# Manual Focus Vs Auto Focus



## BrianJoseph (Oct 25, 2016)

hey everyone i have a quick question i was wondering how many still do manual focus when shooting people. i have some friends who are photographer that always tell me to shoot manual i turned to this site to get input from everyone on this idea of always shooting manual.


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## 480sparky (Oct 25, 2016)

I use MF when the camera just can't get the focus where I want it.  AF is not perfect.

Same reason I use the R on my trucks transmission.... my truck never knows when I want to go backwards.


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## BrianJoseph (Oct 25, 2016)

lol i guess MF is always good to use


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## astroNikon (Oct 25, 2016)

My eyes fail me. So I use AF 99% of the time.
With fast action shots too it's just much more accurate and faster.
I use focus override or MF from time to time for more specific shots.


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## SCraig (Oct 25, 2016)

There is a difference between "Shooting Manual" and using "Manual Focus".  Which do you mean?


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## BrianJoseph (Oct 25, 2016)

manual focus i always shoot manual.


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## Causapscal (Oct 25, 2016)

I have 10 lenses (7 Zeiss and 3 Canon) for my A7II and only one AF (Batis 18mm)... And I love it !


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## BrianJoseph (Oct 25, 2016)

causapscal so im taking it as you only do MF did it take you a long time to get use to it?


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## 480sparky (Oct 25, 2016)

Great images were taken long before the advent of AF.  Just saying.


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## BrianJoseph (Oct 25, 2016)

480sparky said:


> at images were taken long before the advent of A


i didnt see the image


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## Frank F. (Oct 25, 2016)

On 35-Format I use and love two manual focus lenses regularly:

The 4.0/200mm Ai-S Micro-Nikkor for its superb color rendition as a simple solution for food shots while cooking

The 1.4/35mm Ai-S for its super crazy bokeh wide open and the 1970ies feel shot into the light. I also did a food series and see that it is a great match for the D500, which features the Ground Glass of the Analogue Nikon F6.

General remark: There is no AF in Large Format work so all of my commercial digital product shots are MF naturally

Style: I love the process of MF shooting. I slows me down


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## SCraig (Oct 25, 2016)

BrianJoseph said:


> manual focus i always shoot manual.


I don't understand why you would always use manual mode, but if it makes you happy that's a good thing.

I use manual MODE some of the time when the circumstances warrant, but I never use manual FOCUS.  Autofocus is faster and more accurate than my eyes so I let the camera do the work in that respect.


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## Designer (Oct 25, 2016)

I'm-a hankerin' fer some manual-focus lenses, which I will eventually obtain, so then I will have no option but to focus manually.  Meanwhile, since my current setup will focus acceptably, I just let it.


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## smoke665 (Oct 25, 2016)

It depends on how I'm using the camera and the conditions I'm shooting in. I can't speak for other brands, though I would assume they are similar, but on my Pentax when using the view finder, the AF uses "phase detection" to focus (a process that splits the image into 2 copies then adjusts the lens until the copies merge). The process works well in low light or low contrast scenes, and is quick. In Live View, the the AF uses contrast detection which measures the intensity difference between adjacent pixels on the sensor. In low light or scenes that lack contrast the AF has a hard time focusing. Which is why I use manual a lot in Live View, when shooting in low light/low contrast scenes. Otherwise I rely on AF.


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## AlanKlein (Oct 25, 2016)

If you were shooting macro shots, you might select manual focus.  Also, if you were shooting a lot of shots of the same subject.  Let's say portraiture where the person is sitting in the same spot.  Focus once and leave it set.  (Same with exposure).  Also, if you're shooting street shots and zoning the focus or when you don't want the camera to decide which person is the focal point, then manual or zone focus would work better.  Another time might be when shooting landscape when you want to pick the hyperfocal distance to get the maximum Depth of Field to infinity.  Or maybe you only want a portion of the depth of field to be in focus.  So you have to select that point manually in the field that covers that portion combined with a selected aperture.


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## Derrel (Oct 25, 2016)

Many AF lenses have extremely hair-trigger manual focusing adjustment at distances beyond about 3 to 5 feet; with many AF lenses, a _one-millimeter off _mis-adjustment of the manual focusing ring can easily lead to a focus point that misses the subject distance by anywhere from a foot to 15 feet. MOST AF lenses have fairly sloppy manual focusing rings, and this makes it tricky to set the distance with precision and accuracy. Additionally, the in-camera viewfinder focusing screen in most D-SLR cameras is very bright, yet slightly low in contrast, and the "scatter" level of the screen's grind makes differentiating in-focus from out-of-focus much more difficult than the type of screens used in manual focus cameras from bygone eras. If you're focusing a lens using LiveView, then manually focusing can be pretty easy, esp. if the camera offers focus peaking. Overall though, for most people, using autofocus, and carefully selecting the AF bracket in use, and aiming it carefully, will lead to good focus most of the time.

