Your manual focusing experience

[Phillip Reeve]

I would be interested in your manual focus experience, here is mine:

 

When I bough a used Nex-3 for 130 Euros more than 3 years ago I would have never thought how much this would impact my photography. I had discovered the world of manual lenses.

• I soon found that I enjoyed the manual process a lot more than using AF on my Canon 550d DSLR which had cost much more than my Nex-3 and some manual lenses.  
• The technical quality of my images improved as well because my old Minolta primes were better than my Canon kit lens.
• And in that phase my photography improved faster than ever before. I think the manual process was the driving force behind that because I had more fun and I had to be more aware of what I did, I couldn't rely on the camera.

My Nex-3 was quickly replaced with a Nex-5n, a very nice camera I still use today.
 
Here are some images from the Nex-3 and 5n:
 
 

 

 

I bought quite a few lenses, my most used ones at the time were:

• Voigtländer 4.5/15: Super compact lens with very nice rendering
• Zeiss Biogon G 2.8/28: Awesome lens and very compact lens
• Zeiss Planar 2/45: Small, super contrasty and sharp
• Minolta MD 2.8/135: A good lens with nice bokeh, but not as good as the others

After about 1 year I ,more or less retired my Nex-5n and bough a Nex-6n. The added controls and EVF were nice but in retrospective I think the 5n was the nicer camera. I tried several native lenses and came to like the 1.8/50 OSS and I also used a Sigma 2.8/19 and manual lenses fell a bit out of favor with me.

 

Then in Oktober 2013 The Alpha 7 was announced and I preordered one immediately because I really liked the look my Minolta MC Rokkor 1.2/58 gave me on a friend Canon 5dII. Before the announcement I was very close to buying a used 5d just for my 1.2/58. 
After waiting for it for a month the a7 arrived and my manual lenses performed so much better on this camera than on my Nex-6, the lower pixel density favored many lenses and my love for manual lenses was rekindled. Since then I have grown my collection of manual lenses quite a bit with beauties like the Canon FD 4/300 L:
Bald Eagle #explored by Phillip Reeve, on Flickr

 

or the Tokina 2.5/90 Macro:

green snake #explored by Phillip Reeve, on Flickr

 

but I also enjoy very cheap lenses like the Minolta MD 2.8/35

lake district by Phillip Reeve, on Flickr

 

Right now I am exploring Minolta MC/MD lenses and try to extend my list of Minolta lenses:

backlit leave by Phillip Reeve, on Flickr

 

So, whats your experience?

[Cojo]

All great shots!

I'm picking up 3 minolta lenses in a couple days for $40... can't wait to try them out.

[JimmyD]

Agree, nice shots Phillip.

 

And Cojo, if you have a good adapter, you will likely enjoy your Minolta lenses.  Let us know!

 

I started out 40 years ago with Nikon manual focus cameras and lenses.  Tried lots of stuff over the years.  As of March of 2014 I was a Canon "L" lens autofocus and Leica (film and digital) manual focus shooter.  Then came my A7R in April 2014.  Gone is the nice but beastly Canon cameras and glass and the Leica digital camera.  What remains is my Leica M7, 50mm f/2 and Zeiss ZM 85mm f/4, and now I also have an A7R, A7II with Zeiss/Sony autofocus glass, the manual focus Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2, and several legacy manual focus lenses, including Minolta 58mm f/1.2, Nikon 28m  f/2.8, Nikon 105mm f/2.5, Olympus 24mm f/2.8 and 135mm f/3.5.

 

The answer to Phillips original question is that, for me, it is simply way more pleasurable to shoot manual focus.  And I like the results better.  For me, subject matter, composition, focus is all "clearer" with manual focus.

[Cojo]

JimmyD any suggestions on which adapter...

 

getting the following:

 

28mm f2.8 Celtic

Rokkor-X f2 50mm

70-150mm 3.8 Vivitar

 

As well as a Minolta SRT100 Camera.

[JimmyD]

I am a fan of the expensive Novoflex adapters, having had the best results with them for Leica, Nikon, Minolta and Olympus lenses (although the Voigtlander close focus adapter works great for Leica, Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses, but this is an expensive adapter as well.  

