Focus on manual focus

Today’s cameras might pack sophisticated, sensitive, multi‑point AF systems, but they’re also armed with features to enable a smooth manual focusing experience

Manual focus The majority of autofocus lenses have a slider that allows you to switch from autofocus to manual focus. If you turn the focusing ring without selecting manual focus first, you may risk damaging the lens… but this isn’t always the case, though, as you’ll see on the following page. Focus indicator Even when you focus manually, it pays to select an AF point that corresponds with the subject so that you can take advantage of the focus indicator – the small dot in the viewfinder that lets you know that focus has been achieved. Keep the shutter button half-pressed as you turn the focusing ring to enable this. The AF point may also glow red or green when you have set the manual focus correctly. Remote devices Tethering your camera to a computer or external monitor, either via a cable or wirelessly, allows you to view the Live View image in compatible software. Doing so gives you both a larger screen to screen to work with and may also unlock more detailed manual focusing options. For instance, Manfrotto’s Digital Director turns an iPad into a control and preview screen for selected Canon and Nikon cameras. Manual focusing aids Many camera makers provide options to make manual focusing easier when you’re using Live View or an electronic viewfinder. One of the most common is ‘focus peaking’, a tool that’s been available on high-end video cameras for years, but is relatively new to digital cameras. Some cameras can also be set to mimic the splitimage focusing screen of old film cameras. You can discover how these work over the page. Eyelevel viewfinder Split-image focusing screens on film cameras made manual focusing with a viewfinder quite simple. Trying to do it by eye using today’s focusing screens is much harder. You’ll need to adjust the eyepiece diopter – like the one shown here – to make sure subjects that are sharp don’t look blurred or vice versa. Magnified Live View An illuminated Live View screen makes manual focus possible in low light, when you can hardly see anything through an optical viewfinder. It’s the ability to magnify the Live View image that’s the real game-changer, however: you can ensure the focus is positioned correctly on the smallest details. Unsurprisingly, it’s really useful for macro photography, where it can be impossible to judge the focus through an optical viewfinder.

Live View has redefined the manual focusing experience. Not only does the screen make it easy to focus in low light, being able to magnify the image enables you to check that the smallest details are in sharp focus

turn the focusing ring, especially if you’re using a wide-angle lens, where pretty much everything can appear sharp pretty much all of the time. Fortunately, you’re not left to fly solo. The camera’s focusing sensor continues to work, with the focus indicator in the viewfinder displayed when the feature covered by the active AF point(s) is in focus. Chances are you’ll want to check the result to make sure you have focused accurately – and make the necessary adjustments before trying again if you haven’t – so the process can be a little long-winded.

Live View has redefined the manual focusing experience. Not only does the large, backlit screen make it easy to focus in low light, where you can hardly make anything out through an optical viewfinder, being able to magnify an area of the image enables you to check that the smallest details are in sharp focus. And you can do all of this before you take the shot.

There are some drawbacks to using Live View to help place the focus. Apart from the additional drain on battery power, it can be harder to support the camera during an exposure when you’re shooting without a tripod, and any movement of the camera backwards or forwards will change the focus distance. It can also be difficult to see the screen when you’re shooting in daylight.

Mirrorless cameras equipped with electronic viewfinders have largely made these challenges null and void.