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06-01-2007, 07:04 AM   #1
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K10D - AF button or halp press ?

I'm focusing by the "standard" method of half pressing of the camera trigger.

But would like to hear from you what method you are using - and why.

Ben

06-01-2007, 07:59 AM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by ben-pentax Quote
I'm focusing by the "standard" method of half pressing of the camera trigger.

But would like to hear from you what method you are using - and why.

Ben
I focus that way initially. If I don't get the focus I think I want, I switch into M/F and fine tune. Really an easy thing to do with the DA series lens and "quick shift".

I'm still getting used to not having a split screen (cats eye) focusing screen.

Ed
06-01-2007, 08:15 AM   #3
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I use the AF button in the K10D and the OK button on the *ist Ds exclusively. This is the first thing I de-coupled when I bought my K10D along with the stupid beep.

Why? I come from the world before AF - the subject that I want in focus is not always in the center - or the little stupid computer inside does not know what I want to be in focus. I understand the quest for composition and the rule of thirds.

My technique is to focus (on the object I want to be in focus), set the exposure (usually using spot metering - and not necessarily the thing in focus) compose and shoot. Just like we used to have to do it in the old days.

If you want the camera (a very small but basicly stupid little computer) to make your decisions for you --- good - I can live with that without an issue and there are times that I "regress" into P&S mode too. The little computer in the camera can get it right about 95% of the time (except for focus - usually picks the wrong thing) --- I try to live in that last 5%.

The nice thing about Pentax AF glass is the AF clutch that allows you to manually tweak the focus - on some lenses you can muck up your camera if you tweak the focus (no clutch, when you twist the focus ring you spin the AF motor in the body - not good)

I just want the control - I can focus on a spot - drop the camera from my eye - wait for something to "happen" at that spot. When the situation presents it self - put the camera to my eye and blast away - no AF searching - no whinning of tiny motors - but most of all --- no waiting and the moment is caught not missed.

PDL
06-01-2007, 11:45 PM   #4
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Thanks for the input PDL

gave me good ideas. Will try them

Ben

06-02-2007, 02:04 AM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by ben-pentax Quote
I'm focusing by the "standard" method of half pressing of the camera trigger.

But would like to hear from you what method you are using - and why.

Ben
I'm focusing by the standard method of twisting the focus ring on the lens body. Reason? They're manual focus lenses.
06-02-2007, 06:09 AM   #6
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I do remember something like that ...

Do you mean to say - that's the reason my A 50 lens is almost never in focus ? I'm half pressing, and even though the control is on 'M' - NOTHING HAPPENS !!!!! Even the focusing motor doesn't work. Should I take my camera back and ask for a replacement ?
06-02-2007, 06:47 AM   #7
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ROTFL! I've been using manual focus mostly recently. At one point I had on an AF macro lens (that I almost always manual focus) and it surprised me to suddenly "whir" and move - I hadn't particularly noticed that the switch was on AF.

06-02-2007, 07:53 AM   #8
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I'm currently using half-press to AF, but I've programmed the AF button to cancel AF, so in the (currently) rare instances where I want AF to "freeze", I just hold down the AF button with my right thumb.

I've been thinking about decoupling the shutter from the AF, but as long as my SO uses the K10D, it could be very confusing... I may try it now that she has her own Fuji F31fd :-)
06-02-2007, 12:12 PM   #9
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What?

QuoteOriginally posted by RBellavance Quote
I'm currently using half-press to AF, but I've programmed the AF button to cancel AF, so in the (currently) rare instances where I want AF to "freeze", I just hold down the AF button with my right thumb.

I've been thinking about decoupling the shutter from the AF, but as long as my SO uses the K10D, it could be very confusing... I may try it now that she has her own Fuji F31fd :-)
You can't explain to your SO that when it's time to focus you push the AF button on the K10D or the OK button on the *ist D(whatever) or K100D? My SO has used my PENTAX and she understands - i just say - put the "thing" you want in focus in the center of the viewfinder - push the buttton (AF or OK depending on the model) when it stops making noise --- compose and shoot. I put the camera on the Green P or Green and she blasts away.

I do not believe that a SO can be used as an reason for at least not trying this. It is available on all PENTAX DSLR's. And it does give the user control - it is easily reversable for situations where you (note the emphasis on you) deem it necessary.

