Manual focusing with K-5 - is it good?

dexmus · 06-05-2011, 02:03 PM

Originally posted by Michaelina2

Why would you spend all of that money on a K-5 and then shoot MF? Doesn't make sense to me.

Just curious...

Another reason is accuracy. Reliance on autofocus may not provide accurate results in critical scenarios. Area of AF sensor is larger than the small rectangle you use to focus..

kittykat46 · 06-06-2011, 02:34 AM

Manual focus using the K-5's Live View is superb.
High-resolution feed, What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get. This is the first Pentax body with a LV of practical usefulness, not just a gimmick.
One touch on the Info button gives you a 2x magnification live image on the 3-inch LCD screen. The rest is up to how nimble your fingers are and the responsiveness and accuracy of the lens MF ring.

peasant · 06-06-2011, 02:59 AM

Don't underestimate the accuracy of the little green hexagon in the middle bottom of the viewfinder either,I have recently bought a couple of zeiss lenses and find it to be pretty much on the ball.

JohnBee · 06-06-2011, 05:35 AM

Originally posted by peasant

Don't underestimate the accuracy of the little green hexagon in the middle bottom of the viewfinder either,I have recently bought a couple of zeiss lenses and find it to be pretty much on the ball.

The AF indicator is good(to an extent), though the faster the lens, the worst if becomes in terms of focus accuracy. ie. if/when the DOF is thin(1.2 - 2.0), it really isn't useful at all.

To which I'd add, a split screen really picks-up where the AF confirm leaves off, though I still find that to be secondary to LV w/magnification. Having said that, the one big drawback to LV is with outdoor lighting. In which case, it becomes rather impossible to see properly. However, a hood or LV eyecup solves all of that too. So I guess there are options to consider:

Personally, I find the LV to be an unbeatable manual focusing tool when the setting allows for it. However, if you're into catch in focus type of action, I think OVF and AF confirm would come-out on top.

However, I do hope to see more LV developments in the near future as Pentax continues to improve on things. Such as:

Quick in and out magnification(with customizable power).
Metering and shutter priority functions during magnification.
Catch-in Focus in LV and during magnification.
Focus detection(blinking etc).
And much much more...

**TER-OR** · 06-06-2011, 07:38 AM

I mounted the Vivitar 500mm tele to my K-5 this weekend. I learned the minimum focus distance is pretty far, which shouldn't surprise me...

Manual focus is tricky. Upon viewing the images, my first shots at a subject were better than subsequent shots rolling focus forward. I guess that means the manual focusing is better than I suspected. I'll have to play with it on the K-10 in which I have a split-focus screen.

Here's the best shots from that session:
Mourning Dove 2 with 500mm manual | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Mourning Dove with 500mm manual | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

It's a big honkin' lens, though, and I discovered one of the clamps on the tripos is broken.

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06-05-2011, 02:03 PM	#16
dexmus Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: United States Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 392	Originally posted by Michaelina2 Why would you spend all of that money on a K-5 and then shoot MF? Doesn't make sense to me. Just curious... Another reason is accuracy. Reliance on autofocus may not provide accurate results in critical scenarios. Area of AF sensor is larger than the small rectangle you use to focus..

06-06-2011, 02:34 AM	#17
kittykat46 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 923	Manual focus using the K-5's Live View is superb. High-resolution feed, What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get. This is the first Pentax body with a LV of practical usefulness, not just a gimmick. One touch on the Info button gives you a 2x magnification live image on the 3-inch LCD screen. The rest is up to how nimble your fingers are and the responsiveness and accuracy of the lens MF ring.

06-06-2011, 02:59 AM	#18
peasant Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: adelaide Photos: Albums Posts: 89	Don't underestimate the accuracy of the little green hexagon in the middle bottom of the viewfinder either,I have recently bought a couple of zeiss lenses and find it to be pretty much on the ball.

06-06-2011, 05:35 AM	#19
JohnBee Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Newrfoundland Photos: Albums Posts: 4,667	Originally posted by peasant Don't underestimate the accuracy of the little green hexagon in the middle bottom of the viewfinder either,I have recently bought a couple of zeiss lenses and find it to be pretty much on the ball. The AF indicator is good(to an extent), though the faster the lens, the worst if becomes in terms of focus accuracy. ie. if/when the DOF is thin(1.2 - 2.0), it really isn't useful at all. To which I'd add, a split screen really picks-up where the AF confirm leaves off, though I still find that to be secondary to LV w/magnification. Having said that, the one big drawback to LV is with outdoor lighting. In which case, it becomes rather impossible to see properly. However, a hood or LV eyecup solves all of that too. So I guess there are options to consider: Personally, I find the LV to be an unbeatable manual focusing tool when the setting allows for it. However, if you're into catch in focus type of action, I think OVF and AF confirm would come-out on top. However, I do hope to see more LV developments in the near future as Pentax continues to improve on things. Such as: Quick in and out magnification(with customizable power). Metering and shutter priority functions during magnification. Catch-in Focus in LV and during magnification. Focus detection(blinking etc). And much much more...

06-06-2011, 07:38 AM	#20
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	I mounted the Vivitar 500mm tele to my K-5 this weekend. I learned the minimum focus distance is pretty far, which shouldn't surprise me... Manual focus is tricky. Upon viewing the images, my first shots at a subject were better than subsequent shots rolling focus forward. I guess that means the manual focusing is better than I suspected. I'll have to play with it on the K-10 in which I have a split-focus screen. Here's the best shots from that session: Mourning Dove 2 with 500mm manual \| Flickr - Photo Sharing! Mourning Dove with 500mm manual \| Flickr - Photo Sharing! It's a big honkin' lens, though, and I discovered one of the clamps on the tripos is broken.