Autofocus motor.

NecroticSoldier · 03-16-2010, 12:01 PM

My DA L does not have quick shift, and I'm sorta paranoid now, my hands are kinda big, and on two occasions one of my fingers rested lightly on the focus ring, and I autofocussed it, and my finger gave some resistance to it. Is there a way to check for damage? I'm being really worried right now, anyone in this situation?

wlachan · 03-16-2010, 12:37 PM

As long as the camera/lens AF, you have nothing to worry. Pentax body based AF seldom fail.

NecroticSoldier · 03-16-2010, 01:52 PM

Originally posted by wlachan

As long as the camera/lens AF, you have nothing to worry. Pentax body based AF seldom fail.

Yay, okay! It still works, so I guess it's fine... not sure if it slowed though. Or is it that type of thing, it works or doesn't there's no half?

wlachan · 03-16-2010, 02:24 PM

That's right. It either works or not. There is no slow down like SDM. Don't worry.

GoremanX · 03-16-2010, 04:59 PM

P.S. quick shift has nothing to do with that. Even my quick-shift kit lens rotates the focus ring when the camera auto-focuses. Quick shift just means you can turn the focus ring manually after auto-focus is achieved without fear of forcing the focus motor.

**Canada_Rockies** · 03-18-2010, 10:03 PM

Originally posted by NecroticSoldier

My DA L does not have quick shift, and I'm sorta paranoid now, my hands are kinda big, and on two occasions one of my fingers rested lightly on the focus ring, and I autofocussed it, and my finger gave some resistance to it. Is there a way to check for damage? I'm being really worried right now, anyone in this situation?

You can reduce the incidence of getting fingers in the wrong place by studying the proper way to use a lens/camera combination. Many people have never been told how to properly hold their rig, and you might be one of them.

To properly hold an SLR or DSLR with a modest lens (up to my 50-135), the proper technique is to sit the camera in the palm of your left hand, with the thumb and forefinger on the zoom ring from below the lens. If you have the rig properly placed in your left hand, you can remove your right hand from the camera, and it will stay put. It takes practice to get it, but it is well worth the trial and effort. It even helps hold the camera more steady, adding to the shake reduction low speeds. This is obviously not much help when I have the 400 mm lens on the camera.

Many camera users hold the camera with the right hand and turn the zoom ring with the forefinger on top and the thumb on the bottom, which provides no support to the camera/lens assembly, and leaves the fingers that are not in use out by the focusing ring.

Those of us who grew up with square bodied cameras without grips learned very quickly that holding a camera like that can result in broken cameras. I can hold my K10 and 16-50 or 12-24 with one hand, thanks to the grip and the grip strap I have, but it is still easier to hold steady when the weight is sitting in the palm of my left hand.

NecroticSoldier · 03-19-2010, 08:02 AM

Originally posted by Canada_Rockies

You can reduce the incidence of getting fingers in the wrong place by studying the proper way to use a lens/camera combination. Many people have never been told how to properly hold their rig, and you might be one of them.

To properly hold an SLR or DSLR with a modest lens (up to my 50-135), the proper technique is to sit the camera in the palm of your left hand, with the thumb and forefinger on the zoom ring from below the lens. If you have the rig properly placed in your left hand, you can remove your right hand from the camera, and it will stay put. It takes practice to get it, but it is well worth the trial and effort. It even helps hold the camera more steady, adding to the shake reduction low speeds. This is obviously not much help when I have the 400 mm lens on the camera.

Many camera users hold the camera with the right hand and turn the zoom ring with the forefinger on top and the thumb on the bottom, which provides no support to the camera/lens assembly, and leaves the fingers that are not in use out by the focusing ring.

Those of us who grew up with square bodied cameras without grips learned very quickly that holding a camera like that can result in broken cameras. I can hold my K10 and 16-50 or 12-24 with one hand, thanks to the grip and the grip strap I have, but it is still easier to hold steady when the weight is sitting in the palm of my left hand.

Good thing I learned in Photography class the right way to hold it, I have to admit though, that the first day I got the K-X it felt more natural to hold it with the forefinger on thop and thumb on the bottom, but I realized that it started taking up a lot of space and did not provide any stability to my camera. So then I switched to the normal and more unnatural feeling way, and I got used to it. I've seen some people's avatars here of them holding it like that... but I am not one of them.

I am too cheap to buy a strap for my K1000... so I don't want it to fall, I never hold it like that, because I love my K1000 a lot ( I find that this is much more needed for the K1000 because it had no grip to help stabilize it ).

I know you said I might be one of them, but I'm not ;P!

Thanks for the suggestion though. Either this lens is really short, or my fingers are too long. (good for piano/guitar but bad for camera ;()

I actually never tried holding with just my left hand though... I think I'll go try WITH a strap. Thanks again!

