Is Manual Focus all that bad?

[dan.rpo]

I made a post yesterday about looking into Nikons new 35mm f/1.8 AF-s DX lens, but EVERYONE is sold out!

Nikon makes other prime lenses, like the 50mm 1.8 AF for example, which are so cheap! However, I have a D40 and this lens for example will not auto focus on my lens....i am traveling for a month in europe this summer, will the manual focus be too much of a hassle for me? i never really use MF, but is it a pain or what?

 

[benhasajeep]

Unfortunately on a D40 there is no metering with MF lenses. If you can get an older AF lens you can MF it with camera metering. With older AF lenses you will get all modes and focus confirmation. Just no AF.

 

[newrmdmike]

how does that work? why can't it give a avg meter at least?

 

[dan.rpo]

jeep...i wouldnt be buying a MF only lens, like the one i mentioned, 50mm 1.8 AF...it is an autofocus lens, but it wont auto focus on the D40 b.c there is no internal motor.

what lenses would i be looking at that MF WITH metering?

 

[Overread]

The downside to relying on manual focusing with a DSLR is that the digital cameras are made with AF in mind as the main form of focusing. The viewfinder images tend to be smaller and darker than they are on the traditional SLRs which did not have AF and there are no focusing aids either like split screens and such. That can make it very tricky to find where the focus is in a shot, especailly if your working wide open (at max aperture and thus small depth of field) or in a darker location.

Its usable, but its not easy and you might find many shots come out just out of focus.

 

[benhasajeep]

jeep...i wouldnt be buying a MF only lens, like the one i mentioned, 50mm 1.8 AF...it is an autofocus lens, but it wont auto focus on the D40 b.c there is no internal motor.

what lenses would i be looking at that MF WITH metering?

I missed the AF on the 50mm 1.8 part.

With the 50 f/1.8 AF or f/1.4 you will get all functions but AF. You will get the focus confirmation light. Although the D40 doesn't have the split focusing screen. I think in decent light MF will not be an issue. I use mf lenses all the time on my D300's. If the view finder is dimmer on the D40 or not I don't know. I don't think it will be that big of an issue if you can't find a decent lens with built in motor in time.

AI-P MF (MF lenses with chips) lenses will give you metering except 3d matrix.

 

[Garbz]

You can use the focus light as a focusing aid in the viewfinder, and god you do need it. The modern viewfinder is a tiny pathetic thing compared to the wonderfully large viewfinders of the 80s. They are definitely designed for AF rather than MF.