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BF_Hammer
717
Feb 27, 2017
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Speaking as somebody who has bought a Nikkor 500mm reflex lens from the 1980s (which is a fully manual lens), I think it is actually more difficult to use these lenses on modern DSLR bodies than it was to use them on film cameras back in the day. I bought the "Dandelion" chip which can convert manual lenses to work with "A" mode auto-exposure, and give focus confirmation. I can say that having the auto-exposure work with any Nikon auto-exposure body is an awesome thing, but the modern cameras are harder to adjust focus manually than old bodies. The viewfinders in old cameras had split-prism viewfinders to assist with focus, while new bodies just have a focus confirmation box that appears, or else a little dot on the bottom of the viewfinder that turns on when you are focused on the selected box. It just is more fiddling-around where it was sort of easy to do with an old split-prism.
Modern camera bodies are built for autofocus lenses and vintage bodies are built to handle manual-focus lenses better. Just how it is.
Feb 27, 2017
tmcarr
78
Feb 27, 2017
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BF_HammerHave you used any mirrorless bodies? There are a lot more focus features than that...
I use real time zoom and focus peaking with manual focus lenses almost exclusively.
Feb 27, 2017
BF_Hammer
717
Feb 27, 2017
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tmcarrI have not used a mirrorless body yet. What exactly is the focus indicator used in that setup that is different than a Nikon D7000 or a D80?
Feb 27, 2017
tmcarr
78
Feb 27, 2017
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BF_HammerA lot actually.
1. I can zoom in on the frame in real time to focus on exactly what I want. 2. There is a feature called "Focus Peaking" that draws a colored line where your depth of field starts and ends to help you place it where you want. It looks like this: http://byrdphoto.com/blogimages/2012/focus_peaking.jpg
Note that these features are not possible on a conventional DSLR due to the mirror blocking the sensor.
Feb 27, 2017
Vira
4117
Feb 28, 2017
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BF_HammerGive it a try if you ever get chance, the focus peaking as tmcarr has said will help on mirrorless. Also EVFs are greatly improving, especially with fuji and sony which you may want to test out alongside manual lens.
Feb 28, 2017
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