Using manual focus on digital nikon?

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kestral

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Does anyone use manual focus lenses on digital Nikon cameras ? if so do they focus easier/more accurately than their auto focus examples?
 
They focus just the same. It just takes a bit of getting used to.
I don't find it a big deal as I started off with manual focus many, many years ago...

In some ways it is easier. You focus on what you want to and then recompose the shot. No buttons to press to hold focus.
I'm more interested in landscape so it suits me.
Sport photography has it's own techniques. But years ago photographers managed just fine.
 
kestral said:
Does anyone use manual focus lenses on digital Nikon cameras ? if so do they focus easier/more accurately than their auto focus examples?
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I've tried manual focus on my Canon DSLR's and I'd guess it's the same with Nikon... Modern DSLR's are built for AF and I don't find manual focus easy unless the subject is big in the frame as if not you have no focus aid, not with standard focus screens anyway. You can zone focus or hyperfocal but when not doing those and focusing on something specific I wouldn't expect great accuracy when focusing through the VF on anything that isn't big in the frame.

If it's that you want to use some legacy lenses personally I think you'd be better served by grabbing a cheap second hand compact system camera and using the magnified view or focus peaking. Manual focusing with these cameras is easy for static subjects at least but personally after giving MF a go with my DSLR's I never bothered again for anything other than macro, close up and hyperfocal type shooting. You can get CSC for under £100 these days and adapters are from £5.

You can get AF confirmation adapters for DSLR's and although YMMV I've read that they're not very accurate, DoF may cover the misses though and if you only look at and print small images you may not spot that focus isn't dead on. Take a closer look and as I said, I wouldn't expect a high hit rate when manually focusing non macro, non hyperfocal, non zone or stuff that isn't big in the frame.
 
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Old manual SLRs had significantly brighter focus screens and usually also had some sort of focussing aid on the screen too, either a split screen or microprisms. Modern DSLRs (and FSLRs!) lack the focus aids as standard, although there may be aftermarket screens available (KatzEye). IIRC, Nikon AF bodies will still confirm focus without a special adaptor for MF lenses - the green dot will show when the AF system detects that the subject is in focus (Canon need a chipped adaptor for this to work.)

If you have a large selection of legacy lenses, it may be worth changing the screen, otherwise, I think I would change the lenses for AF ones!
 
I have some pre AI lenses for my Nikon F which I also use on a D3200. No problem focusing for me.


Steve.
 
I've tried manual focus on my Nikon DSLRs and can't get consistently good results. My eyesight isn't what it used to be and the dark viewfinder/lack of split screen makes nailing focus difficult.

I don't find the green focus confirmation dot in the viewfinder much help either.

I have tried KatzEye screens but they tend to make the viewfinder even darker and obscure the image when auto focussing. Guess you can't have your cake and eat it :-)

By comparison, I can MF with my film SLR without any problem at all.
 
Bristolian said:
I've tried manual focus on my Nikon DSLRs and can't get consistently good results. My eyesight isn't what it used to be and the dark viewfinder/lack of split screen makes nailing focus difficult.

I don't find the green focus confirmation dot in the viewfinder much help either.

I have tried KatzEye screens but they tend to make the viewfinder even darker and obscure the image when auto focussing. Guess you can't have your cake and eat it :)

By comparison, I can MF with my film SLR without any problem at all.
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I think this was is the answer I was looking for.I was thinking of buying a fast manual focus lens to try on the Nikon d7100 to see if it was easier/more accurate than trying to manually focus with auto focus lenses.It seems to be down to the design of DSLR's that have made manual focusing difficult rather than the lenses themselves.
 
Possibly a combination of lenses and bodies. AF lenses generally have a shorter throw between MFD and infinity so fine adjustments are harder. The shallow DoF on very fast lenses makes MF harder as well - played with a 50/1.2 a few years ago and it was all but impossible (for me!)
 
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