 BetterPhoto Member |
Manual or Autofocus? I'm new to the world of photography. I want to purchase a new SLR camera. Is it possible to begin with a manual focus camera and then to switch to autofocus? What will be the difference in the resolutions of the two cameras? One Will I be able to improve my photography skills? And, lastly, which is the best choice among manual cameras?
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Steve McCroskey |
Hi Sam! Yes, it is possible to start with a manual focus camera and then switch to an autofocus model! Nikon,I believe, makes their lenses so they will fit either manual focus or autofocus cameras. I, however, decided to purchase a Minolta Maxxum 5 camera - autofocus - but it has manual settings if I want to experiment! Most autofocus cameras have a manual setting. Hope this helps!!
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John A. Lind |
Sam, As Steve mentions, it is possible to start with manual focus lenses and move later to autofocus within Nikon's system. Choose the specific camera body and lenses with some care. Some of their autofocus bodies are easier to use the Nikon AI/AIS manual focus lenses with than others. Unfortunately, I'm not an expert with Nikon's autofocus system, so I cannot make specific recommendations. (You cannot do this with Canon ... their FD manual focus lens mount is different from their auto-focus EOS system.) Neither manual nor autofocus gives you any better "sharpness." That's a quality of the lens, and ultimately you control lens focusing (albeit indirectly with auto-focusing systems). With film-based systems, resolution - more correctly resolving power - is a function of the lens and film together. Whether it's manual or auto-focus makes no difference. I still prefer manual focusing for the control it provides ... it allows me to very directly place critical focus exactly where I want it using the viewfinder's focusing aids (split, microprism, etc.). Not that it cannot be done with auto-focusing systems ... the methods for doing it seem cumbersome to me the few times I've handled auto-focus gear and I've done it so long manually that I don't have to think about it ... it's a natural part of the flow in making the photograph. Regarding photography skills, it depends to some extent what you want to do. I'm very much Old School on this ... with the three most important things being control, control, and control ... which requires understanding the aspects of lens optics, film/print (the photographic process), and exposure relevant to being able to control them for desired effect in the photograph.
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Bob Cammarata |
I too prefer manual focus ... especially for critical work in macro, and for landscapes. As mentioned, AF systems can be somewhat "cumbersome" ... unless you have a thorough working knowledge of the system you are using, and can INSTANTLY get it to react to your desired objective. Where autofocus has its advantages is shooting action sports ... where focus distances may change quicker than your ability to react, or when trying to capture fast-moving wildlife subjects. The good news is that just about ALL AF systems have manual overrides ... so you can "improve your skills" ... or switch off the AF for those times when manual-focus simply makes more sense.
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