 

I have tried cheaper adapters for Nikon and Olympus and have had problems with them, so I went straight to Novoflex when I got my Minolta 58mm f/1.2.  

 

Perhaps Phillip or someone else has had good luck with other adapters for Minolta? 

[iul]

Phillip, as one can see in the nice shots that you presented, manual focus always goes with calmness. As it is the case with a painter, there is no need to hurry when creating a peace of art - in many cases. Of course, if you want to capture things happening fast, like approaching race cars, soccer players or striking predators in wildlife, the limits are obvious. I love to pick the best of both worlds, AF for wilflife and sports, MF for portrait, macro and landscape. I agree that the old legacy lenses are great for MF, especially since EVF, focus peaking and magnifier do exist. There is still space for improvement, like with the new Loxia lenses, where the magnifier in the EVF comes into operation as soon as you touch the focus ring. I like that concept despite some teething problems very much and look forward EVFs with higher resolution and further improved focus peaking algorithms.

[Phillip Reeve]

I am a fan of the expensive Novoflex adapters, having had the best results with them for Leica, Nikon, Minolta and Olympus lenses (although the Voigtlander close focus adapter works great for Leica, Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses, but this is an expensive adapter as well.  

 

I have tried cheaper adapters for Nikon and Olympus and have had problems with them, so I went straight to Novoflex when I got my Minolta 58mm f/1.2.  

 

Perhaps Phillip or someone else has had good luck with other adapters for Minolta?

I have been using only cheap adapters for my Minolta lenses and they work okay. But I bought a Novoflex Canon FD Adapter (initially only to write a review but in the end I kept it) and since then I new that it fits a little better and that it will last longer so last week I ordered a Novoflex Minolta adapter which should arrive today.

For a beginner I would still recommend a cheap adapter but if you plan to use more expensive lenses or if you want to use you lenses a lot I would recommend the expensive Novoflex adapter.

 

Phillip, as one can see in the nice shots that you presented, manual focus always goes with calmness. As it is the case with a painter, there is no need to hurry when creating a peace of art - in many cases. Of course, if you want to capture things happening fast, like approaching race cars, soccer players or striking predators in wildlife, the limits are obvious. I love to pick the best of both worlds, AF for wilflife and sports, MF for portrait, macro and landscape. I agree that the old legacy lenses are great for MF, especially since EVF, focus peaking and magnifier do exist. There is still space for improvement, like with the new Loxia lenses, where the magnifier in the EVF comes into operation as soon as you touch the focus ring. I like that concept despite some teething problems very much and look forward EVFs with higher resolution and further improved focus peaking algorithms.

well put. I sometime borrow a friends 5dII to shoot events (once or twice a year) but the rest of the time I enjoy my manual lenses.

 

A bigger and higher resolution EVF would be exciting, do you think we will see it in Sony's next flagship model? I think other manufacturers like Fuji have bigger EVFs with the same resolution.

 

I think the concept of the Loxias is great. I would have welcomed it if they had used more modern designs (FE1.8/55 in a Loxias housing would be awesome) but the concept is great. Maybe I should ask Zeiss for a loaner to give it a try.

[Guest PenGun]

I have been using only cheap adapters for my Minolta lenses and they work okay. But I bought a Novoflex Canon FD Adapter (initially only to write a review but in the end I kept it) and since then I new that it fits a little better and that it will last longer so last week I ordered a Novoflex Minolta adapter which should arrive today.

For a beginner I would still recommend a cheap adapter but if you plan to use more expensive lenses or if you want to use you lenses a lot I would recommend the expensive Novoflex adapter.

 

well put. I sometime borrow a friends 5dII to shoot events (once or twice a year) but the rest of the time I enjoy my manual lenses.

 

A bigger and higher resolution EVF would be exciting, do you think we will see it in Sony's next flagship model? I think other manufacturers like Fuji have bigger EVFs with the same resolution.

 

I think the concept of the Loxias is great. I would have welcomed it if they had used more modern designs (FE1.8/55 in a Loxias housing would be awesome) but the concept is great. Maybe I should ask Zeiss for a loaner to give it a try.

 I hook up my Sony Experia Z Ultra to the camera for a 6.2" display. It's only HD but still the large image is nice.

