manually focusing on maxxum 7

[jason_thomas1]

How accurate/quickly are people able to focus on the Maxxum 7 film

body? Anyone use a 50mm 1.4 successfully at 1.4?

[bill_tuthill]

I can manually focus that lens (it has a long throw) on my Maxxum 5

so with a better viewfinder you should have no problem with a 7.

If you like special-purpose MF screens you could buy a Maxxum 9

with matte/grid, $25.

[admiralblur]

At 1.4 with the 50mm on my 7, it probably takes me one second to a few seconds. As far as accuracy, it depends a lot more on how carefully I'm shooting and very little on the equipment. More so in low light situations where I'm forced to shoot wide open.

[jason_thomas1]

Thanks. Was curious as I am getting an adaptor for several screwmount lenses to use on it. Figured it would take a bit more care than on a manual focus body, but wasn't sure how much more. I'll see soon!

[matt hedgecoe]

Jason,

 

I've only tried this using AF lenses, but if you switch the 7 over to MF, focus manually and then half press the shutter release button, you will get the focus confirmed icon (solid circle) displayed in the viewfinder if the camera agrees with your focusing. It can help to confirm that you are absolutely spot on.

[tom_montemarano]

The electronic focusing aid on the 7 does not work when you are using a manual (non-electronic) lens.

 

I have a few AF cameras (7, 700si, XTsi, 5000) and a few MF cameras (SRT 101, X-570 with split image, X-570 with grid screen, Bronica S-2). I find the 7 the easiest AF camera to manually focus, and find it easier to use than the SRT. The reason is that the 7's VF is bright, has reasonably good magnification (excellent for an AF camera) and that the spherical acumat (sp) screen gives enough definition to accurately set the focus. Also, because of the way the 7 sets manual focus, it keeps enough drag on the focusing ring to give reasonable feel. My other AF cameras completely disengage the AF drive and some lenses have no drag at all in MF.

 

I never really liked the viewfinder of the SRT101. It was dark (even though all my lenses at the time were f/2.8 or faster) and the microprism was more of an annoyance than an aid. Particularly when I was taking tripod mounted macro shots. The SRT was the camera that taught me to "lock focus and recompose" because the central focusing aid just disrupped my composition and focusing ability. I bought my second X-570 just because it came with the grid screen (plain grid with only a finer grind in the center.) I find it much faster and easier to focus that camera (brighter than the SRT, less disruption than a split image aid), just looking for sharp focus on the finely ground part of the screen.

 

The only time I find focusing aids useful (split image on my first X-570) is in dim lighting with a wide angle lens. Even then I'm almost as fast with a plain screen.

 

Tom

[jason_thomas1]

Well, I got my lens adaptor last night and promptly went to test out my M42 lenses. Focusing is pretty nice; as Tom mentioned, better I think than my SRT, although the microprism center spot is nice. Using the microprism on my XGA is definitely easier and quicker, but the rest of the screen is really pretty equivalent. Haven't shot any film through to verify my eye, but things look pretty good. My 35mm 3.5 Takumar really looks funny on it, though! It's so small!