Shooting Manual focus.

AnimalRights

If I add my 1.4 extender to my 100-400L I obviously lose my AF and only realised I've barely ever used manual focus.
Are their any tips/secrets to shooting this way, the few times I've dabbled in manual I've got lazy and gone back to AF.

oshead

Looks like you're gonna have to go out and buy a 1D mk.x to use that combination. Can't wait to see the photos...

challengemaster

Wait, why would you possibly be wanting to shoot at 560mm FF / 728mm 1.3x crop / 896mm 1.6x crop @ f/8 for?

AnCatDubh

Manual focus tips anyone????

Personally, I'm only getting to grips with it and I'm finding it occasionally infuriating when I'm used to auto-focus laziness (which btw i find can occasionally mis-focus). I've a couple of manual focus lens and i want to use them - more importantly I want to know how to use them and be confident with them. So, sorry - i'm not much use but i'm dead keen to see what others will contribute on the subject.

ThOnda

Increase Aperture. I hardly see in the viewfinder what is sharp so the AF is the only way. Unfortunately.

5uspect

Was at a talk by an Irish Photojournalist. As well as near total total Ludditism she swore by manual focusing. It really seems to be down to practice.

A big bright viewfinder as in the id is always a help and is good eyesight!

DaireQuinlan

ThOnda wrote: »

I hardly see in the viewfinder what is sharp so the AF is the only way. Unfortunately.

Ditto on this, I had no AF for ages, I had a split screen/microprism screen in my FE-2 (I presume you can get ones for the canon) and never mis-focused on stuff that I had time to focus on. Its fast focusing on moving objects thats the PITA.

Then I got an F4 which has (fairly rudimentary) AF and one of those AF green/red light indicators. Never really trusted it, so I eventually got a split screen for the F4 for my MF nikons. The AF indication is a good deal more lenient than the split screen. Just on the plain screen though its next to impossible to focus well.

Your problem is that you'll be trying to MF a f/5.6->f/8. Thats going to be dim at the very least, and split screen focusing aids will be useless. Is there any focus confirmation at least ?

AnimalRights

AnCatDubh wrote: »

So, sorry - i'm not much use but i'm dead keen to see what others will contribute on the subject.

I was going to say that you were more use then CM but then again he did give me the exact distances for both my FF and 1.6 crop I'll be getting!

You can never have enough reach IMO.....

Covey

Swap it for a 300mm f4 and keep the autofocus

Seriously:

Even if you do use a converter, you will not lose AF if you tape the three connector pins on the extender that transmit the info. Depending on the camera, the AF works or works but is slow.

AnimalRights

It's not all to do with the 100-400L, I am/was curious about MF.

Covey

I was on about the 100-400

Manual Focus.. you twist the focus ring until it's in focus. Whats to learn


TIP - make sure your "diopter" (is that the word?) is set exactly right for your eyesight.

AnimalRights

No I meant the switch on any lens you get AF/MF

Covey

not switch the switch .. tape the three connector pins on the extender :eek::P:P;)

Borderfox

Use liveview and magnify the view and focus then?

sheesh

All I can add is what I heard
last year some people on here were doing macro shots of insects in flight (hold on I'm getting to it) the had to put their macro lenses on Manual focus as the AF could not keep up so basically the got it there or there abouts then took loads of pics while edging the manual focus aorund the supposed correct focus.

So Take loads of images while twiddling with the focus ring.

oh and bring loads of batteries and memory cards

AnimalRights

Think I'll stick to the live view mode way. :P