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Manual Focus with Mirrorless Camera
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Oct 14, 2021 09:54:29   #
Urnst Loc: Brownsville, Texas
 
I enjoy the conveniences of modern mirrorless cameras. Sometimes, however, I prefer manual rather than autofocus. There's something about seeing the focus peaking lighting up on the subject and tripping the shutter with the focus exactly where I want it that gives me great pleasure. Does anyone else feel this way?

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Oct 14, 2021 09:59:28   #
burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC
 
Urnst wrote:
I enjoy the conveniences of modern mirrorless cameras. Sometimes, however, I prefer manual rather than autofocus. There's something about seeing the focus peaking lighting up on the subject and tripping the shutter with the focus exactly where I want it that gives me great pleasure. Does anyone else feel this way?


My camera has both focus peaking and focus magnification. They work great, but I’d prefer a super-bright, super-high resolution *electronic* viewfinder with digital microprism and split-image rangefinder.

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Oct 14, 2021 10:03:49   #
Soul Dr. Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley
 
Focus peaking is great when you need it. I seldom use it on any of my mirrorless cameras.
To me, it is just an option to use when I want it.
I'm glad it gives you pleasure to use.

will

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Oct 14, 2021 10:14:13   #
SteveLew Loc: Sugar Land, TX
 
I, like you often use the manual focus with focus peaking on my Nikon Z6. I usually shoot landscape and I find that manual focusing is very exacting and it slow me down so that my shots are more purposeful.

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Oct 14, 2021 10:24:59   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
Urnst wrote:
I enjoy the conveniences of modern mirrorless cameras. Sometimes, however, I prefer manual rather than autofocus. There's something about seeing the focus peaking lighting up on the subject and tripping the shutter with the focus exactly where I want it that gives me great pleasure. Does anyone else feel this way?


Are you using only legacy manual focus film-era lenses?
Are you shooting in short bursts of moving subjects since the camera / lens can't respond to slight changes like in continuous focus?
Are you leaning in / out slightly to let the plane of focus cross over the subject, shooting in bursts in digital and picking the best of the lot later at home?
Did you configure your MILC to 'shimmer' in a red, yellow or white for the plane of focus in the Electronic View Finder?
Did you configure your MILC for enhanced sharpness while shooting in RAW to make that shimmer more pronounced in the EVF?
Did you configure your MILC for a easy to reach external button to auto-zoom the EVF to the 10x details so you can see and focus?

Are you looking at the 1:1 pixel level details on your large-screen monitor at home and finding you're lucking to get 1 in 10 in perfect focus when AF is more like 9 in 10?

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Oct 14, 2021 10:47:39   #
Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.
 
Urnst wrote:
I enjoy the conveniences of modern mirrorless cameras. Sometimes, however, I prefer manual rather than autofocus. There's something about seeing the focus peaking lighting up on the subject and tripping the shutter with the focus exactly where I want it that gives me great pleasure. Does anyone else feel this way?


I enjoy Manual Focus (and Manual Exposure) I bought an adapter to allow me to use my Leica M Mount MF lenses on my Z5. I don’t always use focus peaking, it depends on the situation.

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Oct 14, 2021 11:12:00   #
Urnst Loc: Brownsville, Texas
 
CHG_CANON wrote:
Are you using only legacy manual focus film-era lenses?
Are you shooting in short bursts of moving subjects since the camera / lens can't respond to slight changes like in continuous focus?
Are you leaning in / out slightly to let the plane of focus cross over the subject, shooting in bursts in digital and picking the best of the lot later at home?
Did you configure your MILC to 'shimmer' in a red, yellow or white for the plane of focus in the Electronic View Finder?
Did you configure your MILC for enhanced sharpness while shooting in RAW to make that shimmer more pronounced in the EVF?
Did you configure your MILC for a easy to reach external button to auto-zoom the EVF to the 10x details so you can see and focus?

Are you looking at the 1:1 pixel level details on your large-screen monitor at home and finding you're lucking to get 1 in 10 in perfect focus when AF is more like 9 in 10?
Are you using only legacy manual focus film-era le... (show quote)

Yes and no.

