As I wander around the internet I keep coming across a number of references to manual focus. The frequency is surprising to me, since MF isn’t part of my usual bag of tricks and I can’t think of a single photographer I know personally who makes much use of it. But to hear folks talk online, it sounds like someone is still out there manually focusing every shot they take.
I’m not a stranger to manual focus; back when I shot film, my Canon A-1 was strictly manual. It had a truly excellent focusing screen that employed three different measures to show you when the focus was spot on, and by golly when it said it was, it was.
Today’s cameras all sport fancy – and expensive – autofocus systems, utilizing all manner of focus points, configurations, and sensor types. Focus system can be directed to work in either a stationary or tracking mode – and on many cameras, there’s even a mode to let the camera decide for itself.
Simply put, autofocus clearly rules the day. And since AF has become a technological process, viewfinders no longer sport MF screens, but instead show digital overlays. In fact, the viewfinders on most DLSRs are designed with anything else in mind, making MF difficult to work with altogether. Without accurate indicators, achieving perfect manual focus requires a trained eye and a bit of luck. (Or a top-of-the-line series camera, which have focus screens that can be swapped out.)
Frankly, I’m not sure how the holdouts manage. For some applications, like landscape photography, the stationary nature of the subject would seem to make MF simple enough. But then you hear about photographers using MF for portraits and weddings – events that clearly have a lot of action going on. Not only are these photogs tracking motion and adjusting exposure on the fly, but some are apparently tracking focus by hand as well!
I’m not sure I understand the desire to work that way, especially after spending big bucks on a DSLR with a fancy AF system. And I’m certain that I couldn’t work that way myself. In fact, aside from tuning the AF micro-adjustment on my camera, I can’t remember the last time I used MF. I’m quite content to select focus points and let the camera do the work.
All I can think of is, perhaps the folks who still use MF are the ones who grew up on it. They must have enough practice and comfort with the technique to utilize it on the fly and get results. For that, I tip my hat to them – it’s an impressive set of skills. If anyone reading this is a MF photog, hit the comments – I’d really like to hear your thoughts on the matter.
