Just a few thoughts. The reason there are focus assist lights is that
no one has figured out how to autofocus in the dark. I can understand
why people don't like the lamps and I have mine turned off too, but to
do it as a blanket practice and then complain about how badly it works
with the assist tool provided by the maker turned off seems maybe a
little perverse?
I have a D100 and its focus system is not as good as that in a D1X or
D2H. So you work with it. With almost all AF cameras with multiple
focus points the center one is most powerful in dim light and will
focus on horizontal and vertical detail. It really is no adjustment at
all coming from an OM4T with a centered split image/microprism focus
aid to set the center focus point on an AF camera as the only active
one. Place your subject in center, mash the shutter release down half
way, reframe and push the shutter release down the rest of the way. It
will lock focus in near darkness that way.
Viewfinders are small because the sensors are small. A full frame
sensor camera like an EOS 1Ds has a large bright finder. Makers can
magnify the field of view through the eyepiece, but that makes it
dimmer. Only so much light to go around. And only a ground glass with
no focus aid. But some people opted for ground glass only focusing on
this list with their OMs because they felt it was more accurate that
than the focus with the split image or microprism. The other focus
issue is slow lenses. Most people opt for a slow zoom on their digital
camera which would not exactly snap into focus on a 35mm SLR. Pop a 1.4
or 1.8 lens on your digital and you might be surprised how easy it is
to focus manually.
Winsor
Long Beach, CA
USA
On Aug 1, 2004, at 6:25 AM, W Shumaker wrote:
> I usually don't use the auto-focus assist light. I find it annoying
> and distracting to the subject. Also I'm referring to manual focus
> ability by using the viewfinder, not some auto-focus indicator.
> Even if all I use is auto-focus, and the viewfinder image is good,
> I can see what the camera is doing. That is important to me
> and there does not seem to be any specs for it. I'm quite sure
> a good C*non or N*kon dSLR will auto-focus well. But there are
> situations were any of them will not lock onto what you want.
> For those situations, I need to be able to see a good image
> in the viewfinder.
>
> At 12:58 AM 8/1/2004, Moose wrote:
>> <snipped here and there> The trouble I ran
>> into was with the 50-250 zoom past the middle of its range. In
>> moderate,
>> not really dim, light and with plenty of detail contrast, the E-1
>> hunted
>> a lot. The 300D just snapped in with no problem. Yes, I could focus
>> manually, but this is a situation where I simply shouldn't have to.
>
> The E-1 you tested, did it have the latest firmware? Not sure
> if that makes any difference with the hunting?
> Perhaps I've gotten used to the way the E-1 works and can
> point one of the three sensors to get it to lock. (50-200?)
> I will check the E-1 out and see if the focus hunts on me?
>
>>> If I can readily tell by looking in the viewfinder what the camera
>>> has
>>> locked on to for auto-focus, I'm happy and click away, because I
>>> know I
>>> can tweak it to where I want it if it is not.
>>>
>> I don't recall how the E-1 shows it, the 300D flashes the sensor
>> locations that found focus, so one does know where it focused. One can
>> pick individual focus points too, to force it, but it's sort of a
>> pain.
>
> The E-1 gives a brief token to which sensor locked in the lower
> left LCD display (later firmware). I've seen other dSLR's that
> have lots of auto-focus points, and they light up showing you
> where the focus is, and that is great. But as you say, forcing
> it to some particular location is a pain. I like being able to just
> tweak the focus knob and see a clear image in the viewfinder.
> That is what I meant by seeing what the camera focused on.
> Perhaps I've got OMitus. Too much sophistication and I'm lost.
>
>> None of the APSish
>> or less sensor size DSLRs are anywhere near as easy to focus manually
>> as
>> OMs, but I have good visual acuity and just have to pay a bit more
>> attention.
>
> Yes, but that is what I want, a nice viewfinder. That seems
> to have been lost in the push for the cheapest megapixels.
> And what good is backward compatibility with MF lenses
> if the viewfinder is not good. Oh yeah, we just see which one
> of the 45 sensors light up...silly me.
>
> I'm not trying to argue which is the better camera. Maybe I made
> a mistake buying into the OM-system and now hate giving up
> features I came to love.
>
> Wayne
>
>
>
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