I recently start reading this section of the forum as my interest moved to the expected voigtlander 40mm F2 for EF mounts.
I currently have a lot of (expensive) gear, but I don't take it out enough in my mind.
So I want to reduce my kit somewhat, that in mind I like to have a very compact setup, that's why I got interested when reading about the voigtlander .
I don't have experience with MF. I tried yesterday to MF with my 35mm F1.4 on my 5D, but the results where crap. It's very difficult to have a hit on small objects and especially at F1.4. It's also to "wide" to see if something is in focus or not. (as oposite to my 100mm macro)
I know that it will take some time to get used to it, but for the moment I can't imagine that it will become "easy" after a while.
Now my question: Do you guys (and woman) manual focus all the time?
Or when do you do that?
Yes. Basically all the time. About 96% of the time, to be more precise.
You need to replace your focusing screen, for starters. Attempting to manually focus with the stock screen is an exercise in futility, as you've already noticed.
I manual focus almost all the time, but I use live-view for this (I have a 5D MkII). Without live-view I don't think I could do it, unless I invested on focus-confirmation adapters (wich I tried but still prefer live-view manual focusing).
I don't know if the EF Voigtlanders have some king of focus confirmation but sure someone will give you feedback on that.
I haven't tried to manual focus with the 35L, but from my experience, Canon lenses aren't very good for this - the focus ring don't have sufficient weight so it's difficult to focus with precision at high apertures.
Regarding the compact guear, I too was thinking on buying some small pancakes to carry around but I've reach the conclusion that a 5D based kit would not be portable and discreet, even without a lens attached it is bulky, so I decided on a different and more appropriate camera for this purpose (E-P1).
hi,
about 85% i do mf rest is AF.
but u need time to get used to it, i did a long way with splitscreen, confirm chip...
but after all i canceld it all.
and it worx well with theee-s screen at the 5D
90% of the time I use manual focus. Of the other 10% I will manually adjust the focus after auto-focusing half of the time.
You will find that manual focus DOES become easier after a little time and is often more accurate. I personally shoot weddings using manual focus almost exclusively, even on my few autofocus lenses, such as the 85/1.8.
It sounds like you are already using some very fast glass so you need to install a high precision focusing screen as the stock screens are only accurate to f2.8, which is why you may not have had great success manual focusing the 35L.
Also note that the focus action on dedicated manual focus lenses is FAR superior in precision and feel to even the best canon lenses.
My personal experience with the Voigtlander 40/2 is that it is very easy to nail focus with a high-precision screen in my 5D. The lens is very contrasty on the focus plane which makes it easy to tell when you've got it right.
It is also quite possibly the sharpest lens I have ever used is very nice mechanically. You won't be disappointed in the IQ of this little thing I promise
Best of luck and I hope you enjoy your experiences when the lens arrives.
I manual focus very often and I have found that I like doing so a lot. It helps with composition and with practice I get fewer out of focus shots and the one's that are out of focus tend to be just a little out of focus and usable for a lot of purposes. When I shoot from a tripod--which I also like to do if I have time--I almost always use live view and manual focus. I also use manual focus if I have a second or more to focus hand held. It is only when I am shooting subjects that are moving quickly that I use autofocus. This is a bit of an over simplification, but for stationary object I try to use a tripod with live view and manual focus, for shot with people moving at normal speed or for stationary objects when I can't use a tripod I shoot handheld with manual focus, but for sports and wildlife shooting I use autofocus.
I ditched my Canon 35/1.4 after spending half an hour with a lighter in the middle of the night trying to find the hyperfocal distance for f8 on their stupid little screen, with their stupid focusing ring with short throw and no infinity stop. In the end I missed the shot entirely, frak this.
cogitech wrote:
Yes. Basically all the time. About 96% of the time, to be more precise.
You need to replace your focusing screen, for starters. Attempting to manually focus with the stock screen is an exercise in futility, as you've already noticed.
Yeah, I'm getting the EE-S screen for my 5D for Christmas and hopefully the 40mm will be available then...
Sr.Cordeiro wrote:
I manual focus almost all the time, but I use live-view for this (I have a 5D MkII). Without live-view I don't think I could do it, unless I invested on focus-confirmation adapters (wich I tried but still prefer live-view manual focusing).
I don't know if the EF Voigtlanders have some king of focus confirmation but sure someone will give you feedback on that.
I haven't tried to manual focus with the 35L, but from my experience, Canon lenses aren't very good for this - the focus ring don't have sufficient weight so it's difficult to focus with precision at high apertures.
Regarding the compact guear, I too was thinking on buying some small pancakes to carry around but I've reach the conclusion that a 5D based kit would not be portable and discreet, even without a lens attached it is bulky, so I decided on a different and more appropriate camera for this purpose (E-P1). ...Show more →
I know the 5D is not small and compact, but it's the only one I've got.
I love the big viewfinder and the 35mm format when using my lenses. All my lenses are more usefull when using FF.
If there would be a good fast and compact +-20mm I could swap to a 1.6 crop, but that's a quest for the next months!
