Camera Handling - How many of you are comfortable using manual lenses on your camera?
- Thread starter microcosm
- Start date
albertri
Senior Member
I'll start 
I bet most of the master here knows this already
Pic below is candid and I have a bit of problem doing so coz I am shy thats why most of my prime lenses are long like 85/90 and 135 but this time I was using 50 so I need to be a bit close for me not to be noticed I need to be fast so normally what i do is estimate the distance and pre-focus my lens accordingly so i will need to just adjust a little bit, and also pre adjust my setting normally I would find similar lighting condition and set there if I am on M mode to make things worry free since I shoot RAW + JPEG I have the following in Auto ISO/WB and set my cam to A mode I let the camera decide the shutter speed/ISO and WB according to the amount of light coming in. when I'm all set I take my aim adjust a bit and shoot and run hehe
I bet most of the master here knows this alreadyPic below is candid and I have a bit of problem doing so coz I am shy thats why most of my prime lenses are long like 85/90 and 135 but this time I was using 50 so I need to be a bit close for me not to be noticed I need to be fast so normally what i do is estimate the distance and pre-focus my lens accordingly so i will need to just adjust a little bit, and also pre adjust my setting normally I would find similar lighting condition and set there if I am on M mode to make things worry free since I shoot RAW + JPEG I have the following in Auto ISO/WB and set my cam to A mode I let the camera decide the shutter speed/ISO and WB according to the amount of light coming in. when I'm all set I take my aim adjust a bit and shoot
and run hehe
microcosm
Senior Member
Until Olympus implement some thing like this, I will avoid manual focusing..
That is from the era past, old friend (good to see you here again)... I don't think Olympus will be offering this on their EVF enabled cameras... though I think they will be thinking hard to develop something for the MF lenses user community... if at all...
albertri
Senior Member
Until Olympus implement some thing like this, I will avoid manual focusing..
OMG i love this split focusing prism I used to play around with my dad's cam and this is what I see hehehe when I peak at the ovf
Until Olympus implement some thing like this, I will avoid manual focusing..
This is only possible in an optical viewfinder. So you will never find it in a m4/3 camera.
That aside, I use MF with magnification with great success. The CDAF usually has difficulty acquiring focus when the available light is dim. I don't use the AF assist beam (or the flash) as it is attention-drawing and even inappropriate in certain situations (e.g. inside a place of worship, on the street - I am no Eric Kim). I am also keenly aware of the noise performance of my E-M5's sensor, which discourages me from shooting at high ISO (I try to stay below ISO800 if I can help it). So I resort to shooting with fast lenses, like the 25mm f/1.4. The thinner DOF makes accurate focusing even more important, and experience shows that I cannot depend on the CDAF.
So far, I find MF with magnification using the EVF a breeze. The key is to set the IBIS to kick in when the shutter button is half-pressed. Whenever I need to MF, I compose the picture and set the focusing point first. Next, I half-press the shutter button to engage IBIS, and turn the focus ring while holding the shutter button to focus with a stabilized magnified frame. Once I am done focusing, I release and half-press the shutter button again to go back to the main composition frame and take the shot.
I find the process quite enjoyable using the large and smooth focus ring of the 25mm f/1.4. The same can't be said for the 12-50mm kit lens, though. The latter has a much narrower and "rougher" focus ring.
silencer13
New Member
Until Olympus implement some thing like this, I will avoid manual focusing..
Yeah. I prefer the all-fresnel screen though. Once in focus, it's all clear, clean and sharp. The zoom feature imitates this but not as good. Peak focusing - too confusing and cannot be sure it's totally sharp.
Have not tried the Sony one as using the GXR and m43. I find the magnification method better for me as I am seriously shortsighted w astigmatism.
Sony implementation for manual focusing is so far best, EVF+focus peak. GXR is not good as the EVF is 920K and focus peaking is not as good. If Olympus implement as good as Sony focus peak, it will be a real awesome camera for manual focusing. Especially with the F0.95 lenses.
albertri
Senior Member
Agree with you bro Sony's peaking is great
provided there's enough contrast between subject and background. But it's very helpful . For Oly using EVF I think MF is good enough (for me) I find I could focus not using the magnify function Yes, I've heard good things about Sony's focus peaking function. However the GXR and m43 are good enough for the time being.
I used to shoot FULLY MANUAL (no PASM or AF) film cameras...even MF/manual exposure auto racing.
For "regular lenses" there's no point in MF anymore since AF does such a good and fast job.
I do have a few specially lenses like my Samyang 7.5mm, Soligor 500mm mirror reflex, and some "toy" lenses, but for everything else it's AF (or AFL/MF).
For "regular lenses" there's no point in MF anymore since AF does such a good and fast job.
I do have a few specially lenses like my Samyang 7.5mm, Soligor 500mm mirror reflex, and some "toy" lenses, but for everything else it's AF (or AFL/MF).
MF is critical when you have shallow DOF on certain shots like portraits and macro. I like to focus on the eyeball, whether its a human or an insect. With people that have glasses on, it tends to focus on the spectacles. In macro, the DOF is super shallow, so you really need to.
On MF lenses, say wide angle Voightlanders, you don't have to focus since everything beyond a certain distance in front of you is sharp already.
On MF lenses, say wide angle Voightlanders, you don't have to focus since everything beyond a certain distance in front of you is sharp already.
Blu-By-U
Senior Member
If they have the center or a small window within the EVF which is magnified, I would be sort of happy. Something like what the Panny is offering. There is no point in having the whole VF magnified and I need to recompose after the Focus adjustment.
albertri
Senior Member
I'm your opposite bro
even my Sony body has peaking I still find it harder to use the MF lens to my SOny DSLR body than my EP3 m4/3 you need the EVF it helps a lot using it I hardly use the Focus Magnify assist . I think the reason for me having problem on APSC body is normally I shoot wide open imaging f1.8 on APSC and you do manual focusing hehehe worst 1.4 oh man