Nikon 50mm 1.4G limitations?

[Vautrin]

do this:

get a tripod


set your camera apereture priority f22 (or as small as your lens will go)


set your camera on timer delay so theres no vibration from shutter press


set your camera on mirror up so theres no
mirror vibration


set iso to 100 or 200


use manually focus to


now take a picture of a row of beer bottles or something you can stand in a long line. shoot down the line and manually focus in the middle


now do the same for all apertures back to f1.4 in 1 ev stops


check your photos. youll now see quite clearly how sharp the lens can be at what apereture


youll have no
vibrations to interfere


btw i do this whenever i get a new lens to play with

 

[The_Traveler]

do this:

get a tripod
set your camera apereture priority f22 (or as small as your lens will go)
set your camera on timer delay so theres no vibration from shutter press
set your camera on mirror up so theres no
mirror vibration
set iso to 100 or 200
use manually focus to
now take a picture of a row of beer bottles or something you can stand in a long line. shoot down the line and manually focus in the middle
now do the same for all apertures back to f1.4 in 1 ev stops
check your photos. youll now see quite clearly how sharp the lens can be at what apereture
youll have no vibrations to interfere

and/or try using autofocus on a discrete item halfway down the row and see if the camera is focusing correctly.

 

[MTVision]

well yeah, but I don't see the point of using spot focus with af-a , but yea the main issue is using the spot focus vs the multi focal points. just easier to say af-a/af-s I assume they'd know af-s is, or should be, synonymous with single point focus.

Af-a has nothing to do with the focus points though - that was my point. Af-a switches between af-s or af-c. You can set the camera to af-s but you still have to choose single-point AF or auto-area af. So af-s isn't necessarily synonymous with single point focus.

 

[MTVision]

I was shooting using AF with only one focus point. I thought that by having a SP of 100 or higher( in photo 125) that nothing will be blurry...anyway the sun was pretty strong, but I really liked the shoot. It was taken in the woods and only a burst of sun light was hitting the flower so I thought this will make a nice shoot.

It wasn't until I got home that I noticed it very blurry and nothing really in focus, but maybe down by the leaves, but either way I wasn't focusing there. And you are right it could have been a breeze of wind coming in too. Again thinking SP of 125 would be fine.

What kind of photo should I upload for best visual samples? It seems like this flower one didn't work? I was very clear about my focusing/ sharp issues not so much the location,subject, setup...

The shutter speed is fairly decent but with a shallow depth of field (like you get using wide open apertures) the slightest movements can throw off the focus. So many people have issues with blurry/out of focus shots when they get their first fast prime lens. Being able to get a sharp in focus shot with wide open apertures is a skill so it takes some practice.

 

[Ernicus]

well yeah, but I don't see the point of using spot focus with af-a , but yea the main issue is using the spot focus vs the multi focal points. just easier to say af-a/af-s I assume they'd know af-s is, or should be, synonymous with single point focus.

Af-a has nothing to do with the focus points though - that was my point. Af-a switches between af-s or af-c. You can set the camera to af-s but you still have to choose single-point AF or auto-area af. So af-s isn't necessarily synonymous with single point focus.

You do know we are and have been saying the same thing right? I am well aware of what af-a and af-c etc do. You missed my point in how I think of things as they relate to each other, and at this point it really doesn't matter. AF-S is easier to type that Single Point AF. As I said, I relate them to be used in conjunction as using AF-A really is silly to me anyway...and using Multi-Point AF is on AF-S is silly to me...so I'll agree to a newb who can't read my mind, I might have confused them. To everyone else..I'm sure they understood my meaning, however you are the only one who decided to try to educate me on what I already know. thanks.

I guess to avoid silly rebuttle of saying the same things with different verbiage I will spell out everything should I chose to reply to a post.

 

[cgipson1]

Hey i know a wedding photographer who shoots all primes and wide open as a rule

You mean an EXPERIENCED photographer, that has experience and knowledge in HOW TO shoot wide open???? Stop obfuscating the issue!

 

[cgipson1]

well yeah, but I don't see the point of using spot focus with af-a , but yea the main issue is using the spot focus vs the multi focal points. just easier to say af-a/af-s I assume they'd know af-s is, or should be, synonymous with single point focus.

Not really.... AF-S can be used in most focal point modes... but not all, just as AF-C can be used in most, but not all! There are differences from body to body, and from manufacturer to manufacturer also.3

(EDIT... I see Megan beat me to it! Ernicus.. no need to get defensive about it, and yes, it is unlikely the OP would know that. Is that not who you were posting that for? )

 

[MTVision]

You do know we are and have been saying the same thing right? I am well aware of what af-a and af-c etc do. You missed my point in how I think of things as they relate to each other, and at this point it really doesn't matter. AF-S is easier to type that Single Point AF. As I said, I relate them to be used in conjunction as using AF-A really is silly to me anyway...and using Multi-Point AF is on AF-S is silly to me...so I'll agree to a newb who can't read my mind, I might have confused them. To everyone else..I'm sure they understood my meaning, however you are the only one who decided to try to educate me on what I already know. thanks.

