AF or MF

[Dolby]

Do you ever find you get a better focus using MF, especially when low light, complex subject that is moving constantly (on roughly the same plane though)?

Took a few photos last night at a gig, and again find that my manually focussed are better. Not sharper, but I can focus (using the screen and 10x) on the eyes at 7 or so meters and get them quite 'crisp'

The thing I battle to do though, is MF through the viewfinder ... I always need the screen on either 5x or 10x

Anyone else use MF?

 

[AniV]

I am ashamed to admit that I only go to MF when AF fails me (or when I'm trying to get a very specific type of shot.) I'm currently playing with a 50mm prime and sometimes AF just can't handle how close I am - even with macro mode enabled. Then I'll usually switch to manual. I'm pining for a 20mm or a 35mm though... Prime lenses are amazing!

I don't have any trouble using MF through the eyepiece though. I can see much better through the eyepiece than I do on-screen.

 

[bwana]

I use to find myself shooting in manual all the time but these days I put a strip of tape over the switches to stop the bloody things from moving.

Seriously, all my lenses are f/2.8 or faster and neither body struggles to get an AF lock so I rarely make the conscious decision to shoot MF.

 

[froot]

AF is definitely annoying when your camera focuses on the wrong subject... I just tend to go towards MF then.
I do the same thing wrt 5x and sometimes 10x... but this could possibly be due to your eyes - the ability to perhaps not be bothered about focus. I've noticed that at 5/10x I adjust the focus a lot more.

 

[bwana]

AF is definitely annoying when your camera focuses on the wrong subject... I just tend to go towards MF then.

Do you use back button focusing/focus lock? I just put the FP over the subject, lock it in and then recompose.

 

[noxibox]

Not generally found a need with modern autofocus.

Do you use back button focusing/focus lock? I just put the FP over the subject, lock it in and then recompose.

Pretty much had to do that back when the cameras usually only had focus points near the centre. Having lots of focus points may make people forget about this option.

 

[mic_y]

Not generally found a need with modern autofocus.


Pretty much had to do that back when the cameras usually only had focus points near the centre. Having lots of focus points may make people forget about this option.

I dont agree there. Yes, having lots of focus points is nice, but I find it a lot quicker to focus using the center, and then recompose than fiddle around with focus points...

 

[noxibox]

I dont agree there. Yes, having lots of focus points is nice, but I find it a lot quicker to focus using the center, and then recompose than fiddle around with focus points...

You disagree that you had to do this in the earlier days of autofocus or that people who use modern autofocus cameras with many focus points might forget that focussing and recomposing is an option?

 

[floydthebarber71]

Most of my lenses are MF, so I find myself manually adjusting my AF lenses anyway. I find MF works for me but I haven't fully explored AF capabilities tbh. DX bodies have terrible viewfinders though, I had to put a Katzeye split prism focus screen in my Nikon D60, I find the standard D7000 sufficient shooting manually @ f/1.2. It really gets tough shooting motorsport at f/2.8 though :/