots are less mechanical and a bit more of my personality is transferred to each frame, if that makes any sense. |
Makes perfect sense to me. Why even HAVE all these controls if you're not gonna use 'em? AF/AE on the 20D is absolutely fantastic for shooting fast-moving action, for grabbing shots on the fly, but I turn 'em all off for serious, contemplative work. But I admit I'm retarded too. I don't even own a microwave, and i don't use pre-cooked foods hardly at all, with the exception of some salsas and spaghetti saucees; and even those I dress up with my own embellishments.
R.
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08/06/2005 10:01:18 AM · #64 |
Originally posted by rich:
Definitely AF, especially with a moving subject. I pretty much only use MF to "lock in" focus when shooting repeatedly at a stationary object from a tripod or when doing extreme macro stuff.
I also use MF when I have no choice, such as when using a 1.4x converter on my 100-400. I really miss AF when I use this combo. |
you know if you tape the first two pins on the 1.4x, you can fool the camera and use AF. Let me look it up to double check which pins to cover.
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08/06/2005 10:03:33 AM · #65 |
| i was used to MF on my canon AE1 "sigh" twas a lovely camera.. and still is.. but i use a d70 primarily now and have to rely on either auto focus or the mf "u are focused" indicator on my display. i do miss the focus cirle (what the hell are they called anyway) on m canon AE1 and my Pentax ME super. |
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08/06/2005 10:19:29 AM · #66 |
I'm AF all the time -- no reason not to be, except when I want a large depth of field -- like landscape work when something is close to me and far away, and I'll use the hyperfocal distance to my advantage in that situation.
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