 

 I have had very good luck with Metabones adapters. They are so consistent that my Sony E-M adapter focuses my Leica Elmar 135 4 to precisly the same point as my Fuji X-M adapter.

[Vivek]

My experience starts (positively) with the first liveview cam, the Panasonic G1.  Absolutely wonderful. 

 

It went down the drain with the crappy NEX-5 (that I dumped after a while) with its shotgun shutter.

 

It was better with the NEX-7, NEX-5n and the NEX-6, Took a hit again with the A7r.  Better with the A7 and has been just WONDERFUL with the A7s.

 

If anyone tries the A7s then they will realise hoiw clunky the A7r sounds and feels like.

 

I overlooked the A7 II and am looking for something better from Sony.

 

I am not too upset being a beta tester for the "alpha", however, I do expect Sony to do better with their sensors and cameras in the future.

 

For Sony there is no point in being the "largest" sensor makers in the world and churn out shit.

 

Oh, all the hundreds of manual fous lenses I have/use are far better than the Zeiss labelled, overpriced junk that comes from Sony.

[addicted2light]

In this I cannot help much: even at times when my set-up was exclusively made of AF lenses (basically when I shot on Nikon, film first and then digital) I hated using AF.

 

Simply put, until they make the system "psychic" (capable of knowing my intentions) I'm much faster just focusing manually. Besides, the process of having to actually think where to focus, how much I want in focus etc. keeps my keeper rate way higher than when I just use the "af start" button.

 

But hey, that's just me, and first I don't shoot fast action or sport, and second I grow up using manual lenses and used them for everything, soccer matches included, so my brain is wired this way.

 

That being said, I think is the same that happens when you shoot large format (I used to shoot on a gorgeous Linhof 13x18cm / 5x7"...): slowing down forces you to think, and this is usually just better for your pictures.

 

And focusing with constant live view beats squinting to see what's happening on a dim focusing screen 10000000 times to 1!

[Cheatah]

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I have over 45 years of manual focusing experiences! I still enjoy it very much with a number of my excellent C/Y Zeiss glasses, and especially with SONY's peaking mode, which is a big help!

 

All images are shot with an 30 year old SOLIGOR 60-300mm manually hand held with 300mm f/8, ISO 400.

[Steve C]

Most of my experience is manual focus. Once it was a split image and micro prism, now it's Sony's outstanding focus peaking (red for me) alongside the magnified view (C1 button).

It's just so easy.

[Guest PenGun]

Most of my experience is manual focus. Once it was a split image and micro prism, now it's Sony's outstanding focus peaking (red for me) alongside the magnified view (C1 button).

It's just so easy.

 I used focus peaking with my X-E1 but I find just zooming in is all I need with my a7R. 

[gr1]

Kind of the opposite experience here. I shoot street photography and photojournalism on a Sony A7 -- I realized that it was just really hard to get a very sharp image using manual focus in situations requiring fast reflexes. 

 

I've sold most of my legacy lenses and have used the cash to get FE lenses.

[addicted2light]

Kind of the opposite experience here. I shoot street photography and photojournalism on a Sony A7 -- I realized that it was just really hard to get a very sharp image using manual focus in situations requiring fast reflexes. 

 

I've sold most of my legacy lenses and have used the cash to get FE lenses.

 

I guess it's all subjective. I sold (almost all) my AF lenses while I was still a Canon shooter for the exact same reason, because I am much faster focusing on what I want than not having to choose every time the correct af sensor or focus and recompose. To these days, I keep just one af lens just for the rare occasions in which I'm forced to shoot one-handed or "blind" with a remote (camera connected to a moving vehicle etc.).

 

Obviously this may have something to do with the fact that since I was a kid till my late teens I shot exclusively with manual focus cameras.

[Guest PenGun]

Kind of the opposite experience here. I shoot street photography and photojournalism on a Sony A7 -- I realized that it was just really hard to get a very sharp image using manual focus in situations requiring fast reflexes. 

 

I've sold most of my legacy lenses and have used the cash to get FE lenses.

 When I did that kind of thing, long ago, we just focused at a useful distance and moved the damn camera. It's a very fast method, within a small range.

