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Manual Focus wedding ?
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:46 pm    Post subject: Manual Focus wedding ? Reply with quote

I am very seriously considering shooting my next wedding with all MF lenses.Am i crazy? The wedding is really not that fast moving.The only shots that i am really concerned about are the bride shots coming down the aisle.
Any suggestions on how to make sure i nail the focus, besides practice practice practice??
-Jim


PostPosted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It will works, but keep in mind wedding is one time production... to do it in safety I think good idea to use two camera one with quality AF lens with full auto settings and make tons of images for couple. Another camera for artistic moments with fastest MF lens what you have and split screen to make precious focusing as possible. People need quantity and for you need quality this combo provide both.


PostPosted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila,
Thanks for responding as well as your advice i will keep it in mind
-Jim


PostPosted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi, I'm shooting my first wedding as sole photographer on Wednesday and doing as Attila says - taking one camera loaded with MF and one with AF. I will use the MF lenses for portraits with nice bokeh and the AF for the nice wide family shots etc.

I've taken many photos at the last two weddings I've been to and only used MF, but at the expense of the wide shots. Got some superb portraits though!

Good luck Smile


PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am in agreement with taking one camera for AF and the other for MF. I think most will agree, having some not so great shots is still better than not having the shots at all. There are times in the wedding where certain things happened rapidly, for example, some reactions from the couples of the friends and relatives. MF might be too slow at those occassions.


PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 7:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've shot some weddings equipped usually with K10/20d with Sigma 30/1.4 or 17-70 and istDs with MF lenses (SMC-tak 85/1.8, 55/1.8, Tamron 30A or 63B, etc.). Only once I have done a wedding with out any AF-lenses and that worked out great, but that time I was only a back-up, so there was no stress.

Have to agree with others that the dual-system is probably the safest way to go...


Last edited by soikka on Tue Sep 08, 2009 7:37 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 7:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Depends on your MF skill. Mine is poor with people on my 40D, so I wouldn't chance it. Give me a camera with a decent viewfinder and I would shoot MF only.


PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 8:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Same recommendations as others : AF lens for fast critical moments (kiss of the bride, exchange of rings, church exit, ...) and MF for the rest (after wedding party, portraits, candids, artistics shots ...)

Best to work in team too. I covered my only (recent) wedding with a backup, just for the peace of mind Smile


PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wedding with MFL only is surely doable (that's how photographers did it until the 80s). But like any other art, you need to master your tools, you need a good training on manual focusing. No moment is too fast to be taken with a MFL if you have enough skills.

.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well I just got back and the MF shots have fabulous bokeh and sharp subjects (Super Takumar 55/2) and the AF shots are 50% in focus ( Confused ) and a bit cluttered due to the slow f-stops. I really couldn't have done without the wide end of the AF zoom however.

Overall, as expected Laughing


PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shrek wrote:
Well I just got back and the MF shots have fabulous bokeh and sharp subjects (Super Takumar 55/2) and the AF shots are 50% in focus ( Confused ) and a bit cluttered due to the slow f-stops. I really couldn't have done without the wide end of the AF zoom however.

Overall, as expected Laughing


Sounds like a familiar situation Smile


PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MF lenses only:

Contax Distagon 1.4/35
Contax Distagon 4/18
Contax Vario-Sonnar 4/80-200

flash: METZ Mecablitz 58 AF-1 for Canon EOS
camera: Canon EOS 5D MarkII

Some pictures without flash -- I wasn't an official photographer -- this wedding didn't have any Cool

LiveView HELPED a LOT...

Please, read the details about lenses or flash on each picture:


CLICK ON THIS PICTURE:



CLICK ON THIS PICTURE:


PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

They are too sharp! Next time use a dirty Uv filter on them Wink


PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

trifox,
great job!!
Likely i will rent one AF lens probably Canon 24-70L
-Jim


PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I shoot maybe 6-8 weddings a year, and I still don´t dare trying only MF.

I have been thinking about getting a second photographer to shoot AF while I am playing around, to find out if my MF skills are good enough.

I don´t think a wedding is a place to "try" unless you are 100% fit for the job.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

lahnet wrote:

I don´t think a wedding is a place to "try" unless you are 100% fit for the job.


In my opinions weddings are more a matter of social skills - you are unlikely to screw up there technically if you don't do it elsewhere, but you are likely to leave the client unhappy if rich, ugly Uncle Joseph is on no picture at all while the photogenic ex of the bridegroom over whose very attendance the couple did almost break up is all over them...

MF is not really more risky than AF - its "place the focusing aid on proper spot, twist lens until aligned" rather than "place the measuring field on proper spot, half-press shutter or press AF lock", and even though the latter is a bit faster, it makes it too easy to forget AF locking and frame-and-shoot immediately - personally AF always causes me to create a fair amount of waste with misplaced focus.

Sevo


PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sevo -- you're right --

I would add this --- I don't personally like AF system -- I understand some situations when used but If I can avoid this -- I AM SO HAPPY..

Focusing with MF is not too difficult -- I had only some of them out of focus..

in other words -- I am more excited when shooting manually -- so, more self-confident as well Smile

MF is NOT RISKY -- in some cases definitely safer than AF.

tf


PostPosted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Especially in low light (which is not an uncommon situation at weddings), many AF systems will "wander" from end to end trying to catch the focus and WILL make you miss the photograph - not only because the chances that the focus is picked wrongly is high, but also because some cameras do actually NOT allow you to press the shutter at all while the AF motor is wandering back and forth.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Trifox picture 42 in your wedding series is fantastic for me.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 6:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

44, 8 are amazing.. very well done !!


PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 4:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

old topic, still exciting for every wedding photographer. you need a strong eye in order to focus correctly on 1.4 or more.. tried that this year. was totally exciting Very Happy Very Happy
gonna post something in a couple of days.. http://www.glamoureffekt.de


PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 11:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In the old days we only used MF. Of course SLR's had focusing aids like split prism etc. I don't recall ever getting an out of focus image in hundreds of weddings. I must have done of course but it was never an issue.


PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 12:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have used only MF lenses on several weddings lately. No problem really. Just need to be ahead of the situation, stop down a little, prefocus and shoot a burst of pictures just before "they" walk into the focus area and passing...


PostPosted: Sat Jan 03, 2015 8:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hello and happy new year everybody.

I'm asking my self the same question. a very good friend of me asked me to be her "wedding photographe" and i cannot refuse.
I'm not a pro ( far from this ) and never cover a event like this.

I get two body : sony a7 and sony nex 6.
sony fe 28-70mm and many manual focus lenses : 24,35mm,50,85mm,135mm.

I'm thinking to put the sony a7 with zoom 28-70mm and the nex 6 with manual focus lenses like the 50mm or 85mm for portrait.

what did you think ? any advice are very very welcomed.

thanks Wink


PostPosted: Thu Jan 08, 2015 8:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Edited

Last edited by bernhardas on Sat Apr 02, 2016 7:34 am; edited 1 time in total