Manual Focus

Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
Can any of you D7100 users give me some tips on manual focus with my camera please?

I have found great articles etc on using the auto focus but I am now trying to manually focus all the time, and am finding that the focus point gets in the way of good vision for focusing. How do the rest of you do it?
 
J

Jonathan

Senior Member
Or, alternatively, set the switch on the left-hand side of your Nikon lens to manual. It's all in the manual.

When I'm doing it I used to use the lens switch (hangover from my D3100 days) but now I'm training myself to use the rocker on the body (and, slowly, other great switches and dials).
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
BackdoorHippie said:
If you set the camera to manual (switch by the lens mount) the autofocus point should disappear.
Click to expand...

Mine doesn't. I have both body and lens switches to manual. I can still move the focal point around the screen.


And the manual....as useless as tits on a bull IMHO :D
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
Jonathan said:
Is it actually doing anything other than moving around the screen? Is it having an impact on your focus?
Click to expand...

Doesn't seem to other than make it harder for me to see if distant objects are in focus when I am moving towards infinity. If yours disappears completely, how do you determine what is in focus or do you then just pick an item in view that you want the focus to be on? I guess I am just so used to putting my focal point over the object I am focusing on. Maybe I should do some test shots and see if I can focus on an item AWAY from that focal point in manual
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
So.....I did a quick trial and put the focal point out to the extremity of the screen, and focused on an object at the other extremity and it seems OK. Guess I will try it out in the field and see what happens. I just thought it was normal that it was there still. I don't mind that it's not meant to be, I just wanted to know if you were still supposed ti use it assuming it WAS meant to be :D
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
FredKingston said:
Manual focus is the only mode I use Live View in... from a tripod, and I zoom in as much as I can with the little magnifier button...
Click to expand...

I can see how that would be useful but I do most of my stuff handheld. I only use the tripod for long exposure stuff, mostly because it's a pain lumbering it around everywhere.
 
J

Jonathan

Senior Member
Vixen said:
Doesn't seem to other than make it harder for me to see if distant objects are in focus when I am moving towards infinity. If yours disappears completely, how do you determine what is in focus or do you then just pick an item in view that you want the focus to be on? I guess I am just so used to putting my focal point over the object I am focusing on. Maybe I should do some test shots and see if I can focus on an item AWAY from that focal point in manual
Click to expand...

In manual my own eye judges where and if my focus sits. I don't use the autofocus guide. Maybe I should!
 
Y

yauman

Senior Member
Trying to manual focus with any of the new autofocus cameras and lenses is a lot more difficult than the old manual focus only days.

1. Autofocus lenses when used in the manual focus mode have very short rotational travel on their focus ring. Like on my Tamron 60mm, focusing from infinity to 1.5ft is less than 60 deg rotation - that's from 12 to 2 on the clock. Try manual focusing in any but bright scenes is a challenge for this old pair of eyes! My old manual focus Rokkor Minolta 200mm focusing from infinity to 3ft requires a 300 deg rotation of the focus ring (that 12noon to 10 clockwise on the clock face). Now that fine focusing!

2. The viewfinder no longer have any focus aids like the split screen or the magnified grain spot. So you'll have to have at least one good eye! Make sure you have the diopter setting on your eye piece correct. Someone sells a split focus retrofit for the D7100 and now that I'm doing more product photography, I'm thinking of getting one - waiting for my D7100 warranty to expire before I take it apart!

Having said all that, I think the D7100 does a very good job with auto focus on all the lenses I have for it. I do model shoots (at f4 or f5.6 DOF with 35mm to about 70mm lenses) and when I compare auto and manual, I don't think I can do better. I think definitely for close up macro work, manual focus would be the way to go.
 
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Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
yauman said:
Trying to manual focus with any of the new autofocus cameras and lenses is a lot more difficult that the old manual focus only days.

1. Autofocus lenses when used in the manual focus mode have very short rotational travel on their focus ring. Like on my Tamron 60mm, focusing from infinity to 1.5ft is less than 60 deg rotation - that's from 12 to 2 on the clock. Try manual focusing in any but bright scenes is a challenge for this old pair of eyes! My old manual focus Rokkor Minolta 200mm focusing from infinity to 3ft requires a 300 deg rotation of the focus ring (that 12noon to 10 clockwise on the clock face). Now that fine focusing!

