Can't get any focus!!

[Stephanie Cole]

Hi! I have a Canon rebel T3i with the stock lens. I recently decided to switch from automatic focus to manual focus. The problem is everything is blurry!! I've tried moving the lens to get it to focus but still nothing. Do you think this is something to do with the aperture? Any suggestions would be appreciated!! I'm going to play around tonight and get some pictures of the kids trick or treating and let you know if I figure anything out.

 

[ronlane]

Have you tried adjusting the dioptric on the eyepiece?

 

[Stephanie Cole]

Have you tried adjusting the dioptric on the eyepiece?

Yes! It acted like it was trying to focus but it was still blurry so it didn't help.

 

[Scatterbrained]

You did set the lens to manual focus right?

 

[ronlane]

Put the lens on autofocus and focus on something with writing on it. Then adjust the dioptric until the view finder is crystal clear. Then you can go back to manual focus.

Not sure what you mean by it acted like it was trying to focus but was still blurry.

 

[Stephanie Cole]

You did set the lens to manual focus right?

Yes, it's in manual mode and manual focus.

 

[Stephanie Cole]

Put the lens on autofocus and focus on something with writing on it. Then adjust the dioptric until the view finder is crystal clear. Then you can go back to manual focus.

Not sure what you mean by it acted like it was trying to focus but was still blurry.

I'll try that. What I meant was you could see that it was trying to focus some but not enough to help.

 

[ronlane]

yes, it is a very fine adjustment to focus. To get it sharp, you need to autofocus first and the, once that is done you will be able to turn off the autofocus and do it manually.

 

[KmH]

All lenses have a minimum focus distance.
Any closer than that minimum, the lens cannot focus.

Today's lenses have focus rings that do not readily permit fine or small focus adjustments.

FWIW- A way to help manual focus accuracy is to:
1. Start with the focus point in front of where you want sharpest focus to be.
2. Turn the focus ring so focus gets closer to where you want sharpest focus to be.
3. Go slightly past where you want sharpest focus to be so you 're sure to see that point in focus.
4. Then turn the lens focus ring the other way to return to that point you just saw in sharp focus that is where you want sharpest focus to be.

 

[wfooshee]

As for adjusting the diopter in the viewfinder, use the digital display. Adjust the viewfinder diopter until that's as sharp as possible. Mine is almost at the extreme end of the adjustment.

People who borrow my camera ask me how I can see anything!

But a dSLR viewfinder has NO focusing aids like you used to have with manual-focus cameras, like the split-image rangefinder with the microprism ring. All you're using is the ground glass, and that's just not sharp enough to be more than an estimate of the focus.

Some dSLR's still give focus indication in the viewfinder. I don't know about your Rebel, but my Nikons have a focus-correct light at the bottom left of the viewfinder. You turn the manual focus ring until that is lit, and whatever is under the selected sensor is focused.

I will also say that most kit lenses absolutely suck in manual focus. Think back to an old film SLR with a 50mm lens on it, and remember how far the focus ring turned from one end to the other. (Unless you're some child or something that's never used a manual-focus camera..... ) Compared to that, my 18-55 kit lens only turns about 70 or 80 degrees, which makes it completely useless for fine adjustment.

 

[KmH]

But a dSLR viewfinder has NO focusing aids . . .

Some do.
All Nikon DSLRs for example.
If a lens is mounted that has auto focus electronics in it, or a means to transmit distance information from the lens to the camera (a lens CPU), when used in manual focus mode the camera will illuminate the in-focus indicator in the viewfinder when focus has been achieved at the selected focus point.
Nikon's 'baby' entry-level, or 'compact, DSLRs have a mode known as Rangefinder that uses the scale for the light exposure meter as a manual focusing aid to indicate which way the lens focus ring needs to be turned to achieve focus.

In addition, the focusing screen in many DSLR cameras can be replaced with a 3rd party focusing screen that does have a split-image rangefinder type manual focusing aid.
KatzEye™ Optics - Custom Focusing Screens

 

[Designer]

I recently decided to switch from automatic focus to manual focus.

Why do you want to focus manually?

 

[Braineack]

Hi! I have a Canon rebel T3i with the stock lens. I recently decided to switch from automatic focus to manual focus. The problem is everything is blurry!! I've tried moving the lens to get it to focus but still nothing. Do you think this is something to do with the aperture? Any suggestions would be appreciated!! I'm going to play around tonight and get some pictures of the kids trick or treating and let you know if I figure anything out.

doesn't seem like a good switch...

I'd rather shoot everything automatic if it ensured my images don't turn out useless...

 

[pgriz]

It also depends on what it is that you're focusing on. I use manual focus when I do macro, or want the focus to be placed very precisely (non-moving subjects). Most of the time, the depth-of-field is very thin, and the camera has no way of knowing where I want the focus to fall. So I use the camera's live-view function, while the camera's on a tripod (and usuall a focusing rail).

If I'm not doing macro or have a very thin DOF, then manual focus comes into play when I have things in the foreground which could be confusing for the camera's AF system. Then, it is really important to have the diopter properly adjusted so that I can see the focus. However, as Keith noted, DSLR cameras usually don't have very good focusing aids (such as split-screens, etc.), so you have to be more patient.

I have loaded MagicLantern firmware onto my camera, and can use the focus peaking function as implemented in the live-view display to give me a better idea of where the zone of sharpest focus is falling.

 

[wfooshee]

But a dSLR viewfinder has NO focusing aids . . .

Some do.
All Nikon DSLRs for example.
If a lens is mounted that has auto focus electronics in it, or a means to transmit distance information from the lens to the camera (a lens CPU), when used in manual focus mode the camera will illuminate the in-focus indicator in the viewfinder when focus has been achieved at the selected focus point.
Nikon's 'baby' entry-level, or 'compact, DSLRs have a mode known as Rangefinder that uses the scale for the light exposure meter as a manual focusing aid to indicate which way the lens focus ring needs to be turned to achieve focus.

In addition, the focusing screen in many DSLR cameras can be replaced with a 3rd party focusing screen that does have a split-image rangefinder type manual focusing aid.
KatzEye™ Optics - Custom Focusing Screens

Had you gone past the sentence you quoted, you would have seen the same information you presented about the in-focus indicator. Using the meter scale as a rangefinder is news to me, though; that's not on any of the cameras I've owned.

But the focus indicator is still not as good an indicator as a split-image was back in the day, because you have no clue what the sensor is seeing, like a stalk of grass well in front of a background tree, but also well behind the eye of the bird you're trying to shoot. That grass stalk might present a better contrast to the sensor and show in-focus, when it's a couple of feet behind your subject. That difference will be imperceptible on the ground glass, while a split-image would show it clearly.

I'm thinking of a KatzEye screen for my D7000. It would make my legacy 85-1.8 AI lens MUCH more useful!!!!

Still, I'm liking the question everyone is asking about "Why?"

If the OP is simply looking for control, there's not much point. The AF system is going to be faster and more accurate than manually focusing. The only place I can see that needs it are the macro situations described, Extremely shallow DOF where the sensor covers enough depth to affect the outcome, or using a legacy lens. That last is not the issue with the T3i as Canon's manual-focus lenses don't fit the digitals. Maybe a 3rd-party lens. I know the Rokinon fisheye is manual focus. Other than that, I see no reason to attempt manual focus, especially with nothing but ground glass and an LED dot to use for aid.