Originally posted by foxhead As you age your eyes become less able to focus so auto focus is a real help.
suprising how many old timers are showing up in the poll, although i agree it needs good vision and perhapos focusing aids like eyepiece enlargers or split images
Originally posted by bdery I doubt demand will die with the users, there will always be short-on-money students dying to buy a MF lens instead of living with only the kit lens.
again, the distribution does not show this, or perhaps it does, students don't seem to be in the poll, I would assume they don't have enough for a DSLR to start with, and just use their Iphone
Originally posted by creampuff I pretty much dumped all my MF lenses with the exception of the Sigma 50mm f/2.8 Macro and A 200mm f/4. I like to shoot quickly and AF is the way to go for me as relying on MF to grab spontaneous moments is just too slow and too much of a hit and miss thing.
I've never been sentimental with my gear and I didn't find it difficult to get rid of the plethora of junk MF lenses that I once accumulated in the past. After using good glass, I don't ever want to collect some cheap and crappy MF legacy glass no matter whatever past reputation it has, so no more M42, K, M series or any lenses requiring adapters for me.
I would have to disagree. WHile there are a lot of poor performers out there, there are also some excellent performers, and also some lenses that just can't be reproduced.
Technology for better or worse, has pushed lens designs in a certain direction, and the compromises made today result in lens performance and especially bokeh, which is often left behind in the dust.
For the record, I have both K mount (mostly K and M series, but a few 3rd party makers too) and M42 lens kits. They are different in terms of performance each having certain good and bad points, but one thing is for sure, the older MF glass is a lot more compact than many (perhaps pentax is an exception) new lenses of the same focal length. When I travel for business, I like to have a camera but the size of many lenses can put me off, so I travel with 2-3 K or M42 MF lenses and a single body. After All, after hours, I am on my schedule, and can take allt he time I want.