Manual Focus on Digital Nikon Cameras

[michael_pye]

Hi,

Apart from having a kats-eye installed on my camera, has anybody got anymore

tips for crystal clear manual focusing on the D80?

 

At the moment I have to take a good few shots, which I don't mind but I would

prefer not to.

 

I was wondering if there was such a thing as some kind of 'enlarger viewer' you

could some how put over the eye piece to have a larger clearer view of the

image?

[frank_skomial]

There is a Nikon DG-2 and 3rd party magnifiers.

For manual focus learn to use the electronic range finder assist light.

[User_276104]

There is a DK-21M magnifying eyepiece designed for the rectangular viewfinders.

 

I use a DK-17M on a D2x and like it; since I go back and forth between film and digital, it makes the DSLR viewfinder image appear roughly (if not exactly) the same.

[pete_s.]

Compared to the old-timers I'm a rookie when it comes to manual focusing but here you go anyway.

 

Using a manual focus screen like katz-eye you can focus with the split image, the micro prism area or the matte area. The split image works best on straight lines - rotate the camera if needed when the lines aren't horisontal. The micro prism works best on subjects that are irregular but not too busy and the matte area on busy patterns like grass or on light sources. The matte area is also good when you focus just by having it look sharp.

 

Manual focusing is a skill and needs to be practiced. Often you can focus on something else besides what you are actually photographing. For instance if someone is walking towards me and I want to get a shot of them I might follow focus on the ground where they walk. Or I might pre-focus on something in front of them and fire when they get there. Or I might zone focus by presetting the distance scale and shoot when they get into that area.

 

For speed you can also reset the focus to infinity so for each thing you need to focus on the focus ring will always be turned the same way.

 

If you have the original focus screen in your D80 you only have a matte area but it's not really designed for manual focusing so can't be used for critical focusing at wide apertures like f/2 or f/1.4.

 

You can also use the dot in the viewfinder to see when something at the selected focus point is in focus. It's not really accurate though.

 

When it comes to lenses large aperture lenses are easier to focus and telephotos are easier than wide angles but at the same time the focus is more critical. For manual focus MF lenses are best, followed by AF-S and least suited are AF lenses.

 

Shooting manual focus it is also important to have a really good idea of how much depth of field you have. For instance if you shoot portraits, let's say a head shot, at f/2 or f/1.4 focus needs to be dead on. I focus on the eye lid with the split screen or the highlights in the iris using the matte area.

 

Shooting macro handheld with strobes I focus by setting the focus ring and the fine tune by moving the camera.

 

Just some ideas to get you started. You didn't really specify what kind of things you are shooting.

 

Peter

[albertdarmali]

It's weird that people keep saying that "matte area" on your focusing screen, but I've never noticed any matte area in the viewfinder of my D80, only focus points.

 

Which part of the viewfinder is the matte area? I'm just curious. When I'm using film, I can clearly see the matte area, but not with digital. All I see is a screen with 11 focus points. Or is it just me?

[nickwhite]

'Which part of the viewfinder is the matte area? ' - the whole of it on the standard screen, all the area outside the microprism on your replacement. The matte is just less obvious on screens designed for AF.

 

By far the best way is to make use of the focus confirmation light in the viewfinder (after all that's what it's there for), which I find very accurate on my D80.

 

I use the DK-21 eyepiece on my camera - but I would not purchase it for the (very minor) increase in magnification alone; the big advantage of it for me is the comfort in use, due to the greater depth of the eyepiece itself.

 

Other options would be the Zigview (I've not tried it so can't say if it would help you) - http://www.intro2020.co.uk/pages/zigview.htm

 

Or using a right angle finder such as the Nikon DR-6 or Seagull Angle Finder (which I use) - both of these switch between 1x and 2x magnification.

[michael_pye]

Many thanks for your replies. I've been checking out some of the magnifiers and I'm very seriously thinking of purchasing one. Many thanks for comments on focusing as well...I've taken notes!

[JDMvW]

I found that an older Spiratone Critical Eyepiece Magnifier that I got for a few bucks works just fine. You have to have an eyepiece that has the parallel grooves on the side for it to fit. It won't work on the older Nikons with the circular screw in eyepiece.

[joseph_smith3]

I just use the viewfinder (with the diopter set properly) on my D 200 for focusing my mf lenses. All is well for me. If not for you buy the Nikon magnifier for your viewfinder and/or the Katz eye screen for your D 80. If you are over 40 make sure you have had your eyes tested for reading glasses or trifocals. I wear trifocals and love them. Joe Smith