[Vivek]

Kind of the opposite experience here. I shoot street photography and photojournalism on a Sony A7 -- I realized that it was just really hard to get a very sharp image using manual focus in situations requiring fast reflexes. 

 

I've sold most of my legacy lenses and have used the cash to get FE lenses.

Sorry to hear that!

 

If the reflexes are slower than the current Sony AF, it is very sad.

[Guest PenGun]

Sorry to hear that!

 

If the reflexes are slower than the current Sony AF, it is very sad.

 A zinger every time.

[Vivek]

 A zinger every time.

Your problem is?

 

 

 When I did that kind of thing, long ago, we just focused at a useful distance and moved the damn camera. It's a very fast method, within a small range.

 

OK, got it.

 

It may not be too long before i would think that way as well.  It is a fact of life.

 

In the meantime, to help reminisce your good old (or young) days, here is a snap from a clunky, unholdable NEX-C3 from yesterday.

 

Untitled by Vivek Iyer, on Flickr

Hacked NEX-C3, Zeiss Tessar 3cm f/2.8, Infrared capture

 

[AxelRivera]

I have been shooting MF with the A7 and A6000 now and I really enjoy the results that I can get. For fast action events could be a little tricky but for portraits, landscape and some sports like skateboarding that requires anticipation is so nice. Here are a few shots with MF Lenses. Actually I have like 10 or more. Sears(pk), Minolta(MD), Canon (FD) Makinon(FD), Samyang(canon ef), M42.

 

I am using cheap adapters from ebay, if you can handle with care and check that the screws are tight periodically you will have no problems at all.

 

Canon FD

 

 

Samyang 85mm

 

 

Samyang 85mm

 

 

MD Rokkor 50mm

 

Samyang 85mm

[corinthian]

Hi Phillip, this post brought a smile to my face for a number of reasons: firstly because your photos are wonderful, and secondly because we seem to have a few items of kit in common. I'm still happily using my 5N (the sensor isn't getting any worse, although the AF feels like it is!), and the Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 is probably my most-used lens. I'm glad you mentioned the Sigma 24mm Super Wide II, as I have held onto mine from my Nikon film days, and it's still a cracking lens on digital (the Sigma 28mm Mini Wide II didn't hold up so well, unfortunately).

 

As to your question, the only time I break out an AF lens is for small children and animals. Everything else I shoot with MF lenses, and enjoy it thoroughly. I still shoot a bit of B&W film from time to time, and I'm just as fast focussing on the NEX as I am with my Nikons and Leicaflexes. I do miss focus, or miss entire shots, but then again it happens to me with AF sometimes as well so I don't worry too much.

[Golem]

Maybe I'd put more trust in AF if it was smarter.  

  

` 

[Phillip Reeve]

Maybe I'd put more trust in AF if it was smarter.  

  

`

 

hehe, good point!

[Philber]

Interesting, because it brings back memories. My NEX 5 was my go-everywhere camera, and back-up for my Canon 5D II. Then came the 5N, and, with Zeiss prime lenses, the IQ became serious, and I got hooked to the small size, in-viewfinder magnification and tilt LCD. Once I got the NEX 7, I found the IQ superior to anything Canon had to offer, and went 100% mirrorless. Now on A7R, waiting for the new one. And, non, I don't do kids, dogs and birds, so it is 100% MF.

[dixeyk]

I went from Canon DSLR when I used to do product photography to Olymopus DSLR, to m43, NEX, Fuji and now back to NEX with a 5T. I started in with adapted lenses with my Olympus E-510 (an OM 50/1.8 silver nose) and ditched native lenses netirely when I giot my first NEX (a C3 and then later a 5n). My experience has been that with focus peaking I am able to manually focus quickly with a very high degree of accuracy. I also found that shooitng manual focus forces me to be more mindful of what I am shooitng and I think has improved my ability to see the world and how what I am looking at will translate to an image.

 

Intrestingly, over the past seversl months I have been shooting a Fuji XE1 and it does not do nearly as well with adapted lenses as my 5T does. Then I picked up the much admired Fuji XF35/1.4 and it is defintely lives up to the hype but sold it because there is something about shooting with my adapted glass (mostly Minolta MC and MD) that I have yet to find in any bit of native glass I have ever had.