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Oct 14, 2021 11:57:53   #
cactuspic Loc: Dallas, TX
 
CHG_CANON wrote:
Are you using only legacy manual focus film-era lenses?
Are you shooting in short bursts of moving subjects since the camera / lens can't respond to slight changes like in continuous focus?
Are you leaning in / out slightly to let the plane of focus cross over the subject, shooting in bursts in digital and picking the best of the lot later at home?
Did you configure your MILC to 'shimmer' in a red, yellow or white for the plane of focus in the Electronic View Finder?
Did you configure your MILC for enhanced sharpness while shooting in RAW to make that shimmer more pronounced in the EVF?
Did you configure your MILC for a easy to reach external button to auto-zoom the EVF to the 10x details so you can see and focus?

Are you looking at the 1:1 pixel level details on your large-screen monitor at home and finding you're lucking to get 1 in 10 in perfect focus when AF is more like 9 in 10?
Are you using only legacy manual focus film-era le... (show quote)


At me at least, it is horses for course. AF does not work well for macro focus stacking (at least the first shot in the sequence, the rest is automatic except when I feel like manually stacking.) For general macro and most landscape, I also prefer manual focus. For people and wildlife I use the the AF with the eye recognition (a game changer) keyed to one of my back buttons with traditional AF keyed to a second back button for those situations where the camera can't discern the subject.

Irwin

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Oct 14, 2021 13:34:26   #
User ID
 
Urnst wrote:
I enjoy the conveniences of modern mirrorless cameras. Sometimes, however, I prefer manual rather than autofocus. There's something about seeing the focus peaking lighting up on the subject and tripping the shutter with the focus exactly where I want it that gives me great pleasure. Does anyone else feel this way?

We ALL love that. Welcome to the family.

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Oct 14, 2021 13:57:14   #
IDguy Loc: Idaho
 
Urnst wrote:
I enjoy the conveniences of modern mirrorless cameras. Sometimes, however, I prefer manual rather than autofocus. There's something about seeing the focus peaking lighting up on the subject and tripping the shutter with the focus exactly where I want it that gives me great pleasure. Does anyone else feel this way?


All my lenses are autofocus but there are times I find it useful; e.g. a bird in a bush. And it enables using a $15 manual FTZ vs. $250 Nikon FTZ. I leave it attached to mu 200-500.

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Oct 14, 2021 14:21:29   #
Urnst Loc: Brownsville, Texas
 
I have some auto focusing lenses and use them with auto focusing. But I also have some manual focus lenses made specifically for modern mirrorless cameras.
l

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Oct 14, 2021 14:26:07   #
JD750 Loc: SoCal
 
burkphoto wrote:
My camera has both focus peaking and focus magnification. They work great, but I’d prefer a super-bright, super-high resolution *electronic* viewfinder with digital microprism and split-image rangefinder.




That digital microprism would be a great addition!

But I fear they are gone for good as those functions were not even on DSLRs where they could have easily been implemented using existing SLR designs.

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Oct 14, 2021 15:36:38   #
Orphoto Loc: Oregon
 
Urnst. Focus peaking is kind of fun that way. You get higher precision though with manual focussing in magnified live view.

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Oct 14, 2021 15:46:22   #
Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA
 
I use focus peaking with my Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera for video. What is really useful is that it identifies all the areas in focus so I can see the depth of field before I shoot the sequence.

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Oct 15, 2021 07:13:53   #
Dan Thornton Loc: Corpus Christi, Texas
 
CHG_CANON wrote:
Are you using only legacy manual focus film-era lenses?
Are you shooting in short bursts of moving subjects since the camera / lens can't respond to slight changes like in continuous focus?
Are you leaning in / out slightly to let the plane of focus cross over the subject, shooting in bursts in digital and picking the best of the lot later at home?
Did you configure your MILC to 'shimmer' in a red, yellow or white for the plane of focus in the Electronic View Finder?
Did you configure your MILC for enhanced sharpness while shooting in RAW to make that shimmer more pronounced in the EVF?
Did you configure your MILC for a easy to reach external button to auto-zoom the EVF to the 10x details so you can see and focus?

Are you looking at the 1:1 pixel level details on your large-screen monitor at home and finding you're lucking to get 1 in 10 in perfect focus when AF is more like 9 in 10?
Are you using only legacy manual focus film-era le... (show quote)


This post really made me smile and I would answer no to most of the questions. Makes me think there is more than one way to skin a rabbit.

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