How hard would it to use an MF lens...

if you had little (or no) experience in manual focusing?

I've been pondering whether to dive in the deep waters of MF lenses for some time now, but I don't feel confident enough.
Landscapes and street photography/candids is what I mostly shoot.

How difficult would it be to focus on moving subjects?

Thanks
O-Ren

Well, we all had to start somewhere...

Admittedly, MF is a challenge to anyone on moving subjects.

Take one of your lenses and switch it to MF, Give it a try and find out.

Depends on your gear... I have a Full Frame + special viewfinder screen. That way you can more easely see if you have your subject in focus or not. The longer the lens, the easier it gets.

I can remember before they had AF lenses. MF can be done, even on moving subjects. I only use AF for BIF against a plain sky, MF everything else.

bohdank wrote in post #12130277
Take one of your lenses and switch it to MF, Give it a try and find out.

it's difficult to MF with current released lenses. older lenses are specifically built for manual focussing.

Well, depending the type of pictures, but even with AF lenses there are many cases where AF is useless :
-> for macro, AF is almost useless
-> for architecture, AF is almost useless too (you need a lot of time anyway to put the lens on the right angle/horizon so you have also time to focus).
-> for tight portrait with ultra fast primes (85L1.2L) AF helps a little bit, but with one finger we often push to focus perfectly on eyes. So in my case, 50% of the time I am nearly manual focus (when dof is less than 5cm).
-> for action/sport AF is more than necessary, but I tried to shot with a manual focus mirror 500mm with a new AF confirm chip with trapping function, which makes MF rather reliable even with fast quadbike in the race http://photos.corbi.eu …D=15643013&Albu​mKey=t7eRU all pictures are MF
The body didn't action shutter probably more than 60% of my wishes, but when shutter actioned => focus was perfect 100% of the pictures (more than with my 135L2.0). Optix V5+ AF confirm chip is really convincing i would recommend it warmly.

Dawud wrote in post #12130303
it's difficult to MF with current released lenses. older lenses are specifically built for manual focussing.

As were older film cameras with their huge, bright viewfinders and focusing screens.

I don't MF anything that I cannot shoot using Livewiew except macro, which I seldom do.

bohdank wrote in post #12130277
Take one of your lenses and switch it to MF, Give it a try and find out.

That won't give a true representation though. Modern AF lenses have a very short arc to travel through, to keep the speed up with the motors having to only turn them a relatively short way. This means that when manually focusing it can be hard to find the exact spot, as when you are almost there a tiny twist can take you straight past and out the other side again, then the same coming back. Fine tuning can involve a little to and fro-ing around the correct point. That isn't an issue with a stationary subject as you have time to do it, but a moving subject takes a bit of practice.

With an old MF lens though, the focus ring rotates through a much greater distance, meaning that you can much more easily just turn it and stop bang on the money, with no fiddly fine tuning from side to side.

So, by all means try it with an AF lens in MF, if you find it reasonably easy then you will have no problem with an MF lens. If you find yourself having difficulty getting the exact spot with an AF lens though, don't be discouraged as you will have less trouble with a pure MF lens.

It also helps if you have a viewfinder screen designed for manual focusing too, as regular EOS viewfinders are designed on the assumption that you will be using AF and so optimised for that.

Until going digital in 2004, I had never bothered getting a new camera with AF. My film gear was (and still is) the old Canon FD system, with all fully manual focusing. I had absolutely no trouble focusing with it, even on fast moving subjects and keeping them in focus as they moved.

Even with the standard viewfinder, you should find focusing a MF lens fairly straightforward.

shoenberg3 wrote in post #12130263
Well, we all had to start somewhere...

Admittedly, MF is a challenge to anyone on moving subjects.

+1 ^^

It is no different then trying to shoot video with these Canon bodys that dont allow AF to function. If your subject remains in the horizontal focus plane and dont move more then a few feet sideways your O.K. once you have obtained focus manually but in the real world that dont happen very often and specifically with kids & pets.

I got into using these MF lenses since i primarily shoot still subjects or time composed portraits and using some of the older vintage lenses adapted to Canon bodys can save you a considerable amount of cash and be rewarded with excellent results that will surpass a variety of 3rd party & Canon lenses both EFS & L`s.

gasrocks whom happens to be very knowledgeable with just about every MF lens ever manufactured has and continues to help me find alternatives to fill my lower end FL range between 21 to 100mm to go along with the 70-200 f2.8 MKII & 100-400L. He is a very busy man with his Photography teaching both at the College & Private sessions but never fails to lend a helping hand or lead you in the right direction in any phase of photography with all good intentions.

Anyways dont hesitate to try the MF lenses out providing your capture objectives are not fast action sports or BIF !

Regards & Have Fun !

My eyes are actually better than they were when I was shooting film. Even with a 5DII and matte screen I miss more often than I hit focus, even with MF lenses. I never had that problem with my film cameras. I have found the amount of time it takes to focus, with confidence that you have hit the point, far too long, for my type of shooting.

If you're shooting at f8 with a 50mm, then it's a no brainer but quite a different matter if shooting at f1.7 and mid distances.

How many MF shooters here, bracket focus ? I would miss way too many shots. I don't even dream of shooting anything that moves.

Now, I'm sure there are shooters that have far more success with MF lenses than I do, and I do have some envy.

Do you already have the MF lenses? If so I'd pick up another body(something older and inexpensive) and toss a MF screen in it before I invested more into it to see if I liked it.

Heck you could even pick up an old film body for next to nothing and put a roll or two through it. About two months ago I picked up an AE-1(looked as if it just came from the factory) for a friend with two lenses shipped and PP for $62.

set the lens in MF, shoot like 1k to get the feel and asses your performace. eventually you'll get use to it, it should'nt be that hard, Practice makes perfect

Pretend it is one of the many situations where AF just does not work. How badly do you want that shot? I think your desire to get the result may influence your abilities.

Thank you all for your replies and the encouraging posts. Now buoyed up by a sense of confidence, I'll give the whole MF thing a shot (or many more, haha).