01-17-2012, 07:51 PM
Could I do without AF at all? In the same say I don't *need* to eat meat to stay alive. But without it, I wouldn't call it living.
In general, the apparent depth of field is seen in the viewfinder is greater than it really is. I know you can change focus screens, but they're too dark with f/5.6 lenses and limits you only to fast primes. I did find with practice I was getting faster and more accurate at MF with fast primes and an optimised focus screen. But that doesn't suit 90% of my shooting at all. I spend at least 75% of my time at 300mm or longer with crop sensor body. So that means using AF assist, where you might as well have the AF on anyway, or using magnified live view. Maybe you can get away with it for stationary subjects, but it certainly isn't fast.
Technology might have caught up with the MF problem. The focus peaking feature of the NEX has interested me. With the recent announcement of EF lens adapter for NEX with aperture control, MF just got more interesting. However it is solving a problem I didn't have to start with...
In general, the apparent depth of field is seen in the viewfinder is greater than it really is. I know you can change focus screens, but they're too dark with f/5.6 lenses and limits you only to fast primes. I did find with practice I was getting faster and more accurate at MF with fast primes and an optimised focus screen. But that doesn't suit 90% of my shooting at all. I spend at least 75% of my time at 300mm or longer with crop sensor body. So that means using AF assist, where you might as well have the AF on anyway, or using magnified live view. Maybe you can get away with it for stationary subjects, but it certainly isn't fast.
Technology might have caught up with the MF problem. The focus peaking feature of the NEX has interested me. With the recent announcement of EF lens adapter for NEX with aperture control, MF just got more interesting. However it is solving a problem I didn't have to start with...
<a class="bbc_url" href="http://snowporing.deviantart.com/">dA</a> Canon 7D2, 7D, 5D2, 600D, 450D, 300D IR modified, 1D, EF-S 10-18, 15-85, EF 35/2, 85/1.8, 135/2, 70-300L, 100-400L, MP-E65, Zeiss 2/50, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300/2.8, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Olympus E-P1, Panasonic 20/1.7, Sony HX9V, Fuji X100.