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06-06-2018, 03:36 PM - 1 Like   #16
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There has always been some advantage to manual focus.

I don't read any of the doom forums, so maybe this has already been mentioned. I think it is a great time to do nearly anything you want in photography. If you want to use all AF lenses on 36x24, you can, with a reasonable lineup of new stuff and some used lenses filling in. Manual focus, same thing. Film isn't dead either. Sure, Pentax is not big enough to serve every particular need, so the occasional person must slip away to lesser brands for that 5:1 macro or 400/2.8. Still, more lenses than I can afford.

06-06-2018, 03:53 PM - 4 Likes   #17
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As there is no convincing evidence that Pentax is in any trouble, I'm very happy to continue buying and using autofocus lenses.

I might be single-handedly responsible for keeping them in business
06-06-2018, 04:23 PM - 1 Like   #18
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I already shoot with both the K-1 and Sony A7 with Novaflex adapter, that has aperture control.

Like manual focus, it can be a real productivity killer, the clickless aperture ring.

So, say you see someone you want to take a picture of, and decide to shoot at f8 with an f2.8 lens.

You can point at them and change your shutter speed and ISO so that you can see on the manual exposure needle you're exactly three stops overexposed.

Now, go through the effort of doing your manual focus, turn the ring closing down until the needle centres, and get the shot.

Sure, this is all doable, but it really destroys your workflow!

Having said all of that, I'm overseas hiking and cycling for a month later this year, and I want as small and light a setup as possible, and at the moment it's looking like the A7 and the FA31 and FA77 Limiteds. It'll all be manual focus, but with real aperture rings.
06-06-2018, 04:47 PM - 1 Like   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by Fenwoodian Quote
Manual focus, K mount prime lenses (with aperture rings) will last forever...
But our eyes don't. Some don't even start out where they should.
Give me a manual focus lens, and I'll give you a days shoot with zero keepers.
I will sometimes choose to adjust focus after the camera does its thing, but I often have to simply accept my place with the electronic overlords.

06-06-2018, 05:50 PM - 1 Like   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by amoringello Quote
Give me a manual focus lens, and I'll give you a days shoot with zero keepers.
That might be your reality, but it's certainly not been my experience.

I honed my manual focusing skills over years of shooting birds-in-flight and fast action sports with MF lenses. I'd guess well over 70,000 such shots.

These days I shoot subjects that move much more slowly (if at all). I manually focus lenses on my K1 using a Zacuto viewfinder that's permanently attached to the back LCD screen. I achieve virtually 100% keepers!

So, I guess that it all depends upon what you shoot, and how much experience you have shooting with manual focus lenses (and maybe the quality/type of your MF lens - I'm no good at manually focusing Fuji's horible "focus-by-wire" lenses).
.

P.S. I also get better performance out of my clutch/stick-shift car than I do with automatic transmission vehicles.

Last edited by Fenwoodian; 06-06-2018 at 06:07 PM.
06-06-2018, 06:14 PM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by Fenwoodian Quote
Maybe we need to organize our own little club here within the Pentax Forums? We could call it the MEBI (Manual-Everything Base-ISO) Club!
Or the KISS (keep it simple stupid) club !!
06-06-2018, 06:26 PM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by Fenwoodian Quote
]
These days I shoot subjects that move much more slowly (if at all). I manually focus lenses on my K1 using a Zacuto viewfinder that's permanently attached to the back LCD screen. I achieve virtually 100% keepers!
Yeah, I've got a well-built loupe like a Hoodman that attaches by the tripod mount on the underside of my K-1 to give me a defacto EVF in Live View.

Very robust, and works very, very well, but with this design I lose the ability to use a tripod, unfortunately!

06-06-2018, 06:48 PM - 1 Like   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by clackers Quote
Yeah, I've got a well-built loupe like a Hoodman that attaches by the tripod mount on the underside of my K-1 to give me a defacto EVF in Live View.

Very robust, and works very, very well, but with this design I lose the ability to use a tripod, unfortunately!
I use the Swivi S3 . It is mounted with a base plate that doubles as a quick attach plate. It is pretty well permanently on the K1
06-06-2018, 07:06 PM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by GUB Quote
I use the Swivi S3 . It is mounted with a base plate that doubles as a quick attach plate. It is pretty well permanently on the K1
Very nice, GUB.

Just like my A7, I find that the focus peaking becomes a gimmick in low light or low contrast situations, magnified Live View is the way to go.

The very fastest way is my K-30 with its Katzeye split prism focusing screen, but the K-1 has a non-replaceable screen because of its display overlays.
06-06-2018, 08:46 PM - 1 Like   #25
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I swap between manual and autofocus all the time on my modern lenses. Autofocus is great for getting the shot, but it doesn't know exactly what you want to focus on 100% of the time.
06-07-2018, 11:50 AM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by clackers Quote
So, say you see someone you want to take a picture of, and decide to shoot at f8 with an f2.8 lens.

You can point at them and change your shutter speed and ISO so that you can see on the manual exposure needle you're exactly three stops overexposed.

Now, go through the effort of doing your manual focus, turn the ring closing down until the needle centres, and get the shot.

Sure, this is all doable, but it really destroys your workflow!

Having said all of that, I'm overseas hiking and cycling for a month later this year, and I want as small and light a setup as possible, and at the moment it's looking like the A7 and the FA31 and FA77 Limiteds. It'll all be manual focus, but with real aperture rings.
Hyperbole much?

That is to say, the original mis-judgement of the scene in that particular case is what destroyed a workflow. Metering and aperture control salvaged it.

---------- Post added 06-07-18 at 11:56 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by clackers Quote

The very fastest way is my K-30 with its Katzeye split prism focusing screen, but the K-1 has a non-replaceable screen because of its display overlays.
I didn't realize this. In the APS-C varieties a Katzeye (later switched to S-types; even better) were a requirement for me personally over the stock screen.
Though it's been my understanding the larger, brighter K-1 screen (by its nature) made it somewhat of a moot issue. Do folks really have a hard time nailing manual focus in lowlight on the K-1?
06-07-2018, 01:04 PM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by amoringello Quote
But our eyes don't. Some don't even start out where they should.
Give me a manual focus lens, and I'll give you a days shoot with zero keepers.
I will sometimes choose to adjust focus after the camera does its thing, but I often have to simply accept my place with the electronic overlords.
I will add a +1 to all who say LCD loupe + LV magnification.
I started out of necessity (when I moved to the K-01, which as you know doesn't have a viewfinder), but I am missing it so much when I use my K-30 that I still use the K-01 more often than the DSLR!
06-07-2018, 01:34 PM - 1 Like   #28
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QuoteOriginally posted by chickentender Quote
Hyperbole much?

That is to say, the original mis-judgement of the scene in that particular case is what destroyed a workflow. Metering and aperture control salvaged it.
?

You don't understand, Chickentender, sounds like you've never had to change aperture on a modern lens (no aperture ring) on a body that has no electronic aperture controls.

This process is how you then shoot at f5.6 or whatever.

How else would you do it?



06-07-2018, 01:38 PM - 1 Like   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by clackers Quote
How else would you do it?
Asking for - no, pretending - an adapter with electronic aperture control either on Change dot org or by submitting a petition to the parliament, embellished with a side dish of pitchforks
06-07-2018, 01:43 PM - 2 Likes   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by LensBeginner Quote
Asking for - no, pretending - an adapter with electronic aperture control either on Change dot org or by submitting a petition to the parliament, embellished with a side dish of pitchforks
(Laughs).

Or ... radical thought ... shooting a lens on the camera it was designed for.

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