recomposing on a manual lens

varyabol · 07-28-2011, 11:12 AM

i have k-x and thinking of getting a manual lens the pentax 50mm f2. now k-x cant move the AF points so how do i recompose my shots (rule of thirds) and still keep the focus where i want it?

JeffJS · 07-28-2011, 11:24 AM

If you're using a manual lens, the AF points won't matter. Set the camera to Manual focus if you trust your skill and just focus (you should still get the AF beep), recompose, and shoot. Note also that these lenses will only work in M mode unless it is an A type lens.

varyabol · 07-28-2011, 11:39 AM

ya its an A type. so my initial center focus will still be sharp once i recompose? just dont go too far from my initial focus? im new to this so if you guys have any tricks about manual lenses (older pentax lenses) and how to keep it sharp after recomposing kindly enlighten me. ty.

Docrwm · 07-28-2011, 11:42 AM

Welcome aboard the Manual Focus express.

There are a good number of threads here on manual focus lenses, tricks, ideas, suggestions,etc.

just poke around with the search feature. Many are on the Pentax SLR Lens Discussion - PentaxForums.com forum here.

Good Luck.

JeffJS · 07-28-2011, 11:52 AM

Originally posted by varyabol

ya its an A type. so my initial center focus will still be sharp once i recompose? just dont go too far from my initial focus? im new to this so if you guys have any tricks about manual lenses (older pentax lenses) and how to keep it sharp after recomposing kindly enlighten me. ty.

Unless you move forward or backward, yes, it should still be in reasonable focus. It really depends on How you move the camera to recompose and how far away you are and your aperture and..... Note that if anything in your composition is closer or further away from your original focal point, the focus of That object (or scene) will change some also but at 50mm unless were talking a 16 inch distance, that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

**dadipentak** · 07-28-2011, 12:14 PM

Yeah ok there are workarounds but what I want to know is whether there are any good technical reasons why it's not possible to select a non-center focus point and use catch-in-focus with manual lenses. If not, I'd sure like a firmware update on that and I'll be really irritated if that's not fixed in the K-5 successor.

**Just1MoreDave** · 07-28-2011, 12:22 PM

Originally posted by dadipentak

Yeah ok there are workarounds but what I want to know is whether there are any good technical reasons why it's not possible to select a non-center focus point and use catch-in-focus with manual lenses. If not, I'd sure like a firmware update on that and I'll be really irritated if that's not fixed in the K-5 successor.

The AF lenses have the ability to send a lot more information to the camera. It may be the lack of distance information.

Or Pentax doesn't think it's necessary.

**Lowell Goudge** · 07-28-2011, 02:01 PM - **1 Like**

you may also wish to consider the following.

You have a 10-12 mp camera so why worry about recomposing.

just center your shot on the subject that requires critical focus and crop after the fact for the rule of thirds.

varyabol · 07-28-2011, 02:35 PM

good idea.

i try to spend less time on PP and get it right or close to it the first time.

**dadipentak** · 07-28-2011, 02:54 PM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

you may also wish to consider the following.

You have a 10-12 mp camera so why worry about recomposing.

just center your shot on the subject that requires critical focus and crop after the fact for the rule of thirds.

Heresy to those (and I admire them) who strive to compose while shooting but I do it.
That tactic argues for shooting a bit wider than you might otherwise to leave room for the crop.

**Lowell Goudge** · 07-28-2011, 03:25 PM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

you may also wish to consider the following.

You have a 10-12 mp camera so why worry about recomposing.

just center your shot on the subject that requires critical focus and crop after the fact for the rule of thirds.

Originally posted by varyabol

good idea.

i try to spend less time on PP and get it right or close to it the first time.

Originally posted by dadipentak

Heresy to those (and I admire them) who strive to compose while shooting but I do it.
That tactic argues for shooting a bit wider than you might otherwise to leave room for the crop.

you know, I too am one for getting it as close as possible with the shot, but for those uncomfortable with manual focus at the start, it is not that bad an idea.

But having said that, I don't understand the problem perhaps in the frist place, because this issue has been around for as long as there have been SLRs. the focus point is never where you want it, and this has not changed with the introduction of autofocus. It is really that people want the camera to do everything for them, including think. if the af points were where we want them, then the cameras would not have a manual focus mode and there would be no such thing as AF lock.

but perhaps I am too harsh.