PDL
06-02-2007, 06:17 PM   #10
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PDL, the reason I have auto-focus lenses, for the most part, is so I can hand my already very intimidating camera to someone else, and be vain for the moment or two it takes them to take my picture. I have very little confidence in most, especially concerning focusing a lens via ring or separate button. If they can't master the half-press and they make an exposure, who cares? Memory is cheap!

That aside, I half press (always have). I gave the AF-button an honest try, but I found it awkward and uncomfortable, and potentially dangerous with my naturally very quickly growing nails. Manual focus, or even using the four-way dial to select an autofocus point other than dead center is easier and more accurate.
06-02-2007, 11:48 PM   #11
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?

QuoteOriginally posted by bdavis Quote
PDL, the reason I have auto-focus lenses, for the most part, is so I can hand my already very intimidating camera to someone else, and be vain for the moment or two it takes them to take my picture. I have very little confidence in most, especially concerning focusing a lens via ring or separate button. If they can't master the half-press and they make an exposure, who cares? Memory is cheap!

That aside, I half press (always have). I gave the AF-button an honest try, but I found it awkward and uncomfortable, and potentially dangerous with my naturally very quickly growing nails. Manual focus, or even using the four-way dial to select an autofocus point other than dead center is easier and more accurate.
I beg to disagree that manual focus or picking a point other than dead center is more accurate. Why would the 10 other AF points be more accurate that the center? news to me. Manual focus more accurate that AF? also news to me.

As for handing my camera to someone else? Ain't gonna happen - I hand it to people I trust and to people who listen. It is not difficult to say "point the center circle at the "thing" you want in focus and push the button on the back of the camera - then frame the picture and push the shutter button". It's simple (I also put the camera into Programed mode so they don't have to twiddle wheels)

How you shoot is up to you and any method - including half press - has its place. The half press AF was the most frustrating part of my SF-1 - the lens I purchased with the camera did not allow for manual focus - when you spin the manual dial - it spins the AF motor - not good. When I learned that it was possible to de-couple AF from the shutter button - on my *ist Ds - I jumped all over it. I now have control over what is picked as the target for focusing - not the camera - the control is mine.

As you can see from the following image - focus on the flower to the right - metered off of the left - all under my control. (The image is from my *ist Ds but the concept is the same - kit lens too)

Last edited by PDL; 08-25-2007 at 12:11 PM.
06-04-2007, 03:18 AM   #12
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Can you do this with any camera in general:

If the object you want to focus on is not in the center, can you just focus on it by half pressing the shutter button, then while you hold it half pressed (lock the focus), compose the picture?
06-04-2007, 06:31 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Deni Quote
Can you do this with any camera in general:

If the object you want to focus on is not in the center, can you just focus on it by half pressing the shutter button, then while you hold it half pressed (lock the focus), compose the picture?
Should work in AF.S mode

Last edited by kskjon; 06-04-2007 at 06:32 AM. Reason: typo
06-05-2007, 12:00 AM   #14
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Why did I do it?

QuoteOriginally posted by Deni Quote
Can you do this with any camera in general:

If the object you want to focus on is not in the center, can you just focus on it by half pressing the shutter button, then while you hold it half pressed (lock the focus), compose the picture?
Absolutely true, you can use the shutter half press to and AF-S to accomplish the same thing.

However, when you take a sequence of shots (this particular image it not a good example of a sequence) - once you release the shutter. You have to move go back to your point of focus - and refocus again. Also if you decide that you really do not want to meter off of a certain point and you have locked the exposure - by habit - I just release the shutter and half press it again to set it. In such an instance I the half press shutter would cause the AF to search again - I do not want that.

If you are using AF-C then using the AF button and not the shutter button allows you the photographer to have control. That is what I want - the control - I do not want to give up that part of the creative process to a machine that does not understand what I want to do.

Now do not get me wrong - any method of focusing is OK with me. Back in the film days - I would use the split screen viewfinder on my non Pentax camera to determine the object I wanted in focus - then use the DoF markings on the lens to determine where in the DoF's range of acceptable focus the subject would fall. Then I would set the exposure and ----- wait for it ----- compose the shot. Many times the subject was blurry in the viewfinder - but I did have confidence in the DoF scales and all of my experience. By decoupling the AF from the shutter button gives me the control I want - now if the Lens manufactures would just give me back my DoF scales - that would truly be sweet.

PDL

Last edited by PDL; 06-05-2007 at 12:05 AM. Reason: Too much cutting and pasting.
06-05-2007, 06:54 AM   #15
ISH
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Half press here - why, cause that's the way I've always done it. None of my other camera's had an AF button. Old habits are hard to break.
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