Comments on: 5 Situations When Manual Focus is Better than Auto Focus

By: Cyndi

Cyndi — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:11:03 +0000

Is it wrong to always shoot in manual focus? I’m just starting out, and I have yet to switch to auto focus. I purchased my new camera so that I could shoot in manual, but is there a time when auto is more ideal?

By: Kartik

Kartik — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:56:49 +0000

Definitely makes sense to use manual focus on these occasions. Well explained.

Here’s a shot I took thru a plane window:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/djkj/4310842305/in/set-72157623293502605/lightbox/

By: DPC

DPC — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:26:44 +0000

I disagree with point 5 Can’t use manual focus on moving objects. Because since the objects are moving, it will be lose focus (be in out-of-focus) soon. It will also result in blurry images, since in order to re-focus the object, you will have to move the side of lens (way to change MF in DSLRs) by a very small magnitude which should be extremely precise.
Instead of that, for moving objects, its better to click “continuous images” instead of single image and using panning. With right shutter speed, it will ensure that atleast 1 image is the way you want

By: Lionel Gambill

Lionel Gambill — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:03:31 +0000

A prime example is the time I was on a train headed for Badaling Great Wall in China. When the Great Wall cam into view I grabbed our digital camera and (I thought) grabbed a shot through the train window. Unfortunately, there were wires next to the track. Result: a shot in which the wires were in perfect focus and the Great Wall way out of focus

My other example is my past work on portraits. It may be dandy to get a scenic shot with everything in sharp focus, but I like the effect when my subject is in sharp focus and the background a little fuzzy. It’s especially good simplifying even a somewhat busy background. The bottom line is I don’t want some damned piece of machinery deciding the esthetics of my work.

By: loganathan mani

loganathan mani — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:10:13 +0000

I’m having N8 mobile i used to click photos oftenly. I want to concentrate on manual focus i don’t what is aperture 7 want to know how to adjust auto focus & manula focus.

By: zJohny

zJohny — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:43:43 +0000

great article.
i just got my 550D and i am totally new to DSLR’s…
I am happy with Autofocus but untill i started to Manually focus my subjects, the result started to come out even finer then what i was getting with Auto mode.
I started to manually focus on my Rummy Nose Tetras ..they are pretty fast to focus, so its a good learning experience..
Thanks again mate. it helped me a lot!

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:38:46 +0000

I shoot gymnastics meets that have the subjects moving rapidly and thus no center point of focus that remains in one location. The subject is typically moving in a general region (high bar, rings, pommel, etc.)but continually moving. Thus what I normally do, say on the highbar for instance, is to use auto focus and focus on the bar itself and then switch to manual focus before the routine starts. I select an aperature that will keep my subject in focus thru the range of motion and adjust my ISO rating to get a speed that will provide stop action of my subject. If not, my autofocus usually selects a wall or something way off in a distance, or “hunts” for the proper subject and nothing is in focus.

By: Sandy McKellar

Sandy McKellar — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 23:59:35 +0000

I totally agree with Brian and Peter – why did the dSLRs get rid of the split prism? My old film SLR was only manual focus, and I could focus in almost any lighting situation with that camera, but my Nikon lenses on my D80 are almost impossible sometimes.

By: uncle-rhea

uncle-rhea — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 20:28:07 +0000

i wholly agree. manual focus become second nature especially if you’ve started on it (aging myself).

By: ANONY MOUSE

ANONY MOUSE — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 04:48:42 +0000

I don’t think I’ve ever knowingly (or period) gotten a lens with auto focus. Or used AF in favor of someone else, when avoidable.