Although there are certainly cases like the ones you describe with
fixed-distance action (that, resumably, you could set focus to
infinity for), many good action opportunities, and indeed some the
best ones, involve camera movement -- panning, following, even
snap-shooting. In these instances AF would really come in handy.
It's just a shame that on the D7, you have to turn off AF when you
could use it the most.
Why is everyone so dependant on auto-focus?
In many cases the action will be at a fairly fixed or predictable
distance, so pre-focus using auto or manual then turn off the AF
and you're ready.
Didn't anybody ever have a (non SLR) camera where you just had to
learn how to guestimate the distance and set it by the scale on the
lens ring; or ever take close-ups by using +1/+2 close-up adapters
and measure the distance with a rule (not to mention parallax)?
Anybody remember having to wind the film on themselves between shots?
Remember match needle metering, your first Kodak 126 instamatic
fixed focus (cloudy/sunny setting if you had a good one) and flash
cubes?
Aah... the good old days!
Mark H