I guess to avoid silly rebuttle of saying the same things with different verbiage I will spell out everything should I chose to reply to a post.

Didn't realize I was trying to educate you - I was just clarifying something since not everyone thinks the same way. Af-s doesn't mean single point AF - simple as that.

 

[Ernicus]

You do know we are and have been saying the same thing right? I am well aware of what af-a and af-c etc do. You missed my point in how I think of things as they relate to each other, and at this point it really doesn't matter. AF-S is easier to type that Single Point AF. As I said, I relate them to be used in conjunction as using AF-A really is silly to me anyway...and using Multi-Point AF is on AF-S is silly to me...so I'll agree to a newb who can't read my mind, I might have confused them. To everyone else..I'm sure they understood my meaning, however you are the only one who decided to try to educate me on what I already know. thanks.

I guess to avoid silly rebuttle of saying the same things with different verbiage I will spell out everything should I chose to reply to a post.

Didn't realize I was trying to educate you - I was just clarifying something since not everyone thinks the same way. Af-s doesn't mean single point AF - simple as that.

I am not getting defensive, it seems the bandwagon as of late is the discertion between "can be used" and "best used" or "personal preference". Even you have confused such things with reading my post. Never once did I say it or they could not be used, thus the education of how things "can be used" is annoying to me...hence the replies.

 

[Ernicus]

You do know we are and have been saying the same thing right? I am well aware of what af-a and af-c etc do. You missed my point in how I think of things as they relate to each other, and at this point it really doesn't matter. AF-S is easier to type that Single Point AF. As I said, I relate them to be used in conjunction as using AF-A really is silly to me anyway...and using Multi-Point AF is on AF-S is silly to me...so I'll agree to a newb who can't read my mind, I might have confused them. To everyone else..I'm sure they understood my meaning, however you are the only one who decided to try to educate me on what I already know. thanks.

I guess to avoid silly rebuttle of saying the same things with different verbiage I will spell out everything should I chose to reply to a post.

Didn't realize I was trying to educate you - I was just clarifying something since not everyone thinks the same way. Af-s doesn't mean single point AF - simple as that.

Never said it did, so just drop it already, are you that bored? Hell you didn't even know what the word was earlier as proven by your own post saying you forgot what it was called...and I'm sure you googled it to look great later.

who cares, move on...

 

[MTVision]

Never said it did, so just drop it already, are you that bored? Hell you didn't even know what the word was earlier as proven by your own post saying you forgot what it was called...and I'm sure you googled it to look great later.

who cares, move on...

Jeez - don't get your panties in a bunch

And FYI - I never said I forgot what anything was called - just wasn't sure of the terminology which if you knew what you were talking about you would know that I didn't have to "google it to make myself look great later" since I had basically the right terminology....auto area mode - or to be perfectly correct it's probably auto AF-area mode which is NOT af-a. Sorry if that got you all defensive.

AF-A isn't too bad as long as you have it set to single focal point and not auto area mode (think that's what it's called). Af-a just switches between af-c and af-s - so you are still leaving some of the decision making up to the camera. But if the focus mode is on auto area (or whatever it's called) then the camera is going to choose what to focus on and use a bunch of focal points around the "subject" to hopefully get the right thing in focus <---- this will never work with a shallow depth of field.

 

[MTVision]

I am not getting defensive, it seems the bandwagon as of late is the discertion between "can be used" and "best used" or "personal preference". Even you have confused such things with reading my post. Never once did I say it or they could not be used, thus the education of how things "can be used" is annoying to me...hence the replies.

My guess would be AF-A I can't see one single point that is in focus more than the others...or kinda in focus in the image...its all oof the same aside from background obviously...which would lead me to believe its not AF-S

And it's annoying to me when people give incorrect information then get all defensive when it is corrected. Your "guess" was incorrect because of your reasoning. But you already knew that.....the OP may not have

 

[Ernicus]

Nothing incorrect was given. Please utilize the ignore feature. Thank you.

 

[MTVision]

Nothing incorrect was given. Please utilize the ignore feature. Thank you.

You are still wrong. Unfortunately I can't quote you <MODERATED> ....wow I don't even know what to say. "nothing incorrect was given. I wrote af-s instead of "AF-S" (single focal point)" Still wrong. Maybe you should read your freakin manual and find out what af-s actually means since it is a focus mode and doesn't have **** to do with the focal points - which you seem to NOT understand. Is it really that difficult? There are focus modes and AF area modes.

So once again your guess that the OP was using AF-A because you couldn't see one single point in focus more then the others is WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG.

I won't utilize the ignore button because you are pure entertainment. Lots of love darling!

My guess would be AF-A I can't see one single point that is in focus more than the others...or kinda in focus in the image...its all oof the same aside from background obviously...which would lead me to believe its not AF-S

 

[MTVision]

Just so everyone can enjoy how worked up you got over such a trivial matter