AF or MF

[decostanza 2]

I'm new to DSLR shooting (10 years video shooter) and was curious if autofocus is the preferred method of focus or if manual is the preferred method? I got an Ike housing with 8" dome so that I can walk before I walk faster in the DSLR world and in the manuals it consistently refers to how auto focus is what I should shoot with. This runs counter to everything I've ever done and was curious what those with much more experience do....

 

Thanks for your input,

 

[Cary Dean 3]

Are you talking AF/MF specifically for video or stills shooting?

Which camera are you using?

Most pro level DSLR's can only MF for video.

As for stills both methods work, just depends on your needs, preference etc.

[tdpriest 115]

Without a large viewfinder manual focus can be difficult. I use AF for all of my images, but also choose the focus point within the frame and move it around a lot. Some photographers use AF for wide-angle and manual focus for macrophotography (often locking focus and gently moving the camera to focus).

 

I use a Nauticam viewfinder with the large viewfinder of a Nikon D800, but still rely on AF even though that would be hard to improve on for manual focus.

[decostanza 2]

Thanks for the feedback...using a Canon 70D to shoot both video and stills. Lens is the Tokina 10-17 as my standard underwater lens. This time of year its under the ice every weekend and have had mixed results with it on MF. I have kept the camera on "Live View" which makes for a large viewfinder and thought that would help but pics are soft instead of tack-sharp. Will try AF this coming weekend and see if it works any better.

Best regards,

Don

[jasonhartup 5]

I prefer to use MF in some macro super macro or low light situations but 95% of the time AF.

[dpaustex 0]

I'd stick with AF for your lens. The 70D is pretty okay at AF (in brighter light). With your WA lens, it will be hard to MF and tell if you actually ARE in focus.

 

If you go to macro, then I'd say maybe MF (although the 100mm f2.8 EF does a pretty good job in AF, IMHO).

 

You'll notice you cannot switch from AF to MF (or vice versa) with the dome port. Great housing, otherwise.

Edited February 11, 2014 by dpaustex

[decostanza 2]

Thanks everyone fo rthe comments and input...had a little better time under the ice this weekend going with AF, I appreciate the help.

[billmcdavid 1]

Hi all: Feedback on this would be much appreciated. Going back soon to Raja Ampat for my third trip and I plan on shooting a little more video this time than usual. I am shooting with my Canon 5dmkIII in a Nauticam housing. I am wondering whether anyone has had much success using a manual focus ring for wide angle video shooting on a DSLR? AF works fine I guess but there is always that annoying "focus hunt" that occurs (with the accompanying whirring sound). It seems like I could benefit from the initial AF but then fine tune a moving subject with manual. However, it is spendy to buy this and I don't want to waste my money if it is too difficult or problematic to use. Any thoughts?

[Stoo 32]

My preferred WA lens is the Tokina and I shoot AF all the time.. in fact I can't manually focus it. On occassion, I'll change my camera to a single focus point, then use the focus lock. The attached image was shot like that. Initially I has the focus point set to a wide area and the camera kept hopping back and forth between the wolfeel and the anemone... I was using a minidome and the dome was practically touching the surface of it, but the lens would still focus on it.

 

Apart from all that, I find that the autofocus on my D7000 is much faster than I could ever manually focus.

 

I agree with the other comments about having a good viewfinder as well. I use the Aquatica 45° Viewfinder and it works beautifully.

 

 

[JamesR 26]

I prefer to use MF in some macro super macro or low light situations but 95% of the time AF.

 

Agreed!

[TimG 62]

 

Agreed!

 

Yep, I'm with James and Jason. AF for all but very low light or super macro