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Medium Format 35mm AF 35mm Manual Focus Point and Shoot Equipment Reviews Links |
Manual Focus Cameras
Many people (particularly those buying new SLR cameras) want to get a camera with the latest features, such as autofocus and autoexposure. Unfortunately, they overlook one minor fact. Autofocus is a lie. It is not the ultimite feature for focusing, and having the latest in electronics is not always necessary. In fact, a disproportionately large number of the world's best photographs taken both today and in years past were done on manual focus equipment. How is this the case? What many people don't realize is that for the vast majority of photographs you will ever take, a manual focus camera will work just as well, possibly better. Autofocus can speed the process, but you have to take the following into consideration - just because AF is faster, is it better? Personally, when I started out with my Canon EOS autofocus camera, I found that the AF and autoexposure made things so fast and easy, I took tons of photos. And when I had them developed, many were junk shots that I never printed. Why? Autofocus made things too easy, and I would take a photo without really considering what I was doing, or I would take 2-3 shots of the same subject to get it right. Because manual focus forces you to slow down and pay attention to what's in the viewfinder, you will often take less photos (reducing development costs), and the photos you take will be of better quality. Does this mean that Autofocus is not worth it? Certainly not. I personally own and use an AF system, and get good results from it. Where AF is an advantage is in fast action situations where the AF can focus faster than you can manually, such as sports or photojournalism. However, for general photography (family, travel, landscapes, portraits, and the general shots most people take) a manual focus camera will work just as well as an AF camera. Personally, I find that for serious work I am using my all-manual medium format camera far more than my AF system. Another item not often considered by current camera buyers is the construction quality of the camera itself. When looking at the current AF cameras, you will find much more plastic than on older all-metal manual cameras. As a result, they will not take as much abuse as the older metal cameras. Additionally, because there are more electronics in current cameras, there is more to break, and one fall can take out the camera. The older manual focus cameras have greater reliability, and accidental drops have a greater likelihood of just leaving a dent than causing mechanical failure. As an added bonus, you can often find manual focus lenses and accessories for significantly lower prices than equivilent AF cameras (again, with better construction quality). Manual focus cameras are also excellent for learning photography. Because you must often manually adjust both exposure and focus, you learn more about how the camera functions and exactly what happens when you adjust aperture or shutter speed. You also get much more control over the camera, unlike with an AF camera where it does all the thinking for you. As a result, for both serious work and learning photography, manual focus cameras offer an excellent choice. What to look for in a 35mm manual focus SLR: My first word of advice is to be willing to look at used equipment. There are few options available new, and those that are tend to be inexpensive and not of very good quality or are professional tanks (such as the Nikon FM-2 or Nikon F-3) with hefty price tags. For $250 or so, you should be able to find a good quality used camera, such as a Canon AE-1, Nikon FG, or similar. However, I do recommend staying with the major brands - Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Pentax, and Leica (if you are willing to pay a little extra). This will make finding lenses and accessories much easier. In terms of features, decide if you want a completely manual camera like a Pentax K-1000 or Nikon FM, or one with the option of autoexposure, such as the Minolta XD-11 or Nikon FE. In general, I like to have autoexposure available for times when I need to shoot faster, but for the most part it doesn't make much difference. Older cameras will not have TTL flashmetering, and will have only one contact on the flash shoe. Any camera with more than one contact on the flash shoe will have TTL flashmetering, but only with dedicated flashes. Also take a look at the sync speed of the camera - most are at 1/60 sec or 1/90 sec, but some get up to 1/125 (or 1/250 sec with the Nikon FM-2). Some cameras have provisons for motor drives or winders. If it does, there will be an additional plate to screw off on the bottom of the camera (like a second battery compartment). Most important of all is the condition of the camera. In general, the outside of the camera is a good indicator of the mechanical condition. If the outside of the camera looks worn or abused, the internal components are also likely heavily used. Thus you should look for a camera in good condition. Make sure to test all functions of the camera, and take a test roll if possible before buying. Known Bugs in Manual focus SLRs: This section is dedicated to listing some of the known problems with various manual focus cameras. For the most part, manual focus cameras are very reliable, but every so often a particular model has a minor (or major) bug. Since most people buy their manual focus cameras used, it's helpful to know about some of these problems before you buy. At the moment, this list is quite small (primarily because most cameras don't have bugs, but also due to the short list of bugs that I have). If you have a bug to report, e-mail me and I'll add it to the list. Battery issues: When looking at older cameras, make sure the batteries are still available. You need to watch out for those that take mercury batteries, as the batteries are no longer made and the zinc-air replacement cells are HORRIBLE. Pentax ME or ME Super: very nice camera, but the circuit board has a nasty habit of frying and repairs are simply not possible. If you find one in good working order, it's definately a good camera to use, but be aware that if the main board fries, the camera is useless and cannot be repaired. Canon AE-1: The AE-1 shutter can start to squeel when the camera gets older. The shutter still works, but it's a sign of wear and can be a warning sign of impending failure. It can be fixed relatively easily, but will set you back about $100. |
Medium Format
Cameras - User's Guide to Buying and Shooting
by Peter Williams is
now available from
Amherst
Media!! [1/2001]