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Auto or Manual Focus?
- Thread starter Fearless Leader
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Some of both
Mainly because I am getting older boo-hoo and the screen of the AF cameras I use (Nikon D2 and EOS 1D) are smaller than what I learned on when using film. When I pick up a film body usually just for fun I am amazed how large the focusing screen seems. I only use lenses that allow for focus override and keep the focus control seperate from the shutter button so I can shoot even is slightly out of focus but important enough not to loose.
Mainly because I am getting older boo-hoo and the screen of the AF cameras I use (Nikon D2 and EOS 1D) are smaller than what I learned on when using film. When I pick up a film body usually just for fun I am amazed how large the focusing screen seems. I only use lenses that allow for focus override and keep the focus control seperate from the shutter button so I can shoot even is slightly out of focus but important enough not to loose.
mix, typically AF though about half my lenses at any given point are MF. At this point it's a bit biased towards AF lenses.
Even so I use the AF lenses in MF mode relatively often when doing fun shooting.
For more important stuff I tend to go AF more often. My eyes, despite my youth, are fading rapidly.
I'd never do MF for sports. You try MFing a 200mm f/2.0 or 300mm f/2.8 after a long day of school while keeping up with the 8FPS of your camera
I would venture to say that a plurality of my really good shots were done with MF or tweaked AF (such as using the memory set/recall feature of my 200 f/2.0, or the m/a mode of AF-S lenses.)
Even so I use the AF lenses in MF mode relatively often when doing fun shooting.
For more important stuff I tend to go AF more often. My eyes, despite my youth, are fading rapidly.
I'd never do MF for sports. You try MFing a 200mm f/2.0 or 300mm f/2.8 after a long day of school while keeping up with the 8FPS of your camera
I would venture to say that a plurality of my really good shots were done with MF or tweaked AF (such as using the memory set/recall feature of my 200 f/2.0, or the m/a mode of AF-S lenses.)
100 % manual focus on my digital SLR and 100 % automatic on my 35mm ZLR but only because it only allows rudimentary manual controls.
Considering that I've spent 99 % of my time behind a camera that didn't have automatic controls, I feel better with manual focus.
Considering that I've spent 99 % of my time behind a camera that didn't have automatic controls, I feel better with manual focus.
Usually go with AF but when shooting macros or if I'm in a situation where the AF isn't able to really work well, I use MF. Some of my older lenses are MF so of course there I have no choice. One of my cameras is off at Katz Eye Optics right now, being fitted with a special Katz Eye split-prism focusing screen which should be very useful in working with my manual lenses or with MF on my newer lenses.
AF (haha, with a 350D). I try to buy lenses that have full-time manual focusing so that I can tweak it.
I use AF 99% of the time. The only time I don't is when I'm shooting purposefully into the sun to get a ton of flare.
AF can't handle all that light, so I have to go MF.
Not that bad with my 70-200, it has full time manual focusing and a big 'o focus ring. Quit a pain in the nards with my 50 though.
AF can't handle all that light, so I have to go MF.
Not that bad with my 70-200, it has full time manual focusing and a big 'o focus ring. Quit a pain in the nards with my 50 though.