How hard is it to manual focus??

Question

I'm interested in buying the Nikon D40, the only thing that makes me hesitant in getting it is the fact that i heard that some of the nikon lens do not allow you to autofocus with the camera (such as the 50mm f1.8 lens) which i'm interesting in getting.. My question is, for someone only beginning to use dSLR and know practically nothing about manual settings, how hard is it to learn how to manual focus with the Nikon D 40, do i need to have several years of photography experience in order to get sharp pictures with manual focus? And does anyone if Nikon are planning on releasing a newer and better replacement for the D40 in the near future (next 6 months?)

Answer 1

They Already Have...

Where Have You Been...

The d40/d40x/d60,

But, they have the same auto focus problem, which has only been addressed with the nikon d80. So far, they've made two upgrades to the nikon d40. The nikon d80 doesn't count because it's not in that beginner's class.

Is Manual Focus Hard On the d40?

Owning the nikon d40, i could  tell you that it's not ' hard ', but rather inconvenient, and sometimes you think you're focused on the right thing, but when it goes on computer on that big screen it isn't, but if you see well, that shouldn't be a problem. the Nikkor 50mm lens is an all around manual lens, you have to control the aperture and focus manually, the 50mm lens, was mainly made for film SLR's, but they've made them to autocus now, but you can only autofocus the 50mm on the nikon d80, i don't know why you can only autofocus AF-S lenses on the nikon d40

Shame On Nikon,

Nathan Grammatico

Answer 2

why not buy canon dslr? no matter what  camera body you buy, if the lens is autofocus, it will autofocus. plus the canon 50mm f/1.8 lens costs around $80.

some canon dslr (along with other brands) have live view mode, where in you can view the image on the LCD screen before you take the picture. the image can zoom in while you view the LCD which can greatly aid manual focus whether you're a pro or a beginner.

i hope this helps

Answer 3

It is not hard to manual focus at all, I have the d40 with the kit 18-55 af lense, but I switch it off and use manual focus, and it is super easy, so I imagine the lense your looking to get would be as well. I just bought my d40 in april, so you wont be needing years of photography experiance to work that lens. Why are you wanting to get a manual focus lens? You can buy the d40 with the kit lense (which is the one I use). Just thought I would add that! Anyways good luck, d40s rock! however if I could go back in time I wouldnt of got the d40 I would have got the d40x, just something to consider :)

Answer 4

I'd recommend learning to focus manually even if all your lenses are autofocus. It really isn't that difficult to get used to, and once you practice a bit (a week or so of good shooting), it should start to become second nature. I honestly wouldn't worry about it, just practice at focusing manually and you'll have it in no time. And hey, once you learn it, you'll have a whole range of older, manual focus lenses available to you now. This glass is usually sold for pocket change used, mostly because the average user wouldn't touch one with a 40 foot pole. They've decided that their camera must know more than them and couldn't bear to live without autofocus-- but hey, you'll know how to manually focus and can pick up some cheap MF lenses off ebay that were professional solutions back in their day (Nothing has really changed in optics in the last 50 years).

There probably won't be a new update to Nikon's D40 series for about a year and a half at least. Nikon just came out with the D60 at this past PMA (a camera show early in the year) and they generally release a new DSLR every 18-21 months. DSLR's aren't update that often because, unlike compact cameras, they're built to last for years and they have technology that really doesn't change that much in a matter of months. Though the D60 just came out, it really doesn't appear that much better than the D40; it has a few more megapixels, which means basically nothing in DSLRs. The D40 is still, in my opinion, the best choice for most people getting into DSLR photography.

Answer 5

I know this is off-subject.

Some Canon lenses have what is called "Full Time Manual Focusing", which allows the photographer to "touch up" the focusing without switching to manual mode (which can be very annoying).

The focusing ring does not rotate during focusing by the camera.

I wonder if any of the Nikon lenses can do that. I know Sigma has something similar (but not the same, the collar has to be pushed forward or backward to engage the mechanism.

There are times when I prefer to manually focus a lens. The autofocus highlights do come on in the optical viewfinder to show the "spots" that are in focus.

Answer 6

The autofocus issue that Nathan describes as a "problem" is a lack of an in-body focus motor. Because of this, the D40/40X/60 cameras do not have the necessary components to operate autofocus so they require lenses with a drive motor. Nikon lenses designated "AF-S" and "AF-I" and Sigma lenses designated "HSM" work fine.

It's not a "problem" at all but something Nikon simply decided to do to cut down on size (and cost?). The Nikon D80 came some time before the D40, D40X, or D60 so I can't see how it addressed anything. The D80 uses the same traditional Nikon autofocus system that's been used for the past decade or two.

Manual focus isn't difficult, it just takes getting use to. I believe focus confirmation is available too which means the camera will beep and display a solid green dot in the viewfinder when you've locked focus. You may get a few pictures that aren't completely in focus when you start off and you may miss some shots but as you progress and learn about DOF and familiarize yourself it'll be second nature.

If you're really serious about it you should consider replacing the focusing screen. A split-screen focusing screen, which was standard back in the day of film, is extremely helpful for manual focus. The Katzeye is pretty popular but only consider it if you know what you're doing or you have money to spend (they can install the $100+ screens for $65).

http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/item--Nikon...

Answer 7

There is nothing difficult about Manual focus even if the camera does not allow auto-focus and then why would you purchase a lens for it that wasn't fully compatible anyway.

The camera will indicate focus within the viewfinder you will also be able to see through the viewfinder what is clear and in focus and what is not.

good Luck