I'm going to look into the focus-confirmation adapters... have not heared from them.
rsrsrs wrote:
hi,
about 85% i do mf rest is AF.
but u need time to get used to it, i did a long way with splitscreen, confirm chip...
but after all i canceld it all.
and it worx well with theee-s screen at the 5D
btw 40mm is for me the essential focal length ...
I love my 35mm, but find 50mm a bit borig. I do think I can manege with a 40mm
Empire wrote:
90% of the time I use manual focus. Of the other 10% I will manually adjust the focus after auto-focusing half of the time.
You will find that manual focus DOES become easier after a little time and is often more accurate. I personally shoot weddings using manual focus almost exclusively, even on my few autofocus lenses, such as the 85/1.8.
It sounds like you are already using some very fast glass so you need to install a high precision focusing screen as the stock screens are only accurate to f2.8, which is why you may not have had great success manual focusing the 35L.
Also note that the focus action on dedicated manual focus lenses is FAR superior in precision and feel to even the best canon lenses.
My personal experience with the Voigtlander 40/2 is that it is very easy to nail focus with a high-precision screen in my 5D. The lens is very contrasty on the focus plane which makes it easy to tell when you've got it right.
It is also quite possibly the sharpest lens I have ever used is very nice mechanically. You won't be disappointed in the IQ of this little thing I promise
Best of luck and I hope you enjoy your experiences when the lens arrives.
Nice to read that the voigtlander will be a nice lens.
Steve Spencer wrote:
I manual focus very often and I have found that I like doing so a lot. It helps with composition and with practice I get fewer out of focus shots and the one's that are out of focus tend to be just a little out of focus and usable for a lot of purposes. When I shoot from a tripod--which I also like to do if I have time--I almost always use live view and manual focus. I also use manual focus if I have a second or more to focus hand held. It is only when I am shooting subjects that are moving quickly that I use autofocus. This is a bit of an over simplification, but for stationary object I try to use a tripod with live view and manual focus, for shot with people moving at normal speed or for stationary objects when I can't use a tripod I shoot handheld with manual focus, but for sports and wildlife shooting I use autofocus....Show more →
I only use tripods when there is no other option... Also I don't have liveview
Now my question: Do you guys (and woman) manual focus all the time?
Or when do you do that?
100% manual focus here for various reasons:
- AF is unreliable and so is the 'focus and recompose' technique
- MF allows me freedom to have my focus target anywhere in the frame
- some shoots require camera to be locked down so AF is not an option
- MF gives me instant shutter response all the time
- MF can be used for predictive focusing of action
- MF makes me think more about the focusing. It's not just point and shoot
- I don't own any AF lenses
Spyro P. wrote:
I ditched my Canon 35/1.4 after spending half an hour with a lighter in the middle of the night trying to find the hyperfocal distance for f8 on their stupid little screen, with their stupid focusing ring with short throw and no infinity stop. In the end I missed the shot entirely, frak this.
I have the same problem with adapted lenses though because I use cheap adapters and because they're too thin actual infinity focus is usually reached somewhere around the 3m marking on most lenses :\
If there would be a good fast and compact +-20mm I could swap to a 1.6 crop, but that's a quest for the next months!
I'm going to look into the focus-confirmation adapters... have not heared from them.
I found that 21mm was possibly the ultimate walk around focal length on a 1.6 body for me.
The Olympus OM 21/2 is about the only fast lens in this range that is also fairly compact. if you can handle a slower lens, the Olympus 21/3.5 is TINY and there is also the voigtlander 20mm which is small and coming out in EF mount.
Be warned that the majority of focus confirm chips are less accurate than auto focus or your eyes.. I havent tried one these adjustable chips though.
I use MF about 70% of the time.
Sometimes I use my Tammy or 100 Macro, get lasy and go AF.
I also like to use LV to MF. I'm used to use a screen to MF since I had a Canon G3
MF 99% of the time. I own an M8 (MF), some Hasselblads (MF), and a Contax 645 AF (MF+AF), and I only use AF on the Contax to get it in the right range, although it is very accurate, if slow. I have drifted towards MF systems when I realized how little I like AF.
Well, not to say 100%, but 99% since I only have one AF lens left and that comes out pretty rarely lately. MF works without problems, I have to blame myself for haunting in low light and I can pull the trigger when I want to, no need to wait for the lens. Depends on what you shoot, I let the 200/2.8 do it's AF work, but that's about it.
Spyro P. wrote:
I ditched my Canon 35/1.4 after spending half an hour with a lighter in the middle of the night trying to find the hyperfocal distance for f8 on their stupid little screen, with their stupid focusing ring with short throw and no infinity stop. In the end I missed the shot entirely, frak this.
Not sure whether to laugh or not.
This reminds me of a conversation I had with a co-worker the other day, who's struggling with shooting from the hip these days. I suggested he stop down a bit and then preset the focus by scale. He pulled out his XSi with 35L attached.
MF around 66% for me, I'll use it when it's available and the right choice but have no issues overriding it.
The 5D's stock screen isn't ideal for MF, but it is usable. I'm doing a fair bit of MF work with a Oly E-30 and a stock screen, which is far worse than the 5D's. It's usable, but takes some practice. The Ee-S is well worth it.
