Easiest to focus SLR?

[Orthogonal]

Q: Easiest to focus SLR?
A: One with AF. Canon AF EOS SLRs with focusing by eye are even more awesome.

+1. EOS slrs are great, but in my experience the AF accuracy depends on the lens. Some have a lot more shot to shot AF variation than others, even if they are properly calibrated.

Aside from that the Contax RX has both a traditional manual focusing screen and a very precise electronic focus assist when you need it. I have 20/20 vision but I've always had some difficulty nailing exact focus with faster lenses. High end rangefinders I find easier to focus with high precision in the viewfinder itself but then there can be the matter of parallax.

 

[analogpics]

Wow, thanks for all the replies everybody!

p.giannakis: will have to check out an OM1 again 🙂

charjohncarter: Been meaning to look at the Spotmatic F! Also, yeah, that's why i'm mostly an M shooter haha.

retinax: Right? I see so many people just wanting a bright screen, but that doesnt necessarily help with getting accurate focus. The Canon a1 is really bright but its really difficult for me to nail focus with it. Oh and my prescription is up to date haha. I had no problem with focus on the x700 and 139Q.

CharlesDAMorgan: Nice, i haven't even considered the SL2. WIll have to do some research on it 🙂

Ste_S: Thanks, i'm actually an RF shooter predominantly, but i've been having fun with manual SLRs the past month hehe. Especially for shooting stuff in my house at less than 0.7 meters away hehe.

dtcls100: I'm going to look into the f2 again though my friend told me it's too large/heavy for me haha. I've never heard of a screen that's entire microprism! That has me very interested haha.

Greyscale: I'm bummed out that i had really bad luck with the ME Super compared to the x700. I actually have more pentax m lenses than minolta.

twvancamp: i shot a roll just trying to focus with the split and strangely got a lot of out of focus shots with my super a. *shrug*

Ko.Fe. I use a canon 1v when im shooting for work, but something that i enjoy more about using a manual SLR hehe

seagrove: The om4t is great! I mean...i should just be happy and use the om system. The diagonal split makes way more sense, dunno why that wasn't more common back then.

Dralowid: Hmmm i'm now very curious about this SL2 🙂

hap: The Eye-AF on the elan iie and a2e is really cool, but tbh in actual usage i still just focus and recompose with the center rectangle

Austintatious: Maybe i should give another look at my xd11...it didnt seem up to par with the x700 for focusing though *shrug*

aizan: I hear you, but man, the x700 seems to be great in both daytime and low light for me haha.

alexmuir: Very valid point, i'm no spring chicken but i did get my eyes checked and as far as my optometrist is concerned, i'm good to go with my current prescription *knock on wood*

Pál_K: Geez, i really want to see this H2 screen now. Sounds pretty amazing! Still curious about that SL2 (and an om1)

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

I agree with your notion that brightness may go to the detriment of contrast, an thus ease of focusing.

This has been my finding as well. My Pentax MX and LX, and Oly OM1n all have amazingly big and bright screens, but they aren't the easiest to focus as subjects don't 'snap' onto the screen. I don't fully understand the physics behind this.

On the other hand, my Pentax SV with it's huge micro-prism dot is very easy to focus, despite a considerably dimmer screen.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

On a not entirely unrelated note I just bought a "P" focusing screen for my Nikon F4...

Chris

 

[splitimageview]

I've used many of the SLRs mentioned above, and currently have a Contax 159MM, Pentax MX, and several Nikons.

In my experience the differences between all the top 'classic' SLR models (more specifically, models from the 70s/80s) are slight. Some cameras have more contrast, some have more brightness, some have better focusing screens, but unless they are used side-by-side in actual shooting situations there really is little practical difference between any of them...they are all quite enjoyable to shoot.

One thing I've noticed is the etchings on the Nikon standard focusing screens seem to be nearly invisible as compared to other brands of focusing screens. Speaking of the 'lines' that separate the matte area from the microprism from the split image area.

The size of the image (i.e., viewfinder magnification) is important too, but I'm willing to compromise on this in favor of smaller bodies.

Currently waiting on a K3 screen (standard on the FM3a) for my FE2...

Also have an H2 screen in my F2 but it's a recent acquisition, so not used in the field yet...

 

[Huss]

Leica R9 is da best.
Leica R7 is really good too.

Zenit 212K not so much. Even though Leica stole it's design.

 

[PhotoGog]

Easiest to focus SLR?

Of the many SLRs I have owned and/or used, the best focusing are the Nikon F2 (with H2 focusing screen) and the Nikon F6. The H2 focusing screen is suitable for most lenses (unlike H1 for wideangles or H3 for long telephotos). What is pretty unique about the H series screens is that the entire screen area is covered with microprisms for focusing, unlike the typical focusing screens where the microprism is limited only to a spot in the center. This eliminates the need to focus and recompose, which can introduce focusing errors when shooting wide open with fast aperture lenses. The H2 screen also snaps decisively into focus. 93%).

I second the H2 screen on a F2. Nothing I have experienced was ever as good as that set up. I still kick myself for selling that screen (which was hard to track down) if not the camera body. In fact, I ended up buying a H2 for the F3 then simply swapped the screen out to fit the F2 screen metal frame and it worked fine. If you are able to find a H2 screen I would say they are worth up to $150 if you are committed to maximising the F2. I would happily pay that again if only I could find one.

 

[ediz7531]

I own a Leicaflex SL2 as well, and the viewfinder is indeed great. However, I also own a bunch of Pentax bodies, and I would say the Pentax LX's standard screen is far easier to focus with. The latter's optical clarity off-center (aka the "focus snap" emergence as you transition from out-of to in-focus) is more pronounced than the former's.

