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

JBA · 07/09/08, 02:26 PM

I refuse to use autofocus beyond the level of point & shoot. It may be useful to certain people for certain kinds of photography, but for me it simply robs me of control of the creative process. It also functions very poorly in my experience, and the few times I've used a DSLR, the autofocus has been a major source of frustration.

The intensity of my dislike for autofocus is what drew me to Leica in the first place (and it continues to be a serendipitous journey of discovery). Shooting with strictly manual focus lenses is a tactile joy, and is artistically vastly superior to autofocus.

To answer the original question, beyond point & shoot, autofocus is worse than irrelevant; it is positively detrimental and undesirable. At least this is the case for the type of photography I do.

(Thanks for providing this stage for venting.)

07/09/08, 02:26 PM	#3 (permalink)
JBA Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 10/26/07 Location: Tokyo Posts: 292	Re: Is Autofocus as relevant as it is often presumed I refuse to use autofocus beyond the level of point & shoot. It may be useful to certain people for certain kinds of photography, but for me it simply robs me of control of the creative process. It also functions very poorly in my experience, and the few times I've used a DSLR, the autofocus has been a major source of frustration. The intensity of my dislike for autofocus is what drew me to Leica in the first place (and it continues to be a serendipitous journey of discovery). Shooting with strictly manual focus lenses is a tactile joy, and is artistically vastly superior to autofocus. To answer the original question, beyond point & shoot, autofocus is worse than irrelevant; it is positively detrimental and undesirable. At least this is the case for the type of photography I do. (Thanks for providing this stage for venting.)