Having just bought a camera which arguably has the most sophisticated
autofocus system currently available, I nevertheless am beginning to
come to a re-appreciation of manual focus. For the vast majority of
my shots, manual focus is actually more dependable than autofocus,
but requires just a tad more work. And even that's debatable. I look
through the view finder. I use the arrow pad to move the focus point
where I want it. In the old days, I just twisted the focus ring. Even
today I can set focus to manual and just twist the focus ring. True,
it's a wimpy feel compared to the great lens focus rings of old, but
it works.
(There are times, however, when autofocus comes into its own and
literally nothing else will do, but truth is, I don't encounter those
times very often, and it's easy enough to engage when I do.)
I'm even starting to think the amount of money spent on the latest
autofocusing lenses might better be spent amassing a collection of
older, manual focus glass that for most intents and purposes is just
as good, if not better, than the auto-glass that replaced it. My
camera reputedly has a way to register older glass so that metering
will work, even if the operator is required to (gasp!) set the f-stop
and manually focus.
Obviously, there are lenses that one must go modern with. The Nikon
14-24, 24-70 and 70-200 come immediately to mind as there really
aren't older equivalents, and the older prime wide angles show
problems with the modern, full-frame DSLR. (Unless you're using
vintage Oly glass on a new Canon, that is. <g>) But the old Nikon 105
f/2.5, which many argue is one of the sharpest lenses ever produced
by any camera company, is still available on the used market for as
little as $150. The modern 105 which also has VR and is a macro, is
around a grand, as I recall.
Also, I've got a terrific tripod and state--of-the-art ball head, but
I don't use them very much because with the camera set to manual
exposure with auto-ISO ranging between 200 and 3200 (and VR on the
70-200), damn near every subject is available hand-held. But
still . . . there's something in there causing a kind of subliminal
discomfort at blasting away oblivious to the old shot discipline
necessary when using the trusty OM-2n. Or the view camera. That
little voice in the back of my head asking why I didn't go ahead and
set up the tripod and lock the mirror up and use the cable release, etc.
No, I'm not longing for the old days. At least I don't think I am.
What I'm longing for (I think) is a reminder that good shot
discipline is not obviated by technology, that the superior tools of
the modern day, such as top-of-the-line offerings from quality
manufacturers such as Canon, Olympus, Nikon, Pentax, etc., actually
perform even better with the application of common sense and
patience, and an awareness of when to employ the ground-breaking
technology, and when to let it rest.
--Bob Whitmire
www.bwp33.com
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