Leica User Forum - View Single Post - Is Autofocus as relevant as it is often presumed

pgk · 07/09/08, 01:41 PM

Without wishing to start a debate on forthcoming cameras, I'd be interested to know what member's views are on autofocus and its desirability. I've spent the last few years working with dSLRs (and before that film SLRs) all of which featured autofocus of varying abilities and speeds. Having now added an M8 and lenses, I've also adapted a couple of pieces of R glass to use on my FF Canons.

I actually find that I enjoy the benefits of tatile, effective manual focus - as opposed to the rather sloppier manual focus featured on my AF lenses. I've also discovered that it slows me down and I think more about exactly where I want focus to be and that I use depth of field scale (well 2 tops less ones anyway) to more accurately fix what is and what is not in focus. In short, the benefits I find are that I have to engage more in the image making process and my results are more considered as a result.

I wonder whether this is something that others have noticed and whether the benefits of manual focus are somewhat underrated in todays digital world?

07/09/08, 01:41 PM	#1 (permalink)
pgk Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 12/03/07 Posts: 270	Is Autofocus as relevant as it is often presumed Without wishing to start a debate on forthcoming cameras, I'd be interested to know what member's views are on autofocus and its desirability. I've spent the last few years working with dSLRs (and before that film SLRs) all of which featured autofocus of varying abilities and speeds. Having now added an M8 and lenses, I've also adapted a couple of pieces of R glass to use on my FF Canons. I actually find that I enjoy the benefits of tatile, effective manual focus - as opposed to the rather sloppier manual focus featured on my AF lenses. I've also discovered that it slows me down and I think more about exactly where I want focus to be and that I use depth of field scale (well 2 tops less ones anyway) to more accurately fix what is and what is not in focus. In short, the benefits I find are that I have to engage more in the image making process and my results are more considered as a result. I wonder whether this is something that others have noticed and whether the benefits of manual focus are somewhat underrated in todays digital world?