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10-09-2014, 07:41 PM   #1
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manual focus / quick shift

So I am a newbie and a happy owner of K50 as of few months ago. I have inherited a 50mm SMC FA something 1.4 lens -- very nice. I am in the middle of reading Brian Petersen's Exposure book where he discusses how to have a very long depth of field while using f22 and manual focus -- I have tried it -- actually works. I am making progress.
My question is this: how many possible ways are there to switch over and use manual focus? The little doo-hickey on the k50 body that switches from AF to C to MF seems to be too tiny and flimsy -- I think it is better left alone and its not meant for heavy use. Do you agree? So if I am taking a few hundred shots a week, and some are AF and some are MF -- I dont think I am supposed to be flipping this little switch back and forth. So what else is there? I was under the impression that you can be in a certain mode all the time, but you can override the AF/MF mode for a few pictures here and there -- is that accurate? How do I do that? Is that what a "quick shift" is? Is that a thing on the lens itself?

Thank you

10-09-2014, 08:04 PM   #2
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That lens doesn't have quick shift and manually focusing when having AF engaged is potentially harmful to both the lens and the camera. Use the switch on the body, it's meant to be used.
10-09-2014, 08:08 PM   #3
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Hi, and welcome! As far as I know - except for a few premium lenses with their own AF/MF switch - the only possibility to switch to full manual focusing is the small lever on the left of the K50 body. I don't know how flimsy it is - as I don't have a K50. (I suppose it is likely very similar to previous models - which were quite solid.)

About the quick-shift: Quick-shift is a special feature on different lenses from Pentax - but not on all of them. Quick-shift allows a full time override of focusing before or after the AF was activated - without switching the AF/MF lever on the body (or lens).
If your 50mm "something" lens is a FA 50 f1.4 then you don't have this feature on it, because that was a lens manufactured before quick-shift was introduced.
The modern lenses have this feature, as DA, DA* and DFA lenses (see the lens database on this site: Pentax Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
(there are also modern lenses, for example DAL lenses <budget version of similarly named normal DA-s> - which lack this function)
10-09-2014, 08:54 PM   #4
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Note that some DA (like rebranded Tamron lenses) also lacks quickshift.

10-17-2014, 05:06 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by redridinghood Quote
how many possible ways are there to switch over and use manual focus?
#1- The MF switch on the side of the mirror box
#2- Quickshift- only certain (and in generally pricier) lenses support this. On most lenses when the mirror box switch is in an AF mode, the focus ring cannot be moved on the lens - at least not without causing damage. A lens with Quickshift allows the focusing ring to be turned to override AF without first switching to MF.
#3- press and hold the lens release button.... doing this also disengages the AF screw drive. You do have to use some caution that the lens does not turn in the mount during focusing. This option takes some practice, and I am sure it is not endorsed by Pentax - but it works.
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