Manual focus lenses

<p>Can I make the 5D mark III View Finder focus indicator work when manually focusing, using Nikon manual or other manual focus lenses.</p>

<p>Some adapters have a "focus confirmation" chip in them. That's what you need to make it work.</p>

<p>But the "focus confirmation" chips are NOT "<strong>in</strong> them", but merely glued "<strong>on</strong> them" - at least in all the ones I've seen. I personally have had serious problems with them (see http://www.photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00Jb4x ), and they only have to be "off" just a little to do real damage to the circuits in your camera body. I will grant you that my experience is rare, but I am not alone either. The 'chip' is just a bit of pirated circuitry that fools the camera into thinking that there is a Canon lens attached. Even when it works, it's not all that useful, at least in my experience when I tried one again (on my oldest body) when it looked in the pictures like the chip might have actually been "in" the adapter, but it wasn't.</p>

<p>Get the grid screen or the finer-grain manual focus screen for your viewfinder and you'll be able to do better with your eyes, if you know how to manually focus (not everyone does these days).</p>

<p>Ooops, I forgot, the screen on the Mark iii is not easily changed -- (one of the reasons I bought the mark ii when the new one was announced).</p>

<p>Still, the screen that is built in is not all that bad and is large and clear enough that if you rock the manual focus ring back and forth a little, you should be able to pick the sharpest moment (obviously you need to focus with the lens wide open, and then stop down to shoot).</p>

Use live view. Much more accurate than the viewfinder.

<p>The adapter I have has no contacts and its isolated from the camera contacts, therefore it does worry me at this point. The lenses do not have contacts either. </p>

<p>Not to <em>worry</em> about "no contacts", they are not needed to judge focus from the viewfinder screen, OR, as said, use Live View.</p>

<p>LV is the way to go. With 10X magnification, you can be really accurate. When LV won't work, go with AF lenses.</p>

<p>I have to agree with Ellis, live view is much more accurate.</p>

<p>-O</p>

<p>Some manual focus lenses are made with a native Canon EOS mount and will activate the focus confirmation. These are the Canon TS-E lenses and Zeiss ZE, also I think Cosina Voigtlander. For adapted manual lenses from other systems, you need a 'focus confirm chip' which can work well (I haven't had any problems) but can possibly fry your camera (see JDM von W's post above). Better to get the adaptor with the chip already attached rather than try to glue one on yourself, I suggest.</p>

 

<p>It is a pity the mkIII does not allow changing the focusing screen for these occasions, but it doesn't, so you will have to LV or rely on the confirm chip.</p>