Auto or manual focus?

[Harry Stevens]

MF is better but my old eyes decided that I use AF cameras.

 

[OptiKen]

MF is better but my old eyes decided that I use AF cameras.

I definitely 'see' where you are coming from. That's why I'm trying to find an auto-focus that I would enjoy. Something the size and weight of an OM series camera or Contax 167MT

 

[blockend]

Auto focus suits digital photography. If the image doesn't cost anything, and the camera can take 10 a second, why not spray and pray? For film photography I'm less convinced, but it can help aging eyes. I require reading glasses nowadays but my distance focus is good. As I can't be bothered putting on spectacles to check an LCD screen I favour analogue dials, which means older cameras and manual focus. It helps that few of my subjects require wide apertures and fine focus.

 

[slackercrurster]

For film I'm all manual

For digital I'm 90% manual. My PS cams are auto. Sometimes they work, other times no. If the PS cams were manual I'd use them manual most of the time as well. In good light auto is nice. But if light is bad or fast moving candid pix you need manual.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I'm just curious, if you think either manual or auto focus is better for film?
I've been using my Dad's old Nikormat with manual only focus since May, and I've kind of enjoyed how having to manually focus an image has helped me pay more attention to what I've been doing, but as of this week, I now have a Canon EOS Rebel X with auto focus, and though I don't think I'm going to try it until Thursday, I'm seriously wondering how simply having auto focus is going to change my approach to 35mm- even if it does have a faster shutter and can do 1-30 second exposures.

I wish all my cameras had autofocus; nothing is more accurate and accurate focus is so important for ultimate sharpness.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I wish all my cameras had autofocus; nothing is more accurate and accurate focus is so important for ultimate sharpness.

I agree. It would be nice on 120 and 4"x5".

 

[jim10219]

Both. I shoot manual 75% of the time. Autofocus can't be trusted. It will often focus on the wrong thing. Plus, I often use techniques like focusing between objects and stopping down to get two (or more) objects in focus. With autofocus, you have to choose one or the other which doesn't always work. Autofocus is also terrible for astrophotography. It won't infinity focus on it's own (stars aren't bright enough), and autofocus lenses almost never have infinity stops.

Though sometimes autofocus is better. Especially in situations where objects are moving quickly and I don't have time to manually focus an image. It's also great in situations like wedding photography where it's more important to get a lot of shots of everything going on around you than it is to get creative with your focusing.

 

[Herminus]

Looks like some people think that autofocus always selects what it wants.
That is not the case with my EOS bodies, I use single point and select what I focus on (like the kid behind the tree).
The problem is that some lenses might front or back focus on certain bodies so I need to find combos that work well together.
Another problem is that not all focuspoints are created equal, the middle point is sometimes the only one good enough.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Both. I shoot manual 75% of the time. Autofocus can't be trusted. It will often focus on the wrong thing. Plus, I often use techniques like focusing between objects and stopping down to get two (or more) objects in focus. With autofocus, you have to choose one or the other which doesn't always work. Autofocus is also terrible for astrophotography. It won't infinity focus on it's own (stars aren't bright enough), and autofocus lenses almost never have infinity stops.

Though sometimes autofocus is better. Especially in situations where objects are moving quickly and I don't have time to manually focus an image. It's also great in situations like wedding photography where it's more important to get a lot of shots of everything going on around you than it is to get creative with your focusing.

It depends on the autofocus system. Some are better than others. I have not problems with the Nikon N75 and Nikon F100 AF systems as long as I follow the instructions.

 

[barzune]

I didn't have any need for autofocus until I developed cataracts, in my 60s.
Proper surgical implants have not only corrected that problem, but have eliminated my lifelong myopia.

As a result, I can use AF for snapshots, or when I'm in a hurry, but I switch it off in more relaxed moments, and still prefer the manual settings.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

It depends on what type of photography. For me, I prefer manual focus. But if I shot a lot of sports, autofocus can focus faster than me.

 

[wiltw]

Auto focus suits digital photography. If the image doesn't cost anything, and the camera can take 10 a second, why not spray and pray? For film photography I'm less convinced, but it can help aging eyes. I require reading glasses nowadays but my distance focus is good. As I can't be bothered putting on spectacles to check an LCD screen I favour analogue dials, which means older cameras and manual focus. It helps that few of my subjects require wide apertures and fine focus.

But in both film SLRs and modern dSLRs, the perceived distance of the focus screen (and the center focus aid in SLRs) and the viewfinder displays of camera settings is NOT at Infinity, but it about 30-36" away -- even for focus at a distant target it is 30-36" away on the focusing scren! If your eyes can focus at 30-36" and then focus out at a long distance (10' - Infinity) you have no issue with focus in either type of camera equally -- and then look up at your subject with your naked eye and the focus screen and the subject are in focus at different times. But if you need to focus manually in a very dimly lit area, manual focus reliance becomes quite sketchy.

Both. I shoot manual 75% of the time. Autofocus can't be trusted. It will often focus on the wrong thing. Plus, I often use techniques like focusing between objects and stopping down to get two (or more) objects in focus. With autofocus, you have to choose one or the other which doesn't always work. Autofocus is also terrible for astrophotography. It won't infinity focus on it's own (stars aren't bright enough), and autofocus lenses almost never have infinity stops.