2. The viewfinder no longer have any focus aids like the split screen or the magnified grain spot. So you'll have to have at least one good eye! Make sure you have the diopter setting on your eye piece correct. Someone sells a split focus retrofit for the D7100 and now that I'm doing more product photography, I'm thinking of getting one - waiting for my D7100 warranty to expire before I take it apart!

Having said all that, I think the D7100 does a very good job with auto focus on all the lenses I have for it. I do model shoots (at f4 or f5.6 DOF with 35mm to about 70mm lenses) and when I compare auto and manual, I don't think I can do better. I think definitely for close up macro work, manual focus would be the way to go.
Click to expand...

Totally agree with all you say here. I loved the split focus screen on my on Konica SLR. Made focusing easy, but then my eyes were also quite a bit younger :D Auto focus and macro is a waste of time for me.....manual focus is so much easier and less work for the poor camera :D
 
R

rhubarb

Senior Member
Vixen, when I was reading today on my NEW camera (finally arrived) it said to set manual on EITHER the lens or the camera ..... NOT on both ..... hope this helps :)
 
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bigal1000

Senior Member
Vixen said:
Can any of you D7100 users give me some tips on manual focus with my camera please?

I have found great articles etc on using the auto focus but I am now trying to manually focus all the time, and am finding that the focus point gets in the way of good vision for focusing. How do the rest of you do it?
Click to expand...

Best of luck to you if you can do it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
rhubarb said:
Vixen, when I was reading today on my NEW camera (finally arrived) it said to set manual on EITHER the lens or the camera ..... NOT on both ..... hope this helps :)
Click to expand...

OK...that is interesting. I wonder why? I think I have had both turned off. Thanks :D

Just looked in my book rhubarb and cannot see where it says that. Where did you read it please?

It does say (on page 78) for AF-S lenses (which mine all are) NOT to have the body on manual and the lens on AF, otherwise you risk damaging the autofocus motor in the lens ;)
 
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G

gqtuazon

Gear Head
FredKingston said:
Manual focus is the only mode I use Live View in... from a tripod, and I zoom in as much as I can with the little magnifier button...
Click to expand...

For best results and if you are not in a hurry, this is what i do.

If I need to shoot without a tripod, I rely on the green dot and view finder and bump up the SS.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
R

rhubarb

Senior Member
[h=4]Manual Focus[/h]There are times when manually focusing will be better than using AF. Switch the Focus Mode Selector switch from AF to M to select manual focus. Some lenses have switches too, you only need to change on the DSLR or lens – not both. If your lens has M/A and M markings then it has “full time manual focus” – which means you can manually override the AF any time - using the focus ring.
Situations where manual focus is better include for example; macro (depth of field is extremely narrow & focus point paramount), portraits (eyes must be in perfect focus), shooting through glass/wire, panning (best to pre-focus on the “shoot-point” to avoid focus lag), and low-light(when focusing is challenging & the camera may continually seek).
To enable manual focus, switch either the selector on the DSLR or the selector on the lens to M. You don’t need to put both into M.

To enable autofocus you need both switches to be set to A (or M/A if you have that).

Autofocus Guide | Everything D7100/D7000
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
rhubarb said:
Manual Focus

There are times when manually focusing will be better than using AF. Switch the Focus Mode Selector switch from AF to M to select manual focus. Some lenses have switches too, you only need to change on the DSLR or lens – not both. If your lens has M/A and M markings then it has “full time manual focus” – which means you can manually override the AF any time - using the focus ring.
Situations where manual focus is better include for example; macro (depth of field is extremely narrow & focus point paramount), portraits (eyes must be in perfect focus), shooting through glass/wire, panning (best to pre-focus on the “shoot-point” to avoid focus lag), and low-light(when focusing is challenging & the camera may continually seek).
To enable manual focus, switch either the selector on the DSLR or the selector on the lens to M. You don’t need to put both into M.

To enable autofocus you need both switches to be set to A (or M/A if you have that).

Autofocus Guide | Everything D7100/D7000
Click to expand...

Ah....I assumed you were reading your manual rhubarb :D

While you don't need both to be switched, just be sure if you have AF-S lenses you have them CORRECTLY switched or you'll risk wrecking your lenses. So if that quote is from wherever you read it they are not 100% correct I would say.

But I have mine both in M at the moment so I don't make the mistake of switching incorrectly and ruining the motor in the lenses. It doesn't seem to make a difference to have both at M.

For some reason today, something clicked in my brain and I found the manual focussing so much easier. It's only taken 2 1/2 months :D
 
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