Can you manual focus as well as your cameras auto focus?

[Matt Green]

I'm in a bit of a predicament!!

I'm rather keen on the Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 but not having an auto focus motor, and my recently purchased Nikon D5100 doesn't have an in body focus drive (knew I should have got the D7000!) I'm wondering how I'd cope relying solely on manual focusing.

I realize they're are other options but by all accounts the lense above is something special, often being rated higher than the Nikon 12-24mm f3.5.

I've just been experimenting with a few shots of the lounge with manual and auto focus and it appears the camera is better at judging perfect focus than me!!

Your thoughts welcomed!

Matt

[postcardcv]

Personally I do struggle with manual focus but if I put a bit of time in I can get it about right - for me it's a matter of tripod mounting the tripod and using liveview (at 5x mag) to check the focus is bang on. Assuming you are looking for a wide lens for landscape work you should be fine - short focal length coupled with long distance to subject gives good DOF so you can get away with a bit more.

[Arthur53]

I would keep experimenting with manual focus. In the hope that the more you do something the better you get at it. (Not always true in my case.)
Don't know anything about using Nikon but prefer to manual focus, if time allows, like to have control. Plus think its good not to depend on technology too much.

[surfg1mp]

I also have designs on the tokina lens you mention....by all accounts a cracking lens. But i have the d90 with motor so its a no brainer. If you want it for just landscape at a push you maybe ok. I tend to do alot of manual focus in landscape photography so it wouldnt matter too much. I want the lens for street and wedding photography so no auto focus wouldnt work for me. If I was in you shoes id probably opt for the nikon as it will auto focus if its a AFS and its probably still a cracking lens. Think its something you will live to regret if you buy the tokina.

[petrochemist]

With my old film SLRs manual focus was the only option, and was easy to achieve. Unfortunately more modern cameras assume you are using autofocus, so do away with the focus aids (split diagonal/microprisms) , many also give you a cheaper-darker-smaller view finder which makes manual focusing more difficult.
(My recent upgrade improves on matters here a penta-prism is significantly brighter than the penta-mirror in my older DSLR and I'm tempted to fit a third party focus screen giving me the other focus aids).

I have had a fair bit of practice manual focusing with my older DSLR, and whilst manual wasn't quite a good as the autofocus in good light, it could prove better in challenging conditions (where the camera tended to hunt excessively).

The autofocus circuitry can generally be used as focus confirmation on manual lenses, even working as catch in focus where the camera shoots when the lens gets into focus - a benefit with telescopes. I have found that some of my macro teleconverters don't give sharp enough images at infinity for the focus confirm to ever see them as focused...

My current autofocus lens collection maxes out at 300mm, whilst workable MF options have certainly taken me to at least 1000mm though the contrast has dropped off due to the cheap glass.

With the super wide angle lenses focusing is not too much of an issue. My 10-17 can almost focus from 10mm to infinity when stopped down at the wide end (it needs care not to scratch the lens on anything only 10mm away)

[gordon g]

The short answer is yes, but it does depend on the type of shot. For landscapes, I routinely hyperfocus if using my 24-70 or 17-35, and so dont need to look through the viewfinder to judge focal plane at all. I know that at f16 or f11 respectively I will have front to back sharpness with these lenses and apetures.
If using a 70-200, I do need to check focal plane and depth of field. This is definately easier to do using live view on the 7D than through the view finder on the 1Ds11, but I havent found using AF to be more accurate for landscape work.
Macro - again manual focus if a must, and again live view makes this much easier.
The only time AF is definately superior is where I need to focus fast e.g. shooting birds/wildlife or candid shots of my kids.

[Matt Green]

Thanks for all these thoughts, folks!

Still looking into other options, might try and see if I can hire a lense and live with it for a weekend before making a purchase. Regarding uses, it would be used for everything from landscapes to derelict buildings, now that I'm a bit more familiar with correcting distortions etc associated with these wide angle lenses I can't wait to get started!

Mike, interesting that you mention the older film slr's. Pre digital I onced possessed an old Praktica MTL3 and a selection of lenses, though from memory they had a much slower and gradual focus ring that allowed fine focus rather than the somewhat abrubt action of the kit lense that came with my Nikon!!

Matt

[petrochemist]

Originally Posted by Matt Green

Mike, interesting that you mention the older film slr's. Pre digital I onced possessed an old Praktica MTL3 and a selection of lenses, though from memory they had a much slower and gradual focus ring that allowed fine focus rather than the somewhat abrubt action of the kit lens that came with my Nikon!!

Matt

Well I sometimes still use my old MF lenses, and a few more I've got since. Such as a 1930s Kodak Astigmat, a 600mm mirror (used sucessfully for motorsport), and various enlarger/bellows lenses.

For your intended subjects MF should be fine, though you may need to take a little longer focusing (this can be a good thing as it gives you more time to consider other aspects of the photo). The abrupt focus action is common to quite a few AF lenses, it allows them to focus quicker.

[snapy]

I haven't got any experience with the lens you mention but I think how easy you find it will depend on the run of the focus ring. I have a few old M42 fitting lenses that don't have auto focus. It helps that these lenses were made to be manual as they are pre-auto focus so the focus ring has a much longer run than my modern lenses.

I have an old 50mm f2 on M42 which gives you almost a full rotation of the ring to focus, in comparison my modern canon 50mm f1.8 gives you barely a quarter turn.