Though sometimes autofocus is better. Especially in situations where objects are moving quickly and I don't have time to manually focus an image. It's also great in situations like wedding photography where it's more important to get a lot of shots of everything going on around you than it is to get creative with your focusing.

You describe AF in the Push Here Dummy mode, where the user exerts ZERO control of what AF point(s) are used by the camera to focus. Instead of PHD focus, put the camera into chosen AF point or simply force center AF point (like the SLR focus aid defaulted -- in the center!)

I have 50 years of photography experience, mostly with manual focus cameras. I tried AF in the days of the first film AF cameras, and AF was frankly pretty miserable to use. The modern AF dSLR is a joy to use, especially in contrast to trying to focus a film Medium Format SLR in dim light conditions.

 

[Sirius Glass]

If I am traveling with others and there will not be time to take long pauses to change lenses, compose, think about the exposure, et al, then I will take the 35mm slr with autofocus and autoexposure zoom lenses. Otherwise I use manual focus prime lenses.

 

[removed account4]

manual for me, cause i don't focus !

 

[blockend]

But in both film SLRs and modern dSLRs, the perceived distance of the focus screen (and the center focus aid in SLRs) and the viewfinder displays of camera settings is NOT at Infinity, but it about 30-36" away

Not sure I follow this, what's special about 36" away?

 

[REAndy]

I really wish I could say manual focus for everything. It used to be this way when my eyes were young!
If I'm out shooting landscapes I prefer going "old school" (manual focus, manual exposure, manual film advance (or swapping film backs), fixed focal length lens. I relate this to the enjoyment someone gets from driving an old car with the starter you push with your foot, manual transmission, and manual crank down windows!

If I'm out shooting my grand kids playing in the yard, well, i'm sure you can guess, it's auto, auto, auto, zoom.

 

[TheGreatGasMaskMan]

So here's my current situation, plus minor story about my AF film camera
First, My Canon EOS rebel's shutter sticks, so I don't get every frame on my roll. I've since gotten another AF canon film camera, but haven't tried it yet.
As for digital, I have to use auto focus, just because manual is such a pain to do unless the camera has peaking.
So with my current cameras I've wound up associating auto with digital and manual with film.


Though I recently "tried" some street stuff with a manual film camera- but I have yet to finish that roll.

 

[pocketshaver]

Auto focus works fine on two conditions.

1. the camera is working correctly. I had one that it didn't work on. Made me sad.
2. You have to be able to keep the auto focus grid on the same object the whole time. If your working on a bird feeder, and want to take photos of 1 of 4 birds on it, movement of anything into the grid can make it refocus non stop.

I have found manual focus is not bad, its all I have so I work it. Its nice to be able to stand in a spot, focus on something say a pile of bird seed on a stump, and then simply wait for a bird to land and then line the camera up and shoot

 

[dkonigs]

Autofocus is great when you know how to control it, since you're still very much actively deciding what the camera should be focusing on.
If you find yourself bewildered by a huge grid of AF points that randomly light up, or constant focusing on some random unexpected location, then your camera's AF system is likely stuck in "idiot mode" (or you're using a P&S). This mode shall only be used when handing your camera to non-photographers, so learn how to quickly switch out of it when you are using your camera. Having that grid, and being able to control it, is great when you'd rather not recompose after focusing to frame a shot.

I pretty much only use manual focus when I'm using a camera that doesn't have autofocus. Of course a camera that has autofocus is a lot harder to accurately focus manually anyways.

I can also shoot a lot faster with autofocus, and manual focus can be quite frustrating when trying to chase quickly moving subjects.

That being said, the vast majority of my cameras actually are manual focus.

 

[Vilk]

MF is better but my old eyes decided that I use AF cameras.

+1

 

[ic-racer]

I'm just curious, if you think either manual or auto focus is better for film?

Film does not do photography. Photographers do photography.

 

[TheGreatGasMaskMan]

Film does not do photography. Photographers do photography.

These days I say AF is for fast situations, and MF is for when I can just take my time. The only catch is, my film cameras are manual and my digital camera is auto.

 

[wyofilm]

Nearly everything I shoot is manual focus. But I just bought my first MF slr and chose the Pentax 645NII because it has autofocus. I'm not as fast manually focusing as I used to be - I'm sure it is because of the price of tea in China as my eyes ARE NOT getting any older. I'm sure of it. Really I am.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

AF is fast and accurate in my cameras. It is not necessary but useful once one knows its few limitations and how to focus on a particular point, hold the focus, recompose and then shoot with the original focus. Since I do not have it on my MF and LF equipment I do not use it. However I use it all the time with my 35mm cameras that do have it.

+1 That's how I use it. One other thing I might do is to lock the aperture setting after obtaining the "correct" exposure setting.

 

[jtk]

Reviewing years of slides in the course of scanning it's clear that mid-near portraits should have been focused on noses rather than over-all or even heads...especially at large apertures. Not a problem with MF or LF for obvious reasons...