Re: OT: autofocus?

Well, Jim, There are any number of inexpensive or moderately priced
interchangeable lens DSLR's on the market these days, cameras with which
you can select the aperture, and therefore the DOF, and the camera selects
the appropriate shutter speed.  Many of these same cameras can be used in
full manual mode as well, and you can set aperture and shutter speed while
allowing the camera to do the focusing for you.  I don't think anyone here
suggested a P&S camera.  I use selective focus often with my DSLR and
autofocus lenses.

And, if you go with a film camera, there are quite a few that can use the
same lenses that the DSLR cameras use, and that can be purchased  very
inexpensively.

Shel



> [Original Message]
> From: Jim Brick 

> I'm of the belief that there are only three good uses of autofocus:
>
> 1.) Photojournalism
>
> 2.) Photographing small children and pets.
>
> 3.) Sports action, some wildlife action, etc.
>
> Doug, Mark, and David certainly make tack sharp wildlife images w/o
autofocus!
>
> In these cases, the autofocus system must be able to focus in "real 
> time". This is not the case on most moderately priced P&S cameras.
>
> For most other photography, I feel that the photographer should focus 
> the camera. The programmer, sitting in a cubicle, in a camera factory 
> somewhere, writing the focus algorithms, has no bloody idea what I 
> want in focus and what I want out of focus.
>
> In most any kind of non-action photography, the focus plane is very 
> important. As is the f/stop to either limit the focus or extend the 
> focus from that plane. Autofocus takes none of this into 
> consideration. When I am forced to use autofocus cameras, I 
> immediately switch them to manual focus. Of course, except for my P&S 
> cameras (no manual controls) that are basically used only for happy snaps.
>
> JMHO,
>
> :-)
>
> Jim
>
>
> At 04:11 PM 7/26/2006 -0700, Oliver Bryk wrote:
>
> >During his recent visit I attempted to photograph my grandson, age 18
> >months, in nearby Sutro Park. I discovered to my consternation that I
could
> >not follow focus quickly enough with my M6/0.85 to keep up with the
little
> >fellow; this will, of course, become more difficult with time (he'll get
> >faster and I'll get slower...)
> >
> >I'm wondering whether anyone has experience with using a moderately
priced
> >autofocus camera for this type of application.
> >Oliver Bryk
>
>
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