I personally focus on the center when shooting action with MF and crop, because you don;t have time with moving subjects to recompose. with stationary subjects, I will be much more methodical, and recompose fter focusing at what I want.

**dadipentak** · 07-28-2011, 04:41 PM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

It is really that people want the camera to do everything for them, including think.

but perhaps I am too harsh.

I think so ;~) I do like CIF with manual lenses but I want the camera to focus on what I want it to focus on--not assume it's in the center.

Ailuropoda · 07-28-2011, 07:01 PM

If the scene is static I focus with live view on high magnification. There's something oddly relaxing about twisting dials and watching it go in and out of focus in such rich detail.

aleonx3 · 07-29-2011, 07:04 PM

There are times that you don't want to use center focus and recompose. Remember the folks who said they don't want uncle joe to take their pictures because he always make them look short in the picture.

RioRico · 07-29-2011, 07:31 PM

My priorities (most- to least-important):

1) GET THE DAMN PICTURE!
2) Don't get badly injured.
3) Make a clean getaway.
4) Expose picture properly.
5) Compose picture nicely.

I used to shoot TLRs (still have a few). And MF+ boxes and folders that had rudimentary VF's at best; or maybe sportsfinders (wire frames to peer through); or maybe I just pointed and hoped. With those, guess-exposure and zone-focus ruled. Composition was something that happened in the darkroom.

A perfect composition is nice-to-have but it can always be fixed in PP. I often generate multiple versions of a picture: different crops, different stories. Any captured picture is only fodder for the shooping machine. Too often, if you're hung-up on perfect compositions, the picture will escape, and laugh at you as it heads over the horizon.

Manual lenses: I use spot or center-weighted focusing with CIF. I center the subject and shoot. Then I crop. With 14.6mpx images, there's a lot of area available for cropping. An old artist and pioneering newsletter editor I knew swore that scissors and a paste pot were his best tools. Keep that in mind.

07-28-2011, 11:12 AM	#1
varyabol Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Photos: Albums Posts: 52	recomposing on a manual lens i have k-x and thinking of getting a manual lens the pentax 50mm f2. now k-x cant move the AF points so how do i recompose my shots (rule of thirds) and still keep the focus where i want it?

07-28-2011, 02:35 PM	#9
varyabol Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Photos: Albums Posts: 52 Original Poster	good idea. i try to spend less time on PP and get it right or close to it the first time. Last edited by varyabol; 07-28-2011 at 03:20 PM.

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07-28-2011, 11:24 AM	#2
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	If you're using a manual lens, the AF points won't matter. Set the camera to Manual focus if you trust your skill and just focus (you should still get the AF beep), recompose, and shoot. Note also that these lenses will only work in M mode unless it is an A type lens.

07-28-2011, 11:39 AM	#3
varyabol Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Photos: Albums Posts: 52 Original Poster	ya its an A type. so my initial center focus will still be sharp once i recompose? just dont go too far from my initial focus? im new to this so if you guys have any tricks about manual lenses (older pentax lenses) and how to keep it sharp after recomposing kindly enlighten me. ty.

07-28-2011, 11:42 AM	#4
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	Welcome aboard the Manual Focus express. There are a good number of threads here on manual focus lenses, tricks, ideas, suggestions,etc. just poke around with the search feature. Many are on the Pentax SLR Lens Discussion - PentaxForums.com forum here. Good Luck.

07-28-2011, 11:52 AM	#5
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	Originally posted by varyabol ya its an A type. so my initial center focus will still be sharp once i recompose? just dont go too far from my initial focus? im new to this so if you guys have any tricks about manual lenses (older pentax lenses) and how to keep it sharp after recomposing kindly enlighten me. ty. Unless you move forward or backward, yes, it should still be in reasonable focus. It really depends on How you move the camera to recompose and how far away you are and your aperture and..... Note that if anything in your composition is closer or further away from your original focal point, the focus of That object (or scene) will change some also but at 50mm unless were talking a 16 inch distance, that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

07-28-2011, 12:14 PM	#6
dadipentak Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,590	Yeah ok there are workarounds but what I want to know is whether there are any good technical reasons why it's not possible to select a non-center focus point and use catch-in-focus with manual lenses. If not, I'd sure like a firmware update on that and I'll be really irritated if that's not fixed in the K-5 successor.

