Is manual focus over rated? [EXIF data available. Click here

>>2870338
I love manual focus and wish I had a Leica q since its real focus, and not "by wire"
The viewfinder on it is better than real life. My gr focuses nicely; I'm quite happy with it, especially after seeing that IQ is better than x70.

>>2870338
Nah, it's pretty great.

>>2870338
Depends.

I only use manual focus on my 5D MkII, but then again I've got the super-precision focusing screen that actually shows what is in focus unlike the default focusing screen on Canon bodies.

>>2870348
You mean the zoom feature? That shows what zooms in on the image to focus it?

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>>2870351
No I'm not talking about shooting with live view, I am talking about the Canon Eg-S focusing screen. It replaces the actual ground glass focusing screen for one that shows an accurate representation of what's in focus through the eye piece. But if you have a bunch of slow glass over f/2.8 it's be a full stop darker than usual, but good thing I've got super fast glass ;)

>>2870389
Thanks, I just bought a 5d mark ii today at a great price and I didn't know that.

>>2870338
What's a good tactic to get an image sharp on a DSLM if there is little contrast in it?
My Focus-Peaking can be great, but sometimes, especially with faces, the little peaks don't appear in the area I want to focus on.

>>2870389
Btw is it normal for the shutterspeed to remain at 1/30 without being able to go slower? I find I can only go faster but not slower.

>>2870411
>mfw
I was always pissed at the 7D (mark 1, i know ill kms) but instead of going to live view with the lever thing, hit start/stop buttone while in normal shooting and it will go into live view NOT movie mode.
It stays at 1/30 or faster cause it cant go longer when at 30fps

>>2870411
You might be in video mode when youre in live view. There should be an option. If youre in video, you cant go slower than 1/30, because of the 30fps framerate. I bet if your framerate were 60 fps, you couldnt go longer than 1/60.

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>hyperfocal distance
Learn hyperfocal distance on your different lenses.

Carry a tape measure in gear bag for shots where you need to nail perfect focus. Tape measure is also a great tool to see DOF and exactly how aperture affects dropoff.

Try shooting tethered to tablet or laptop. I found a free app for androids to control DSLR. In liveview, it can auto or manually focus. Best feature imho were blue highlights that appear exactly on what's focused.

[EXIF data available. Click here to show/hide.]

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>>2870341
The gr snap feature is great, as a new photographer and my first camera.

>>2870541
That's most definitely it. So that top left button by the viewfinder can be liveview or video mode? Is it possible to do both and just program another button?

>>2870338
doesn't pic related answer your question?

>>2870406
Focus peaking plus one button punch in
Or use an xt1 that always has a punched in section in dual vf mode

>>2870338
>manual focusing using viewfinder dslr
g-goodluck.

>>2870642
>what is katzeye

Manual focus is fine on a camera and lens that were designed for it with a good sharp and snappy focusing screen and a lens with a long focusing throw and properly damped focusing ring and DoF scale.

If you're trying to manually focus a squirrelly autofocus lens with a tiny vestigial focusing ring and your camera has a shit ground glass designed for f/3.5-5.6 shitzooms then you're just going to have a bad time.

Mirrorless cameras can be ok I guess because EVFs can properly show DoF and have focusing aids and stuff, if you're using native lenses then that usually means focus by wire though which is usually awful.

>>2870560
What good is a tape measure when the focus scale on most photographic lenses is approximate anyways? You can always nail focus (slowly) in live view.

>>2870647
Defunct.

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>>2870654
>What good is a tape measure?
Say you're shooting a portrait and you want a really blurred background.
Set up on a tripod and compose your shot in 'A' aperture priority mode.
Run a tape measure from camera to subject and beyond.
Open widest aperture, in this example we'll say f/1.4
Focus on subject (keep the tape measure in frame) take your test shot.
Reviewing the test shot, look at the numbers on the tape measure to see where your focus falls off.
Make changes aperture and taking more test shots. As you go to slower and slower apertures, you'll see the DOF increase on your tape measure.
I find this tremendously helpful with getting that blurred background cinematic-look in my portraits because I can pinpoint exactly where my model needs to be, set my marks, and not have to worry about whether I'm going to lose focus due to DOF. After enough practice, you'll know your lens well enough that you won't need it - but it's very helpful for learning.
One more thing.
Measuring and marking DOF with tape measure is a good way to position a model just in focus, then frame her with objects (like tree limbs) in foreground and background that will be blurred. You like bokeh, don't you?

>>2870541
>>2870576
Ah I figured it out. That shit is incredibly useful. All my pictures will be in tack sharp focus now.

>>2870685

uhhh...

My pentax M 50mm is my favorite/best lens.

>>2870338
>consumer camera from 2005 doesn't have accurate autofocus
Literally nobody is surprised

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>nikon AF

>>2871562
>worst Nikon digital camera ever

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>tfw shoot pentax and use almost exclusively use AF

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>>2870338
>M4/3 autofocus

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>>2870560

I can't believe people actually do this instead of just using focus peaking / magnification hahaha so autistic and /p/ it's unreal. I bet you made sure a lot of people saw you take out your field notes book and write down your tape measurements hahahahaha

>>2870642
>>2870649
I used a Samyang 85 1.4 pretty heavily on a D3S and D610 and never really had trouble focusing it through the VF. I was using it largely for portraits and documentary photography too. Even at 1.4 my keeper rate was more than adequate.

I rarely use MF on AF lenses, though. That's changed a bit since switching to Fuji, since it's so easy, especially with the 23 and its clicky focus ring, but I'm still in AF 95% of the time.

>>2870338
By whom?

>>2872592
>M4/3

On an DSLR?

Focus is kind of a crapshoot on those, especially fine focus with shallow DoF. Then you have to memorize how much each lens back/front focuses at different subject distances, etc. etc. Pain in the ass.

>>2879258
yeah I really wish I had a manual focus screen sometimes

>>2879258
On some dslrs I think you can use the autofocus points to tell if your in focus.

>>2872592
Problems like OP picture are due to how DSLR autofocus works, they don't happen on mirrorless cameras.

>>2879258
Stock focusing screens on DSLRs don't even show proper DoF at f/2 and wider.

>>2879277
This is only sometimes true. Try shooting 85mm f1.4 at 6ft away and rely in AF points

>>2879298
Not to mention that AF point illumination in MF mode is only as accurate as the AF sensor allows, which returns us to OP's left picture again...

>>2879298
>ft
WHAT IS THIS ARCANE MEASUREMENT YOU ARE USING?

>>2879443
look at your foot. that's more or less a foot.

I only shoot in manual.

It started because I was cheap as fuck and didn't want to buy new lenses for my K-3ii, but I've grown to love it.

>>2879443
its like 1.5 span dude. what are you a europoor? I bet you don't even weigh 15 stone cmon, step up your game.

>>2879456
lmao I didn't want to buy an expensive lens so i bought a $99 MF and I've grown to love it as well

Filmfag reporting in.

MF is awesome. FM2 with split prism focus is more accurate than any AF camera I've ever used, except perhaps the F5.

D700, D600, D3300, D7200, etc were all slightly off, no matter which point was chosen, and what the subject was.

>>2870764
what

>>2870685
Master level strats dude. I always used this for macro shots to get my whole subject in focus with the largest possible aperture. Because at that scale its hard enough to be on the good side of f16 as it is.