5D MK III and Manual Focus Lenses

Folks,if I am not mistaken, there will be no possibility to change the focusing screen on 5D MKIII...
Will it not be a problem for MF lenses? I am not using EG-s....and will not be able to use it with MKIII. Also the new AF system on MKIII will probably make people stop thinking about MF lenses...who knows.

Since Canon doesnt make MF lenses and since Zeiss and Samyang took a share from their profit, i think they thought it wisely

mihaii wrote in post #14021273
Since Canon doesnt make MF lenses and since Zeiss and Samyang took a share from their profit, i think they thought it wisely

Exactly...

This issue is not Canon's problem.

It is our problem.....because some have invested a lot in MF lenses. I guess it will drive more people to NIkon in this case....or I do not know. Really no choice for folks with Zeiss lenses...

So, you won't be able to use MF lenses on the new MKIII? Why not? If they're EF mounts then they should work I would think. I don't know much about these screens you're talking about but if it's that difficult to manually focus a lens without an add on screen then maybe it's the lens that's no good.

Edit: I just looked at a focusing screen and it sort of reminded me of the old Pentax cameras. So I can see the point in getting one of these for the 5D Mark II. I'm sure someone will figure out a way to modify the MKIII as soon as a modifier gets one in his/her hands.

The issue with third party modifies is that the camera cannot compensate for the screen's effect on the metering sensor.

light_pilgrim wrote in post #14021340
It is our problem.....because some have invested a lot in MF lenses. I guess it will drive more people to NIkon in this case....or I do not know. Really no choice for folks with Zeiss lenses...

Right...

It's your problem. Not Canon's...

If you choose to work with non-OEM gear then you choose to accept the need to adapt.

mihaii wrote in post #14021273
Since Canon doesnt make MF lenses and since Zeiss and Samyang took a share from their profit, i think they thought it wisely

All Canon lenses are MF! (with AF available, except 65mm) - so it should be their problem as well. No one manually focuses their Canon Lenses? Hogwash.

pharp wrote in post #14021495
All Canon lenses are MF! (with AF available, except 65mm) - so it should be their problem as well. No one manually focuses their Canon Lenses? Hogwash.

True...

Just another reason to stick with the 1D?

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #14021451
Right...

It's your problem. Not Canon's...

If you choose to work with non-OEM gear then you choose to accept the need to adapt.

I don't like this attitude. It's not as though the use of manual focus is so unccommon that implementing swappable focus screens into a new body is impractical. Canon should consider the fact that it would make their consumers' lives easier and though it might not translate to immediate profits in the lens department, it will contribute to an overall higher satisfaction with the Canon brand. This sort of monopolizing just turns me right off of certain brands...

light_pilgrim wrote in post #14021250
Folks,if I am not mistaken, there will be no possibility to change the focusing screen on 5D MKIII...
Will it not be a problem for MF lenses? I am not using EG-s....and will not be able to use it with MKIII. Also the new AF system on MKIII will probably make people stop thinking about MF lenses...who knows.

Canon do make MF lenses, four of them: 17, 24, 45, 90mm TSE lenses.
The focusing screen situation with the 5DIII is much like the 7D, it can be done, its much more difficult than before, and there is no support from Canon as to a new exposure algorithm for a new screen. For f2.8 and faster lenses the latter is probably not a problem, just a bit of chimping will likely suffice.

I use TSE lenses a lot, and strongly suggest that for MF you switch to magnified Live View. It far more accurate and precise, even better than AF when used carefully. by moving the magnification rectangle about you can make sure the proper subject is selected for accurate focus.
Mike K

Canon manual focus lenses:

TS-E 17mm f4L
TS-E 24mm f3.5L (I and II)
TS-E 45mm f2.8
TS-E 90mm f2.8
MP-E 65mm f2.8

And my Canon macro lenses (100/2.8 USM and 180/3.5L), becasue I usually just turn off AF when using them for higher magnification shots.

Most of my other lenses, I just use AF.... With Back Button Focusing that I usually use, it's much like using manual focus anyway, except that even with their most entry level camera Canon's AF is considerable faster and more accurate than I ever was with my manual focus cameras and lenses.

OP, there will almost certainly be third party focus screens for 5DIII in short order, much as there are for 7D. The main issue with those screens, when it's set up with a split image rangefinder center dot to help with manual focus, the camera's Spot Metering will be thrown off quite a bit. Other metering modes might be skewed a little, but probably not so much that you couldn't correct for it pretty easily.

Oh, and the 1DX is getting a similar "non-interchangeable" active matrix, transmissive LCD screen. Likely any future 1D series that uses the new 61-point AF system, which probably will be all of them, will not have user-interchangeable screens.

I'm not aware of ANY EF lens that is not MF.
Just as I'm pretty sure that every 5D3 photographer will MF some of his/her images.

Mike - I also use Live View for Landscapes....but not for street photo

Mike K wrote in post #14021697
Canon do make MF lenses, four of them: 17, 24, 45, 90mm TSE lenses.
The focusing screen situation with the 5DIII is much like the 7D, it can be done, its much more difficult than before, and there is no support from Canon as to a new exposure algorithm for a new screen. For f2.8 and faster lenses the latter is probably not a problem, just a bit of chimping will likely suffice.

I use TSE lenses a lot, and strongly suggest that for MF you switch to magnified Live View. It far more accurate and precise, even better than AF when used carefully. by moving the magnification rectangle about you can make sure the proper subject is selected for accurate focus.
Mike K