Auto focus question...

Do you use auto focus more than half of the time?

  • Yey

    Votes: 166 94.3%

  • Ney

    Votes: 10 5.7%

  • divnee nar...

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    176
I use the AF-ON button for af 90%+ of the time. The only times I do not af is when I am shooting macro or using my zeiss 50mm which is mf.
 
I use AF-ON button AF most of the time. Mainly focus and recompose but now more and more moving the focus point instead. Manual focus for close-ups.

I'm still perfectly happy focusing my OM-4 manually, with its large viewfinder and split image focusing screen, but my eyes aren't good enough now to do it reliably on a DSLR. (I hate live view.) It took me a long time to get used to auto-focus. :D
 
I use AF most of the time but my 500mm reflex f8 drives me mad when its hunting for the subject e.g bird when its in the middle of the lens, by the time its fixed upon it the bird has long gone. To go manual you need two hands and then the camera shakes a little.
 
I have predominantly used MF for the last few months due to my camera refusing to AF, now that issue has been fixed i can go back to AF.
Still use MF for macro shots and occasionally for other stuff, usually when using a tripod.
 
I didn't buy a 1D3 and 7D so that I could fanny around with manual focusing. The primary reason I bought those cameras was for the AF performance. Even when using less well specified bodies (5D2 in my case, and before that the 50D) I still use AF exclusively. When using a tripod I might prefer to use Live View for focusing but even then I find that Live AF offers precision and speed that is difficult to beat when attempting to focus manually. It would be very unusual circumstances that would cause me to focus manually nowadays. In fact, I can't think of any such circumstances at all.
 
I use AF simply because i've never had a digital camera where it's possible to judge focus reliably on it's focussing screen with long lenses and narrow dofs. A lot of the time my subject is moving anyway!

There have been times where i've had to try and manually focus when theres been a branch in the way or something and it's just not been possible to get tack-sharp in time before the bird flies off.
I wouldn't really want to attempt it often without a split prism focussing screen.
 
AF 110% of the time, I'm just as shocked as you are that you feel that way!
1. You cannot guarantee that the subject is in focus in the viewfinder.
2. Steadier shots. A hand that is focussing is not a steady hand. (or as steady!)
3. Far quicker.
4. Far easier.
5. Far more accurate.
6. If your eyesight isn't 100% correct, nor will your focus.
7. There aren't split prisms as standard!
 
On my SLRs, AF almost all the time, with the exception being Macro.

Reasons? Well, I find that on a body and lens set up designed for AF, it's far more accurate than I am! Mainly because "modern" lenses tend to be slower than the ones I used to use back in my Pentax (S1 and SP1000) days, have a much shorter throw between infinity and minimum focus distance and most standard screens have no focussing aids like split screen or multiprism. I'll often focus and recompose if I feel I need to, just as I shift from the camera's suggested exposure in P mode, so I still have full freedom to chose where the point (OK, plane) of focus is but let the camera set the distance.

Natalie, I knoiw I've read that you shoot in manual mode most of the time, do you use a seperate light meter or do you use the one in the camera?
 
I meant to ask that question in my post as well.

Even if you use manual mode while looking at the light meter, you're still using the camera's suggestion for exposure. I don't see any difference in doing that with using AF.
There are probably a lot of automatic functions you're still using that are just the equivalent of AF in their own way along the line (both in-camera and computer) all the way to the final .jpg or .tif

I'm quite shocked also MagicMynx that even with your admitted trouble in using the lens you still refuse to use af. I feel that the camera is just a tool to use, which doesnt affect your creative decisions of where to focus if it's something like selective focus in a shot.

Another question i'd like to ask is do you do any post-processing? I'd personally feel a lot worse about post processing a shot past what i saw in real-life (including skin smoothing etc) to be a lot more false-feeling than using AF.
 
Nearly always unless I'm doing macro or some fancy calculated hyperfocal stuff, quite often switch to manual with the 600mm lens on too
 
Yes - apart from macro type stuff.
 
AlexW said:
AF continuous. Select the focus point, and let rip. If you're shooting people (weddings/candid etc) with a shallow DoF this is the only way to go surely?
Click to expand...

No way! :shake:

Weddings and candids are shot with some degree of care and usually as individual shots in their own right. Go machine gunning like that and you will have a) memory cards full in no time, b) thousands of images to sort through, c) frowned at for making such a racket d) thrown out the Church for doing the same.

It's been quoted as one reason for some venues not allowing photography during ceremonies so don't do it. Learn good technique instead. :thumbs:
 
I tend to use MF most of the time, much better with the 30d with the CatsEye in, Habit mostly as the majority of my Cameras are MF, also most of my lenses.

Dave.
 
Another vote for the AF... I used to use (and still have it somewhere) a Minolta XG-M SLR, with a split-prism focusing system. Loved Manual focus on that system. Really dislike MF on the 400D. I tend to use a single-point AF, lock the focus and recompose the shot with the shoot button held halfway down... I am the only one doing things this way around???
 
SwissDot said:
Another vote for the AF... I used to use (and still have it somewhere) a Minolta XG-M SLR, with a split-prism focusing system. Loved Manual focus on that system. Really dislike MF on the 400D. I tend to use a single-point AF, lock the focus and recompose the shot with the shoot button held halfway down... I am the only one doing things this way around???
Click to expand...

No,not at all Simon but depending on the subject there are other ways which may give you better quality :)
 
auto 90% of the time.. unless doing landscapes or low contrast, low light or macro... My eyes are crap, besides most focusing screens have no effect below f2.8!
 
dizidav said:
I tend to use MF most of the time, much better with the 30d with the CatsEye in, Habit mostly as the majority of my Cameras are MF, also most of my lenses.

Dave.
Click to expand...

Dave. Would you feel the same about MF without the Catseye or another ground/split screen? Obviously there was a reason for the modification, either by yourself or the previous owner :thinking:


AF for me, except for liveview, where on screen zooming realy helps. I find the viewfinder to be fairly pants for MF. Besides, whats the point in having 51 point AF if you never use it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top