manual or auto focus (Page 3): I'm also an old guy who grew up with manual focus cameras. My problem with manually focusing my Nikon lenses, is that the focus ring is not as prominent...

micro Loc: Texas

I'm also an old guy who grew up with manual focus cameras. My problem with manually focusing my Nikon lenses, is that the focus ring is not as prominent (to my fingers) as the older lenses were.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

That's one of the reasons I still have & use my old MF lenses...

micro wrote:

I'm also an old guy who grew up with manual focus cameras. My problem with manually focusing my Nikon lenses, is that the focus ring is not as prominent (to my fingers) as the older lenses were.

micro Loc: Texas

Screamin Scott wrote:

That's one of the reasons I still have & use my old MF lenses...

micro wrote:

I'm also an old guy who grew up with manual focus cameras. My problem with manually focusing my Nikon lenses, is that the focus ring is not as prominent (to my fingers) as the older lenses were.

I stupidly (and I don't often admit to being stupid) gave my old Nikon lenses a couple of years ago. All better quality than my new kit lenses. :thumbdown:

HarryM Loc: NYC (now in Florida)

Most of my shots are auto, But when I not rushed, I'll use manual focas.

Chinaman Loc: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

I was shooting my son playing soccer last weekend with my Canon 70-300mm kit lens and it just wouldn't autofocus. Had to resort to manual focusing which of course made me miss a lot of shots as I had to zoom and focus separately. Also ended up with lots of mis-focused shots. I remember having a zoom lens that I could zoom and focus using the same ring.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Lenses like that are called Varifocal or "one touch" lenses. You have to refocus every time you change the zoom setting, but it was the same ring so it wasn't a big deal

Chinaman wrote:

I was shooting my son playing soccer last weekend with my Canon 70-300mm kit lens and it just wouldn't autofocus. Had to resort to manual focusing which of course made me miss a lot of shots as I had to zoom and focus separately. Also ended up with lots of mis-focused shots. I remember having a zoom lens that I could zoom and focus using the same ring.

HarryM Loc: NYC (now in Florida)

In the "old" days, we had no choice.....
So we would try to pick out a stationary object to focus on, and use a small aperture to get more depth of field, and hope for the best!

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Still not perfect though. If you don't have the right point/s selected, you still can lose shots, Birds or other subjects in brush is tough for AF & macro still needs manual focusing. MF in the old days, for me anyway, involved using hyperfocal distance for fast moving subjects. Just involved a bit more planning of your shots when you had fast moving subjects...

HarryM wrote:

In the "old" days, we had no choice.....
So we would try to pick out a stationary object to focus on, and use a small aperture to get more depth of field, and hope for the best!

HarryM Loc: NYC (now in Florida)

Nothing IS perfect these days, but the cameras of today have come a loong way, and I use auto focus whenever I can!

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

sarge69 wrote:

As I grow older and passing 70, auto focus seems so much easier with these eyes. To each his/her own.

Sarge

I also use auto focus most of the time now. I guess its an age thing im 82 and the old peepers are not what they used to be.

mafadecay Loc: Wales UK

I never knew the world of photography before auto focus. When I started I did not even realise you could manual focus. Through trial and error I learned the limitations of auto focus and know when it will probably fail. I use manual in these situations now and I always use manual in the studio. I too have full time manual so even if using auto I will correct if I think it needs a tweak.

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

Chinaman wrote:

I was shooting my son playing soccer last weekend with my Canon 70-300mm kit lens and it just wouldn't autofocus. Had to resort to manual focusing which of course made me miss a lot of shots as I had to zoom and focus separately. Also ended up with lots of mis-focused shots. I remember having a zoom lens that I could zoom and focus using the same ring.

those guys with the long canon white lenses on the sidelines in the 70's were manually focasing.