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How do you focus with your DSLR and are you satisfied?
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How do you focus with your DSLR / are you satisfied?
By original viewfinder with focus confirmation by cam, I am satisfied
20%
 20%  [ 10 ]
By original viewfinder with focus confirmation by cam, I am NOT satisfied
6%
 6%  [ 3 ]
By original viewfinder withOUT focus confirmation by cam, I am satisfied
16%
 16%  [ 8 ]
By original viewfinder withOUT focus confirmation by cam, I am NOT satisfied
6%
 6%  [ 3 ]
By original Life-View, I am satisfied
14%
 14%  [ 7 ]
By original Life-View, I am NOT satisfied
0%
 0%  [ 0 ]
By non-original viewfinder but from original manufacturer, I am satisfied
8%
 8%  [ 4 ]
By non-original viewfinder but from original manufacturer, I am NOT satisfied
2%
 2%  [ 1 ]
By modified viewfinder (Katz, Haoda), I am satisfied
24%
 24%  [ 12 ]
By modified viewfinder (Katz, Haoda), I am NOT satisfied
2%
 2%  [ 1 ]
Total Votes : 49



PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 10:17 pm    Post subject: How do you focus with your DSLR and are you satisfied? Reply with quote

I want to know how you are focussing your manual lenses on your DSLR normally, i. E. did you modify your camera or is it original.

How satisfied are you with the solution?

Sorry, no Elsewise possible because of poll option limit.


PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 10:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I put the EE-S screen in the 40D the first day I bought it
I am so satisfied that I never touch it anymore,focus is a pleasure even at 1.2 as it should be


PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 10:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Threw an EF-S into my 40D couple of weeks ago - been a pleasure.


PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 12:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

After struggling and fiddling with the Canon 10D and never really getting the focus spot on, it was a relief to find the Pentax K10D was perfectly good out of the box with the standard screen and camera focus confirm. Of course, that Canon model had a bit of a rep for focus issues and even though it wasn't bad, it was never good.


PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 12:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What's Life-View?


PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 1:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think he meant live view, which is articulating LCD screen like on some P&S cameras that is making it's way onto DSLR's


PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 5:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Using a 10$ chinese split/prisma screen in my K10D and have focus confirmation too. Statisfied.


PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 9:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Canon standard screen (20D) and focus confirmation. I am satisfied with the results, but jealous at the viewfinder of FF cameras Smile


PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nikon D60. On a bright day I focus "by eye" using the screen and without looking at the focus confirmation light. I wear (varifocal) spectacles - I don't know if it helps.

The focus confirmation works well but is sometimes less convenient. So for example I might have two subjects (typically flowers) with one slightly behind the other. Ideally I might want to put the "in-focus" plane somewhere between the two. I can do this "by eye". But the focus confirmation sensor has nothing to lock on to - there's nothing there !


PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 9:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Canon standard screen (40D) and focus confirmation. Quite satisfied.

I tried a split focusing screen which gave good results in focusing but was annoying for light measure with my AF lenses.


PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Same as Zewrak but for the Samsung GX-10, I also sometimes use a Pentax screen for the istD on the Samsung too


PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use the original canon 5D/5D2 screens with unchipped adapters. They are fine for the studio as I have time to concentrate on precise focus (AF and AF confirmation is useless for what I do) so I ticked "satisfied", but I do sometimes have problems getting exact focus outside. For that reason I am thinking of putting a fresnel split screen into the 5D and then maybe the 5D2 later on.

I am slightly nervous about messing around with the innards of such expensive kit.

By the by, looking through the Nikon F's FTN finder/prism is like walking into paradise by comparison with the Canon's. I don't know why the design is worse now than in the 60s, after all, Canon lenses still give you the MF option, so the camera should be designed to work with it.


PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seymore wrote:
Quote:
How do you focus with your DSLR / are you satisfied?

Ummmmmmm... to answer your original question, the topic of this thread, and quite litterally... with the focus ring on the lens that is mounted on the dSLR! (o:]\


That's like my mother does, but on a film SLR. This is because she's used to cameras that have no focusing assist equipment at all. She looks at the subject and estimates "2 meters" and sets the ring. I was amazed to see it for the first time but it seems to work. Something to do with the fact she's been taking photographs 60+ years?


PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use my K100D with a Micro-Nikkor 55mm quite a lot and I vary - original screen with and without focus confirmation so I voted satisfied for original screen with focus confirmation.

The circumstances are very consistent - tripod mount - immobile subjects and home adapted ring light.

When using lenses such as my Pentax A50mm or Tamron 135mm and when the subject isn't so accommodating I do miss the split screens I used until I went digi just over 2 years ago.

(I didn't get around to AF on Film)

Cheerz MZ


PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

On my sony a100 I use a split image/microprism screen from focusingscreen.com plus a Pentax OME53 viewfinder magnifier. The focusing screen is indispensable for a 90% manual focuser like me.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 6:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tried a split screen and it's good for most things, but I cannot get faces in focus with one. The Canon matte screen works well for most things, but F4 and wider I use live view.


PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 1:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I installed one of Alex's(hk300) screens, and I'm very pleased.

I am at a disadvantage, whereas the VF of the Canon Rebel cameras are very small. It was actually necessary for me to change out the focusing screen in order to be able to accurately use MF lenses with this camera.
I had some initial difficulty, simply because I hadn't used such screens or lenses for a very long time. After the initial hurdle, however, I found the system to be a most welcome change for my use.

Sometime down the road, I may decide to look for a cheap parts-only classic film SLR to try my hand at modifying its screen, but that's a project that will wait until I have a better understanding of which screens might offer the best properties for my own uses.


PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use a K20D with standard screen and I'm moderately satisfied. In good light, the focus confirm pop ups quickly and is very accurate. In dim light, it requires longer to get activated and sometimes gives erroneous indications. In such circumstances, I can do better with my eyes.


PostPosted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seymore wrote:
Quote:
How do you focus with your DSLR / are you satisfied?

Ummmmmmm... to answer your original question, the topic of this thread, and quite litterally... with the focus ring on the lens that is mounted on the dSLR! (o:]\

lool Laughing


PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Live view works quite nice and there is no way to miss focus with it, but i must say i miss focusing with my old katzeye screen, even though my keeper rate is higher with live view, i like more to see through the viewfinder than looking at the camera's screen Rolling Eyes


PostPosted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 6:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Check out this focus aid/liveview users:

http://store.zacuto.com/Z-Finder.html

What I find interesting is it puts the camera back up on you face for that extra stabilty, and its adds more magnification and blocks out stray light from your lcd screen on those bright days!


PostPosted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 1:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Z-finder looks very useful, but the store isn't shy about charging a lot - have you seen the prices of their gunstock mounts?


PostPosted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 4:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

not to worry, there are others coming out, I like to use Cavision for stabilty, but for Optics, the best might be justified! This Zacuto has always been the high end store, and people really like their stuff but hate the prices. Their Optics could look good on my Contax & Leicas. Im just waiting for a review on this stuff, and kicking around ideas.

this is about the newest Z-Finder btw, that's coming out now. I got here a discussion on the old Z-finder and some alternative finders from my video club.
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=170779