03-16-2010, 12:01 PM	#1
NecroticSoldier Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Scarborough, Ontario Photos: Albums Posts: 488	Autofocus motor. My DA L does not have quick shift, and I'm sorta paranoid now, my hands are kinda big, and on two occasions one of my fingers rested lightly on the focus ring, and I autofocussed it, and my finger gave some resistance to it. Is there a way to check for damage? I'm being really worried right now, anyone in this situation?

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03-16-2010, 12:37 PM	#2
wlachan Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Canada Photos: Albums Posts: 2,625	As long as the camera/lens AF, you have nothing to worry. Pentax body based AF seldom fail.

03-16-2010, 01:52 PM	#3
NecroticSoldier Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Scarborough, Ontario Photos: Albums Posts: 488 Original Poster	Originally posted by wlachan As long as the camera/lens AF, you have nothing to worry. Pentax body based AF seldom fail. Yay, okay! It still works, so I guess it's fine... not sure if it slowed though. Or is it that type of thing, it works or doesn't there's no half?

03-16-2010, 02:24 PM	#4
wlachan Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Canada Photos: Albums Posts: 2,625	That's right. It either works or not. There is no slow down like SDM. Don't worry.

03-16-2010, 04:59 PM	#5
GoremanX Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Georgia, VT Photos: Albums Posts: 1,657	P.S. quick shift has nothing to do with that. Even my quick-shift kit lens rotates the focus ring when the camera auto-focuses. Quick shift just means you can turn the focus ring manually after auto-focus is achieved without fear of forcing the focus motor.

03-18-2010, 10:03 PM	#6
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by NecroticSoldier My DA L does not have quick shift, and I'm sorta paranoid now, my hands are kinda big, and on two occasions one of my fingers rested lightly on the focus ring, and I autofocussed it, and my finger gave some resistance to it. Is there a way to check for damage? I'm being really worried right now, anyone in this situation? You can reduce the incidence of getting fingers in the wrong place by studying the proper way to use a lens/camera combination. Many people have never been told how to properly hold their rig, and you might be one of them. To properly hold an SLR or DSLR with a modest lens (up to my 50-135), the proper technique is to sit the camera in the palm of your left hand, with the thumb and forefinger on the zoom ring from below the lens. If you have the rig properly placed in your left hand, you can remove your right hand from the camera, and it will stay put. It takes practice to get it, but it is well worth the trial and effort. It even helps hold the camera more steady, adding to the shake reduction low speeds. This is obviously not much help when I have the 400 mm lens on the camera. Many camera users hold the camera with the right hand and turn the zoom ring with the forefinger on top and the thumb on the bottom, which provides no support to the camera/lens assembly, and leaves the fingers that are not in use out by the focusing ring. Those of us who grew up with square bodied cameras without grips learned very quickly that holding a camera like that can result in broken cameras. I can hold my K10 and 16-50 or 12-24 with one hand, thanks to the grip and the grip strap I have, but it is still easier to hold steady when the weight is sitting in the palm of my left hand.

03-19-2010, 08:02 AM	#7
NecroticSoldier Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Scarborough, Ontario Photos: Albums Posts: 488 Original Poster	Originally posted by Canada_Rockies You can reduce the incidence of getting fingers in the wrong place by studying the proper way to use a lens/camera combination. Many people have never been told how to properly hold their rig, and you might be one of them. To properly hold an SLR or DSLR with a modest lens (up to my 50-135), the proper technique is to sit the camera in the palm of your left hand, with the thumb and forefinger on the zoom ring from below the lens. If you have the rig properly placed in your left hand, you can remove your right hand from the camera, and it will stay put. It takes practice to get it, but it is well worth the trial and effort. It even helps hold the camera more steady, adding to the shake reduction low speeds. This is obviously not much help when I have the 400 mm lens on the camera. Many camera users hold the camera with the right hand and turn the zoom ring with the forefinger on top and the thumb on the bottom, which provides no support to the camera/lens assembly, and leaves the fingers that are not in use out by the focusing ring. Those of us who grew up with square bodied cameras without grips learned very quickly that holding a camera like that can result in broken cameras. I can hold my K10 and 16-50 or 12-24 with one hand, thanks to the grip and the grip strap I have, but it is still easier to hold steady when the weight is sitting in the palm of my left hand. Good thing I learned in Photography class the right way to hold it, I have to admit though, that the first day I got the K-X it felt more natural to hold it with the forefinger on thop and thumb on the bottom, but I realized that it started taking up a lot of space and did not provide any stability to my camera. So then I switched to the normal and more unnatural feeling way, and I got used to it. I've seen some people's avatars here of them holding it like that... but I am not one of them. I am too cheap to buy a strap for my K1000... so I don't want it to fall, I never hold it like that, because I love my K1000 a lot ( I find that this is much more needed for the K1000 because it had no grip to help stabilize it ). I know you said I might be one of them, but I'm not ;P! Thanks for the suggestion though. Either this lens is really short, or my fingers are too long. (good for piano/guitar but bad for camera ;() I actually never tried holding with just my left hand though... I think I'll go try WITH a strap. Thanks again!