Some lenses will be very challenging to focus accurately with high confidence in many situations, while other lenses will be relatively easy to focus manually in most scenarios; slow lenses, like f/3.5~5.6 small zooms like say 28-80mm cheapie, can be a real PITA to focus manually in light that is not very bright. Fast primes like 85mm f/1.4 will focus easily, same with 300mm f/4 lenses. Slow zooms like say the 70-300mm f/4.5~5.6 AF-Nikkor are easier to focus accurately at the long end, but not quite so easy to focus at the shorter end of their zoom.

The decision to focus manually using hand-and-eye is not to be taken lightly; focusing deliberately, but allowing the camera's focus drive motor or the lens's motor to drive the elements to the proper distance is usually the best thing, for most people; the more experience you have, and the more _the lens works in your favor and not against you_, the better manual focusing is likely to be.


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## vintagesnaps (Oct 25, 2016)

Derrel, where have you been????? Anyway, I focus manually almost all the time.  But you need to try it out and see what works best for you under what circumstances. And should be doing that and practicing and getting good at it so you know what to do looong before you think about taking on clients. (Weren't you talking about clients in another thread?? if not then nm, I might be thinking of someone else...)


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## 480sparky (Oct 25, 2016)

Designer said:


> I'm-a hankerin' fer some manual-focus lenses, which I will eventually obtain, so then I will have no option but to focus manually.  Meanwhile, since my current setup will focus acceptably, I just let it.



None of your lenses have the option to turn off AF?


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## Designer (Oct 25, 2016)

480sparky said:


> Designer said:
> 
> 
> > I'm-a hankerin' fer some manual-focus lenses, which I will eventually obtain, so then I will have no option but to focus manually.  Meanwhile, since my current setup will focus acceptably, I just let it.
> ...


Yes, but since they focus without any help from me, I just let them.


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## Advanced Photo (Oct 25, 2016)

I use A/MF and let the auto get close and refine with manual takeover.


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## Causapscal (Oct 25, 2016)

I can use an excellent vintage lenses with manual focus and the Zeiss or Leica lenses. The Sony A7 series was great for that.


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## table1349 (Oct 25, 2016)

Unless you want to install a new focus screen in your DSLR, modern cameras really aren't made for manual focus.  Micro/macro is the one exception where it is generally preferred, but for most shots AF would by far be preferred.  Back in the days of split screen focus screens manual focus was easy and fast.  Now it is better to stick to AF for most things.


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## Alexr25 (Oct 25, 2016)

480sparky said:


> Great images were taken long before the advent of AF.  Just saying.


Very true, however long before the advent of AF both cameras and lenses were designed to be focused manually. The cameras had focusing aids built into the focusing screens and lenses had 180 - 270 degrees of rotation allowing fine focus adjustment.
The present crop of digital cameras and lenses are not designed for manual focusing, they have plain matte focus screens without any focus aids and the lenses go from close-up to infinity in a 1/4 turn, if you're lucky, 1/8 turn if its a cheap kit lens.
There are those that say you can turn off the AF and use the focus indicator in the viewfinder but if you do that you may as well go the whole hog and let the AF motor focus the lens for you, its going to do it a lot faster and a lot more accurately than you can do it manually.


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## EIngerson (Oct 25, 2016)

Never understood the "always shoot manual mode" thing. Is that some sort of status? or just not knowing how your camera works?


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## 480sparky (Oct 25, 2016)

Alexr25 said:


> ........... its going to do it a lot faster and a lot more accurately than you can do it manually.



Maybe, maybe not.  AF misses focus more than you think.  I hope you don't honestly think AF is 100% accurate.

Yeah, it usually focuses on _something_, but not always what *I* want the point of focus to be.


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## zombiesniper (Oct 25, 2016)

I always find it funny when this topic comes up.
There are 3 basic types of shooters that come up in these threads.
Auto shooters. Always auto. Normally because they haven't found a reason to shoot manual or are to afraid.
Those that shoot whatever to get the shot....
And the "I always shoot manual." crowd.

The first two normally don't care what you do as long as it works.........not so much with the elite crowd that must point out that "Great photo's were taken before AF." Well great crops were grown before the tractor and if farmers had that attitude we'd all be starving.

It's fine and dandy that you shoot manual but quit going all vegan about it. You won't convert or impress people with your religious quoting of photographers past. There's a place for everyone.

P.S. If you must know 99.9999% of the time I shoot auto focus. Why? You aren't going to beat the auto focus for birds in flight. Don't care who you are.


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## 480sparky (Oct 25, 2016)

zombiesniper said:


> I always find it funny when this topic comes up.
> There are 3 basic types of shooters that come up in these threads.
> Auto shooters. Always auto. Normally because they haven't found a reason to shoot manual or are to afraid.
> Those that shoot whatever to get the shot....
> ...



Not trying to convert anyone. Just stating facts.

