[shajufx]

Raj, how many of us are pros here ? I know only couple of them. Other poor learners try hard to understand the basics like me through trial and error. Pros know many techniques to get the best from any lens through their experience and knowledge.

I agree manual focus is as enjoyable as a manual geared car. But not easy for majority of visitors to this thread. Also its a fact that tricky situations like macro/through fence etc. has only manual mode to depend on, still the choice of auto or manual according to situation comes only by practise.

[joybhowmik]

Finally succumbed to the Digital Camera bug. I was told the FX format cameras from Nikon come close to the Film SLR - and on enquiring the price - it turns out those are of similar worth as a fully loaded small car. A DX format , on the other hand has the similar worth of perhaps a basic scooter. Such a price for perfection! So a DX (D90) it is!

It's definitely not a replacement for my trusty F-100. Besides all my lenses now have 1.5 times the focal length! .

Where the digital scores is in the department of quick results. No more twiddling thumbs waiting for the prints back from the developer , nor having to rely on the lab guy's PS skills.

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by raju2512

Auto focus is quite useful but a good photographer should have the ability focus manually. Last Sunday I went to the zoo to try out my new camera. All the enclosures had protective wire mesh, painted in bright green. The auto focus was kept focusing on the mesh and I had to use manual focus to get my shots.

You could have avoided this by manually selecting the auto focus points. This problem will happen if you are on auto AF selection point. Manual AF Selection is faster than manual focus.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by shajufx

I agree manual focus is as enjoyable as a manual geared car. But not easy for majority of visitors to this thread. Also its a fact that tricky situations like macro/through fence etc. has only manual mode to depend on, still the choice of auto or manual according to situation comes only by practise.

Manual Focus has few more good use cases

1. Street shooting with fast primes , Set the DOF to F8.
Most of the times keeping focus ring at infinity is enough.

2. Avoiding focus hunting on slow telephoto lens in low light condition. You need not necessarily break your bank to buy a 2.8 TF for one off shooting cases high ISO and manual focus does the needful.

[Samurai]

The EVIL camera posts have been moved into a new un-parked thread here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadge...l-cameras.html

Please carry out discussions on micro 4/3, NEX or NX camera discussions in that thread.

[fazalaliadil]

Added this to my present gear, also on my profile pic.

[raju2512]

Sorry if I gave an impression I am against auto focus or auto exposures. I do use them as default. But if one is investing in a DSLR, then he should take efforts to use the manual features and also know the relative merits and demerits of manual control and auto.

@milecruncher

The mesh is quite small and the animals keep moving. So your composition will change till you press the trigger. In this case even if you select the auto focus point, the mesh will interfere and the fact it was brightly painted and the ambient light was low made the problem worse.

@shajufx - You are right. many of us are not professionals. I had the advantage of getting initiated at very young age and my father was an avid photographer but not a professional. We had dark room in the house to develop and print B&W photos and I learnt the basics in cameras which had none of the features modern cameras have and I am comfortable with manual control.

I have posted a few pictures in the image thread. Please do comment

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by amitk26

Manual Focus has few more good use cases

1. Street shooting with fast primes , Set the DOF to F8.
Most of the times keeping focus ring at infinity is enough.

To utilise DOF at F8 you can pre-focus slightly less than infinity, how much depends on the distance. What you get is a wider range of distances in focus. Ideally you can pre-focus at a distance such that infinity is taken care of by the DOF. This was easily in MF days as the DOF range was marked on lenses. With unmarked lenses you can try different setting till you get best range.

[alpha1]

The problem with manual focus is that most the lens these days are made for autofocus.

And as such they don't exhibit a large rotation while focusing. Motors can be precise - but not our finger and hand. Takes trial and error - just like contrast based focus - which takes time.

And the absence of manual focus aids in the viewfinder doesn't help at all.

[gd1418]

So fazalbhai, FX it is. Congrats on the new toy. And that is one swell lens you have..

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Added this to my present gear, also on my profile pic.
Attachment 469085

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Added this to my present gear, also on my profile pic.

Fazalji, congratulations, you look 'dressed to kill' with those weapons of mass destruction I think you are the 3rd person reported here to own the 5D M-II.

Pawan, if you are reading this, you got someone new to ask questions if you have not bought it already !

[kkr2k2]

Congratulations fazal saab!!!

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Added this to my present gear, also on my profile pic.
Attachment 469085

Knowing you as a wildlife photographer, I wonder why you chose 5D which is regarded as landscape photography oriented camera!!!

[recshenoy]

guys, is D90 available still in Bangalore? I am bored with my D60, so was planning for a new camera.

D5000 or D3100 did not impress me. D7000 is too expensive, 70K for body only!

[joshguy]

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

Congratulations fazal saab!!!

Knowing you as a wildlife photographer, I wonder why you chose 5D which is regarded as landscape photography oriented camera!!!

+ i heard 7D is a better cam for wildlife with 8fps

[kkr2k2]

Originally Posted by recshenoy

guys, is D90 available still in Bangalore? I am bored with my D60, so was planning for a new camera.

D5000 or D3100 did not impress me. D7000 is too expensive, 70K for body only!

Any reason you have got bored by your D60 and any reason why you are thinking about D90?? Ofcourse, D90 is a great camera(my favorite too!!). Other than the video and AF with certain lenses, you wont gain much(oh!! D90 will weigh more by around 180gms!!).