07-28-2011, 12:22 PM	#7
Just1MoreDave Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Aurora, CO Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,340	Originally posted by dadipentak Yeah ok there are workarounds but what I want to know is whether there are any good technical reasons why it's not possible to select a non-center focus point and use catch-in-focus with manual lenses. If not, I'd sure like a firmware update on that and I'll be really irritated if that's not fixed in the K-5 successor. The AF lenses have the ability to send a lot more information to the camera. It may be the lack of distance information. Or Pentax doesn't think it's necessary.

07-28-2011, 02:01 PM - 1 Like	#8
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,891	you may also wish to consider the following. You have a 10-12 mp camera so why worry about recomposing. just center your shot on the subject that requires critical focus and crop after the fact for the rule of thirds.

07-28-2011, 02:54 PM	#10
dadipentak Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,590	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge you may also wish to consider the following. You have a 10-12 mp camera so why worry about recomposing. just center your shot on the subject that requires critical focus and crop after the fact for the rule of thirds. Heresy to those (and I admire them) who strive to compose while shooting but I do it. That tactic argues for shooting a bit wider than you might otherwise to leave room for the crop.

07-28-2011, 03:25 PM	#11
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,891	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge you may also wish to consider the following. You have a 10-12 mp camera so why worry about recomposing. just center your shot on the subject that requires critical focus and crop after the fact for the rule of thirds. Originally posted by varyabol good idea. i try to spend less time on PP and get it right or close to it the first time. Originally posted by dadipentak Heresy to those (and I admire them) who strive to compose while shooting but I do it. That tactic argues for shooting a bit wider than you might otherwise to leave room for the crop. you know, I too am one for getting it as close as possible with the shot, but for those uncomfortable with manual focus at the start, it is not that bad an idea. But having said that, I don't understand the problem perhaps in the frist place, because this issue has been around for as long as there have been SLRs. the focus point is never where you want it, and this has not changed with the introduction of autofocus. It is really that people want the camera to do everything for them, including think. if the af points were where we want them, then the cameras would not have a manual focus mode and there would be no such thing as AF lock. but perhaps I am too harsh. I personally focus on the center when shooting action with MF and crop, because you don;t have time with moving subjects to recompose. with stationary subjects, I will be much more methodical, and recompose fter focusing at what I want.

07-28-2011, 04:41 PM	#12
dadipentak Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,590	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge It is really that people want the camera to do everything for them, including think. but perhaps I am too harsh. I think so ;~) I do like CIF with manual lenses but I want the camera to focus on what I want it to focus on--not assume it's in the center.

07-28-2011, 07:01 PM	#13
Ailuropoda Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 71	If the scene is static I focus with live view on high magnification. There's something oddly relaxing about twisting dials and watching it go in and out of focus in such rich detail.

07-29-2011, 07:04 PM	#14
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	There are times that you don't want to use center focus and recompose. Remember the folks who said they don't want uncle joe to take their pictures because he always make them look short in the picture.

07-29-2011, 07:31 PM	#15
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	My priorities (most- to least-important): 1) GET THE DAMN PICTURE! 2) Don't get badly injured. 3) Make a clean getaway. 4) Expose picture properly. 5) Compose picture nicely. I used to shoot TLRs (still have a few). And MF+ boxes and folders that had rudimentary VF's at best; or maybe sportsfinders (wire frames to peer through); or maybe I just pointed and hoped. With those, guess-exposure and zone-focus ruled. Composition was something that happened in the darkroom. A perfect composition is nice-to-have but it can always be fixed in PP. I often generate multiple versions of a picture: different crops, different stories. Any captured picture is only fodder for the shooping machine. Too often, if you're hung-up on perfect compositions, the picture will escape, and laugh at you as it heads over the horizon. Manual lenses: I use spot or center-weighted focusing with CIF. I center the subject and shoot. Then I crop. With 14.6mpx images, there's a lot of area available for cropping. An old artist and pioneering newsletter editor I knew swore that scissors and a paste pot were his best tools. Keep that in mind.