 

[PRJ]

Of the cameras I own the Contax ST has the best viewfinder. Really is nice and crystal clear. That isn't to say that the ST is the best viewfinder in all of cameradom, but it sure is nice to use.

Really curious about the Leicaflex now though. I've never owned a Leica SLR. Always too rich for my blood.

 

[CMur12]

I have a couple of Minolta X-570s with Acute Matte focusing screens and they are truly impressive, for brightness and contrast. Minolta licensed this technology to Hasselblad, who I believe uses it still.


I'm not sure when Minolta debuted this technology, but a pamphlet from 1981 shows it in the XD series and in the XG-M. I don't know if the XD series was introduced with this feature, however.

- Murray

 

[shimokita]

I have had good success with the 50mm on an Nikon F3P when using the K screen (with wide angles the B works better for me). But the biggest improvement is when I started using the correct diopter. My eyes change throughout the day and my glasses are dirty or get moved around on the face. I have better results by removing my glasses to focus while using the appropriate diopter... maybe it's just me.

 

[splitimageview]

I second the H2 screen on a F2. Nothing I have experienced was ever as good as they set up. I still kick myself for selling that screen (which was hard to track down) if not the camera body. In fact, I ended up buying a H2 for the F3 then simply swapped the screen out to fit the F2 screen metal frame and it worked fine. If you are able to find a H2 screen I would say they are worth up to $150 if you are committed to maximising the F2. I would happily pay that again if only I could find one.

Hmm. I paid $21 for the one I got a few weeks ago...ebay; there is a listing now for $44.

 

[santino]

Contax RX with its electronic focus confirmation.

 

[David Hughes]

Leica R9 is da best.
Leica R7 is really good too.

Zenit 212K not so much. Even though Leica stole it's design.

But open the back of the 212K and look at the layout of the controls and you'll recognise Barnack's original Leica design lives on in places...


Regards, David

 

[valdas]

Leica R9 is da best.
Leica R7 is really good too.

Zenit 212K not so much. Even though Leica stole it's design.

Why stealing ugly things? I am not sure what was going on in the heads of those designers... But that’s a matter of taste, I guess...

 

[Fraser]

All the cameras in the list with a goodish lens should focus just fine, at some point in time I've had most of the cameras you mentioned but probably my favourite and the one I keep going back to is the Canon A1 love the layout especially aperture priority control on the body and great lenses. As for the brightest viewfinder in my opinion it could be olympus om2 but not sure if that helps focusing. If you already have a canon 1v not much point buying anything else with autofocus since thats probably as good as it gets, I wouldn't expect to get as high a focus hit rate with a manual focus camera compared to that unless it was something that didn't move and you could stop down a bit.

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

This one is so easy for me. The Canon New F1 is my all-time favorite SLR for any and every category of what’s the best SLR for doing anything. Nuf-said… period!

P.S. The Voigtländer Bessaflex with 40mm f2 lens was pretty easy to focus too.

All the best,
Mike

 

[leicapixie]

Wow! So many experiences but no actual optical physics i focusing! (accurately).
1st test is in marginal light at full aperture.
Sit/stand on place about 5 feet and later say 10 feet.
Every time you "nail" focus, make a pencil mark on lens..
There gonna be lots of marks..everywhere on lens distance.
A dark viewfinder can be more accurate..a bright screen less so!
I think"The Online Photographer" has a detailed article on SLR and focus.
Low contrast lenses will be the worst, micro-prisms don't work on tripods..
Shake is needed. So we are now stuck between faith and belief..
Easiest camera body to focus after shooting/focusing for hours on a job!
My Leica M3. End story.
SLR with longer lenses than wides .
OH due to GAS I've used every make and model (almost)..
Favorite SLR for accuracy, Nikon-F..
If you are near 40 get eye test!

 

[analogpics]

nickthetasmaniac: Yeah my Om4t's original bright screen was really difficult to get critical focus too

splitimageview: How do you like the 159mm? I thought about getting the k3 screen for my fe2 as well. Is it just brighter or does it have more contrast as well?

ediz7531: That's good to hear another opinion between the sl2 vs the lx. The lx would be much easier for me as i don't own any leica R lenses but have a complete set of k mount lenses.

Fraser: I actually really like that the A1 shows the aperture/shutter speed as a digital readout. It's much easier to use than any of my other manual SLRs. Sadly, for me it's also the most difficult to nail focus with lol. I do see there are some other focus screen options for it as well so maybe that's worth looking into. Yes, i do love my 1v hehe, but i really only use it for jobs or model tests. When i'm just shooting for me, i enjoy manual slrs more.

Yokosuka_Mike: The Canon New F1 did look pretty interesting to me as well.

 

[Dwig]

...Very valid point, i'm no spring chicken but i did get my eyes checked and as far as my optometrist is concerned, i'm good to go with my current prescription *knock on wood*...

Your optometrist's conclusion might be inaccurate unless he was specifically talking about your camera use and if and only if he is quite familiar with the optics in camera VFs.

Most SLRs with eye level VFs, like those you are considering, "project" the VF image at an apparent distance of around 0.5m (~6'). Your optometrist will refract you at 20' and with old farts like me they will also check "reading distance", which is around 0.6-0.8m (~2').

It is common for bifocal wearers to be corrected well for these two distances and be unable to focus critically in the 0.5m/6' range. I've had that problem since my mid 50s and have a special pair of "computer distance" glasses, though these still make SLR focusing difficult without some additional correction. I've long ago abandoned my old Nikons and now only shoot with modern digital cameras that have built-in eyepiece diopter adjustment which I can quickly adjust between working with my distance vision and computer distance glasses. Some have even been able to adjust enough for use without my glasses.