Focusing & Metering: Canon EOS with manual focus lenses

[cyrusuncc]

Sorry in advance if this has been discussed before (did a quick search but didn't find what i was looking for). I'm new to the manual focus lens area; in fact, i have purchased 3 M42 lenses and the adapter with AF Confirm, but they haven't even been delivered. I am wondering what the proper technique is to using these lenses with an AF confirm chip.

With an AF lens, i press the shutter half way to focus and meter, then press fully to take the picture. With the manual lens, would i set the aperture, focus, then press the shutter half way to meter, fully press to take the picture? in Aperture priority mode, will it attempt to set the exposure and shutter speed properly? Is there a 'best practices' technique for this or do most go fully manual (including setting the ISO)?

Thanks in advance!

This is the adapter i purchased:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/110731872129?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

[poilu]

set the AV mode and aperture on lens and shot, then check your histogram and make correction if needed
for AF confirm, best result seems when start from infinite, slowly moving the barrel and stop when the light is on
there is a new generation of adapter, not cheap, who allow to record the aperture in the exif
in this case the procedure is different, I have one for 1 year but I still don't understand how it's work

[visualopsins]

Without AF, viewfinder quality becomes important, to see the focal plane position and the DOF.

Stock focus screens are optimized for lenses maximum f/3.5. Accurate focus of faster lenses is impossible because the stock focus screen cannot show focal plane thinner than f/3.5. Optional E?-S matte focus screens are optimized to show focal plane to f/1.8, but at the expense of some viewfinder light loss for smaller apertures -- with E?-S focus screen the viewfinder is darker when aperture is f/2.8 or more.

From the Canon 5Dc White Paper (page 9), the main focus sensors operate at @f/5.6, and for lenses f/2.8 or faster 3 additional sensors in the center operate @f/2.8. Thus the focus-confirm system is inaccurate for lenses faster than f/2.8; the much thinner f/1.4 lens DOF focus gets confirmed somewhere within the f/2.8 DOF. For me, seeing the focal plane in viewfinder is more accurate. I've removed all the auto-confirm chips from adapters! The flashing lights were distracting as well.

I usually focus with lens wide open, then stop down to check DOF and make the photo. Some lenses have auto/manual diaphragm switch. With these I use an adapter without a flange. The desired aperture can be set on the lens, then use a/m switch to open and close it for focusing and making photo. Flanged adapter or other method to depress diaphragm pin is necessary to use lenses without a/m switch.

[martinsmith99]

In short, always focus wide open, then select aperture before before you take the shot. Viewfinder DOF varies from model to model; the budget Canons are about F4 so you will probably want to use liveview for larger apertures.