Manual focus rings

[dklod]

I think I have the terminology correct. I have a Panasonic FZ7 which I really enjoy using. Im in the process of expanding its capabilities with wide angle, 3x tele lenses and a few filters. Its got a great 12x optical zoom but when zoomed all the way in, some objects dont turn out as clear and sharp as I would like. I hope I am barking up the right tree here, but is the auto focus not working properly or is this something you would expect?? It has a built in manual focus but it seems to also be neither here nor there. Im hoping that a manual focus ring can be attached to the 52mm threads that the camera has which will also make like easier for objects that are moving closer or away from me as I shoot. any suggestions??

 

[RyanLilly]

No, A focus ring cannot be attached, the focus is controlled by an motorized system inside the camera and can only be adjusted by that joystick thing on the back of your camera. Look in your manual It should tell you how to operate it.

 

[Big Mike]

That's correct...unless your lens already has an external focus ring, I don't thing you can just add one.

There are probably a few reasons why your photos are not up to par when zoomed all the way. Firstly, the longer the focal length, the more susceptible you are to blur from camera shake. You need a fast shutter speed and/or image stabilization to combat this. In bright light, this isn't much of a problem, but when the light is lower, the shutter speed needs to be slower for the exposure...and that means that if you are holding the camera, you will get blurry shots. The best solution (for shooting non-moving subjects) would be to put the camera on a tripod when it gets darker. For moving subjects, or when you don't have a tripod, turn up your ISO setting.

Secondly, your lens is a 12x zoom. To make a lens with such a wide range, there have to be compromises in image quality. It's typical for lenses like that to be 'soft' when zoomed all the way. Adding adapters like the wide angle and especially the telephoto...just exasperates the problem.

 

[dklod]

No, A focus ring cannot be attached, the focus is controlled by an motorized system inside the camera and can only be adjusted by that joystick thing on the back of your camera. Look in your manual It should tell you how to operate it.

Cheers for the reply. I know how to use the manual focus but I just cant seem to get good results even with a tripod or fast shutter speeds. I was hoping that switching to manual and attaching a lens purely used for image focus would give me the control I need to really fine tune the focus. Im not big on the gadgets of the photography world especially when it comes to lenses. Thanks again.