If AF is what floats your boat, paddle on.  If MF is your only way to go, go right ahead.  If you are a switch hitter, that's fine too.

If we all actually took the same attitude you claim we 'religeous vegan nut-jobs' profess, no one would be shooting digital either.


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## table1349 (Oct 25, 2016)

480sparky said:


> zombiesniper said:
> 
> 
> > I always find it funny when this topic comes up.
> ...


We wouldn't even be shooting film, we would all be shooting wet plates.


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## 480sparky (Oct 25, 2016)

gryphonslair99 said:


> 480sparky said:
> 
> 
> > zombiesniper said:
> ...


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## table1349 (Oct 25, 2016)

Everyone knows that you can't get instant film for the Polarock camera the days.


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## Gary A. (Oct 25, 2016)

I starting shooting in the pre-auto days of film.  Back when 'auto' was a car not a mode.  As a pro, I shot every working day for decades.  I love autofocus.  Autofocus is the best thing since sliced bread.  For me, for what I shoot and how I shoot, autofocus has far more advantages than disadvantages.

PS- 90% of what I shoot is people, back when I was a pro with film and now shooting for myself with digital ... I choose auto over manual.

PPS- As a pro, the only thing that mattered to me was the final image ... how you got there didn't matter. My boat floats on capturing the exceptional image ... period. If your boat floats on the photographic experience and manual focus increases that experience ... then good for you.  But for me, autofocus increases my camera manipulation speed and increases my consistency rate.  Both of those elements are more important to me than photographic experience.


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## EIngerson (Oct 25, 2016)

Gary A. said:


> I starting shooting in the pre-auto days of film.  Back when 'auto' was a car not a mode.  As a pro, I shot every working day for decades.  I love autofocus.  Autofocus is the best thing since sliced bread.  For me, for what I shoot and how I shoot, autofocus has far more advantages than disadvantages.
> 
> PS- 90% of what I shoot is people, back when I was a pro with film and now shooting for myself with digital ... I choose auto over manual.
> 
> PPS- *As a pro, the only thing that mattered to me was the final image* ... how you got there didn't matter. My boat floats on capturing the exceptional image ... period. If your boat floats on the photographic experience and manual focus increases that experience ... then good for you.  But for me, autofocus increases my camera manipulation speed and increases my consistency rate.  Both of those elements are more important to me than photographic experience.



Amen!


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## Advanced Photo (Oct 26, 2016)

I also like using the camera and not just pointing it all the time. Both are good at different times.


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## Causapscal (Oct 26, 2016)

Personnaly, AF or MF... I had some good Zeiss MF lenses and I bought A7ii for use it. I like Zeiss and I bought three new lenses (2 Loxia and one Batis). The two Loxia are in MF and Batis in AF... Ebay sold near mint Hexanon 50 mm f1.7, a very good lenses for 40$ with adapter include and free shipping. Other bargain, Canon 85 mm f1.8 FD for 125$ near mint and Canon 200 mm f4 FD for 60$, near mint too.

It's because I use MF instead AF. For my personal needs, it's ok (no action, shot, only landscape and architecture and street photo). Different people, different needs ans taste


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## Frank F. (Oct 26, 2016)

There are situations when MF delivers and situations when AF delivers. I prefer AF when it works better because I have one thing less to worry about in fast paced situations.

But when I go to shoot for fun only, MF is often nearer to my emotion, the whole process is more sensual, I feel more immersed.


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## Causapscal (Oct 26, 2016)

I shot always for fun and I have no preference, only the optical quality.


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## smoke665 (Oct 26, 2016)

Frank F. said:


> There are situations when MF delivers and situations when AF delivers.



Pretty much sums it up. I consider my camera like my shop full of tools. Every tool has a function, some may serve multiple functions, some not so much, in the end it's up to me to decide the proper use for the job at hand.


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## chuasam (Oct 26, 2016)

I use manual when shooting with my Minox35GT, Rollei 35, or Nikon FE2


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## joshdieker462 (Oct 28, 2016)

I use both and for me, it depends on what I am shooting. If it is a still shot or knowing that I won't be missing the shot if I have to retake the picture I will use MF. If it is an action shot like taking pictures at a gymnastics competition where the range of shots change really fast I use AF. It is all preference.


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## greybeard (Nov 12, 2016)

I use manual focus most of the time when I am shooting macro.  I also use a lot of manual focus lenses with my Sony a6000.  Kinda of like driving a manual shift transmission.


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## Frank F. (Nov 12, 2016)

Today I paid 30 US$ to Tom Hogan to learn the AF system .... and metering sytem of my D500 and it was worth every (!) Penny!

Not only is what Nikon states incomplete and confusing it is also at times misleading or incorrect.

Even if you switch all and every thing to manual you might still want to use the camera for exposure metering instead of using the Gossen or Sekonic ....

You should know how the metering system works. Fifth Generation has changed a lot.


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