FTM possible with the DOF preview button

I found the following article with google:

http://eosdoc.com/manuals/notes/DOFFTM/

It says you can use full-time manual (FTM) focus with the D300 by holding the DOF preview button after autofocus. I did not try it yet, since I'm still waiting for my camera to arrive (almost 2 months now).

--
Araldo van de Kraats

hmm with how many hands ? I would find it very hard for me to hold the button, turn the focusing ring and take the pic...how do people do that?

Araldo said:

I found the following article with google:

http://eosdoc.com/manuals/notes/DOFFTM/

It says you can use full-time manual (FTM) focus with the D300 by
holding the DOF preview button after autofocus. I did not try it
yet, since I'm still waiting for my camera to arrive (almost 2
months now).

--
Araldo van de Kraats

Click to expand...

--
I am not an English native speaker!
http://www.pbase.com/zylen
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/userphotos?id=26918

It's a nice thought... but maybe someone could explain to me why FTM is so great?

Maybe I'm just not experienced enough to have come across a situation where FTM is such a big help, but I just don't get it. From what I can tell, it's basically to save you that hassle of flicking the MF/AF switch on your lens. I mean if your hand is going up to the focusing ring it's not that much of a stretch to flick the switch with your thumb. And the time-saving factor doesn't really wash with me anyway - if you're focusing manually then you've got time anyway, right? If you were so rushed then you'd just be in AF...

Can anybody present a situation where FTM really is a great thing, that you couldn't do with just flicking the MF/AF switch?

Neil Walker said:

Can anybody present a situation where FTM really is a great thing,
that you couldn't do with just flicking the MF/AF switch?

Click to expand...

Frankly, the biggest benefit of FTM is that you have no possibility of damaging the focus motor by accidently turning the focusing ring while the AF motor is engaged. And oddly enough, FTM is actually much more valuable with other camera systems where the AF/MF button is located on the camera body rather than conveniently located on the lens. With Canon, you can easily flick the AF/MF button without removing your hand from the lens. With other camera systems, you have to remove your hand from the lens, find the AF/MF button on the camera body, and then return your hand back to the lens.

I don't think FTM is the true benefit of the Canon ring-USM system. The true benefits of ring-USM are silence, speed, and mechanical simplicity. FTM is just a side benefit that happened to come along with the technology.

Use the third hand to push the DOF preview button, and if you are shooting animals, you can wave your fourth hand to call their attention and make them look at you )))

Regards,
xvrbx

Daniella said:

Araldo said:

I found the following article with google:

http://eosdoc.com/manuals/notes/DOFFTM/

It says you can use full-time manual (FTM) focus with the D300 by
holding the DOF preview button after autofocus. I did not try it
yet, since I'm still waiting for my camera to arrive (almost 2
months now).

--
Araldo van de Kraats

Click to expand...

--
I am not an English native speaker!
http://www.pbase.com/zylen
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/userphotos?id=26918

Click to expand...

But it's not so wonderful if you have to hold the DOF button to get it. LOL. Much easier to just switch the lens to MF in that case.

Combined with CF4-1 on a 10D or 1D/1Ds, FTM is a wonderful thing. I can manually focus or AF any time I want, at will, without having to mess around finding the AF/MF switch on the lens.

--
http://www.outboundmusic.com
Your link to independent music!

lets say you do auto focus on a person but you want to fine tune it so that the eyes will be in perfect focus. this is especialy nice with animals like birds. it is more important to have the eyes in focus than the tip of the beak. Also in macro I can see it would be quite useful. You could use fully manual focus but the FTM let you do things faster.

Neil Walker said:

It's a nice thought... but maybe someone could explain to me why
FTM is so great?

Maybe I'm just not experienced enough to have come across a
situation where FTM is such a big help, but I just don't get it.
From what I can tell, it's basically to save you that hassle of
flicking the MF/AF switch on your lens. I mean if your hand is
going up to the focusing ring it's not that much of a stretch to
flick the switch with your thumb. And the time-saving factor
doesn't really wash with me anyway - if you're focusing manually
then you've got time anyway, right? If you were so rushed then
you'd just be in AF...

Can anybody present a situation where FTM really is a great thing,
that you couldn't do with just flicking the MF/AF switch?

Click to expand...

--
I am not an English native speaker!
http://www.pbase.com/zylen
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/userphotos?id=26918