Do you autofocus?

vonnagy · Feb 14, 2004

Just curious to see if people use autofocus on SLRs that have that feature. I found my self addicted it initially but now I use manual focus probably 90% percent of the time unless I am doing action shots.

I noticed that either me or the camera screwed up one too many times by focusing on the wrong part of the photo. Since i've started using it less my pics are a heckuva lot more sharper

ceno2000 · Feb 14, 2004

I do when i use my glasses (10%) but the rest is in manual

MDowdey · Feb 14, 2004

i do for now, but im slowly weening myself away from it...

md

abonecronedone · Feb 14, 2004

Depending on the situations, if they are action ones and focus must be done as quick as posible in a moving subject, i will autofocus. Altough sometimes in quick actions also autofucus misses

Dew · Feb 14, 2004

i do half and half ... autofocus about 50% of the time .. manual 50% of the time

if im doing portraits and the subject isnt moving ..manual

if im doing a sneak attack on a moving target .. autofocus

zio · Feb 14, 2004

i do sometimes when i'm at home playing around...when i'm at school we can't use autofocus, so i never do.

what did you guys think of the picture that won the world press photo of the year? the picture of the iraqi prisoner holding his son through razor wire? personally i didn't like it as much as the u.s. army soldier holding the baby iraqi...i think that was a more powerful photo.

doxx · Feb 14, 2004

With my DSLR I use AF 90% of the time, I just use the center sensor though. Focus on my subject and re-compose. The 7 sensor AF doesn't think like I do. :lol:

With my rangefinder all manual of course

Kent Frost · Feb 14, 2004

Considering most of what I do is party photography, I have to use it. Anytime I take pics of anything where I have more control over my subject, then yes....MF it is.

On the DRebel with the party photography, actually, I have to use my 420EX flash because the on-board flash strobes like crazy in the dark to assist with AF. But with the 420EX, it has the red "eye" that projects the crosshairs. At the parties, no one can detect those lights with all the other party lights going crazy. Makes for GREAT candid shots. ;-)

Such as....

oriecat · Feb 14, 2004

Because I wear glasses and don't entire trust my own vision, I usually AF. But I am careful to make sure that it is focusing on what I want it to focus on. Sometimes I will turn it off because the light is too low and it won't focus or it's just being finicky and not focusing how I want it...

steve817 · Feb 14, 2004

I have eye controlled focus on my camera that works pretty well for me. I use autofocus about 90% of the time.

vonnagy · Feb 14, 2004

I do when i use my glasses (10%) but the rest is in manual

Because I wear glasses and don't entire trust my own vision, I usually AF

yeah, was the same before my surgery i felt i had to trust the camera more because i would trust my eyes.

Most of my photography is landscape/outdoors at the moment, but i see now how certain situations the AF is a lifesaver.

Kewl pic by the way, Kent!

what did you guys think of the picture that won the world press photo of the year? the picture of the iraqi prisoner holding his son through razor wire? personally i didn't like it as much as the u.s. army soldier holding the baby iraqi...i think that was a more powerful photo.

I am not familar with either photo, maybe you can upload them in the post gallery with a poll

ksmattfish · Feb 14, 2004

I use auto-focus when I'm using a camera designed with AF in mind, and I use manual focus when I use a manual focus camera.

My personal experience with recent model 35mm AF SLRs is that the AF is very good, and as long as the photographer learns to use the AF lock there shouldn't be any problems. Also, I personally like using focusing aids such as beaded-rings and split-rings; I sometimes have problems manually focusing my 35mm AF SLR.

My favorite cameras to focus with are the ones with a ground glass to focus on: P67II, Rollei TLR, field cameras, and view cameras. There is nothing like composing and focusing on a viewscreen as big as the film.

graigdavis · Feb 16, 2004

My manual focus is pretty much automatic focus. When you manual focus it lets you know with arrows which way to focus and a red light when its on focus. Its pretty cool really. But whats the point. Might as well AF.

Also. my manual focus doesnt react fast enough. Its not geared manual focus. If im taking pictures of a fixed object Ill usualy manual focus on it.