MF Focusing or Lens Speed

[.ken]

If you had only one choice picking a slow lens but with all manual focus such as a 15mm f4 (neat focusing tab) or a AF digital lens 17mm f2.8 (focus-by-wire) which one would you go for?

 

[JBurnett]

Depends on the primary use of the lens.

For macros, landscapes, architecture, and "tripod"-type stuff, I'd take the MF lens (I'm usually in MF mode with these anyway). For fast-paced street photography, travel, or situations that demand shallower DOF, I'd prefer the faster AF lens.

Macro: MF
Wide: probably MF
Normal: AF
Portrait: MF (for shallow DOF)
Tele: AF
"General" wide-portrait zoom: AF

 

[uhligfd]

Both your lenses under consideration are very wide angle lenses: therefore, the focus is rather unimportant and easy to do manually since the DOF is very large. How about the lenses' optical quality, price?

 

[tgoods]

If you had only one choice picking a slow lens but with all manual focus such as a 15mm f4 (neat focusing tab) or a AF digital lens 17mm f2.8 (focus-by-wire) which one would you go for?

Ken, maybe I am wrong, but it sounds like you are comparing the VC 15mm/4.5 to the new Oly 17/2.8. I have the VC 15 and use it on the new E-P1. I do not have the Oly 17. I do have the Oly 14-42mm zoom. So I can only compare the AF of the zoom to the MF of the VC. I found the AF to be a bit slow and painfully so in low light. Manually focusing the VC 15mm is really easy due to the wide field of view and extreme DOF. At f/8, the distance scale on the lens shows minimum focus at 0.5 meters to infinity. The center of this focus is at the "6-o-clock" position is 1-meter. I simply make fine adjustments with the focusing tab if my subject is less than 1-meter I pull the tab to the left or to "five-o-clock". If more than a meter I push the tab to seven or eight-o-clock as needed. I find this to be really easy, fast and accurate.

Another point to consider is low light shooting. The Oly is a much faster lens.

 

[Al Kaplan]

I have a 15mm f/4.5 MF lens. Except in the most extreme of circumstance (close-up) it stays focussed at one meter. It paid for itself within the first week. It's never needed a battery or a charge. Stop obsessing with money squandering concerns. It'll either make you lose your hair, or worse, pull it out.

http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com

 

[.ken]

Thanks for the opinions & comments. I'm going for the 15mm and keep the kit lens for when I need the AF. I've finally given in! Looking forward to what I can get out of this camera...