Do You Use Manual Focus UW?

[Nemrod]

OK -- I'm getting the sense here that most of you are using, in essence, fixed focus for the shots rather than focusing each shot. Am I right?

BTW, when I tried to use the optical viewfinder on a friend's dSLR, I had so much trouble seeing anything worth while that I can't imagine using it for focusing -- combination of "old eyes" and mask. I understand there are add-ons which make looking through the lens while wearing a mask much easier.

Since I have only owned one dSLR and took it back after it quit working I can claim no expertise except that it was simple to focus on the matte field. For decades, most of photographic history, cameras were manual focus ONLY and somehow we got by, I certainly did. My Nikonos did not even have a focus screen, it was focus by distance guestimation.

N

 

[Peter Guy]

Nemrod, my Nikonos was super easy to focus -- and it was very easy to look through that big rubber square on the top of the camera.

I'm just curious as to what the viable techniques may be. My current camera/lens (E-PL1 with kit lens) does NOT allow me to manually change the focus within the housing (OEM housing). But, there is nothing that says I can't fix the focus or use Auto and then set it (as someone is doing). I'm looking for ideas and explanations -- so please, keep them coming!

 

[Hawkwood]

OK -- I'm getting the sense here that most of you are using, in essence, fixed focus for the shots rather than focusing each shot. Am I right?

BTW, when I tried to use the optical viewfinder on a friend's dSLR, I had so much trouble seeing anything worth while that I can't imagine using it for focusing -- combination of "old eyes" and mask. I understand there are add-ons which make looking through the lens while wearing a mask much easier.

Ha! You describe my problem perfectly. No progressives in my mask, so my clear vision is limited to about a foot from the LCD screen. I am reduced to relying on the grid, histogram, and autofocus indicator. I can compose, but after that I have to wait to se the details!

 

[AndyT]

Just to clarify my post - I use MF for super macro stuff and am considering it for close up shark photography - everything else is AF.

 

[beautybelow]

I did my first 2500+ dives with a camera getting blinder and blinder with no contacts or prescription masks. If it were't for that happy little red "center focus dot" I would have never got a picture I imagine. Sometimes that was about all I could see in the frame with semi low light and a bad angle into the viewfinder. Now I have an optical view finder attachment and contacts. Seems like my photos were better way back when.
Maybe that brings up another whole thread...

 

[Larry C]

I used to use MF for super macro on my P & S, because it consistently locked, then blurred out when I hit the shutter button. The D300 seems to have much faster and sharper focus, but it does sometimes focus on a background object instead of whats inside the little red square. I'm going to invest in a much better focus light to try to solve that and the camera's reluctance to fire when it doesn't like the focus/light level.
AF seems to work great for WA, though it sometimes leaves the background soft. I'm playing with focus/metering settings to see if the camera can do a better job with different info.