What's the best DSLR for manual focus?

ChrisN

ChrisN

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Simple question - which DSLR works best best manual focus?

I'm think of criteria like a big bright viewfinder and a screen (or focus confirmation) that makes focusing easier and is absolutely accurate.

For use with manual focus lenses in the medium-wide to short-tele range.

Edit to clarify: which 35mm-style DSLR ...
 
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Simple answer - the medium-format DSLR (or film SLR with digital back) of your choice.

Below that, one of the current 135-sized-sensor models.
 
I changed the focus screen for my 5D2 to one more suitable for manual focus. Works like a charm. Not as good as say, an OM1 but not bad at all.
 
the best I HAD was the D700 with a Canon Ee-S screen filed to fit. By far.
the Pentax K5 is the nicest APS-C SLR for that purpose.
 
The Panasonic G1 when the EVF zooms in for manual focus. Perhaps the new Sony's with focus peaking?

But of the Canikons, I guess Canon has an accessory screen that is good for manual focus since their auto-focus isn't very accurate anyway.
 
I have tried several different Nikons with various screens, and prefer the 45 degree split with micro-prisims that I had for my D300. Nothing touches the F3 for a bright view finder though.

Could not get the hang of on screen with E-p1 or G1, but the G3 + eff is working out pretty good.

Very briefly tried NEX with focus peeking, and it seems worth serious consideration.

Dave
 
I only have the NEX-5N here, sans the Viewfinder.
With a slow wide angle like the 28/2.8 focus peaking is tricky. you basically need to zoom in to judge focus.

I bet with faster/longer lenses it works better, maybe even the EVF will help already.

with the D700 + Ee-S screen focusing a 35/2 was super easy.
 
I currently use a Canon 5D mk2 with the Ee-S "high accuracy" screen and Leica lenses and I'm quite happy. There is good visual confirmation of focus, and with a chipped adapter and with autofocus assigned to the "*" button on the back I can use the autofocus areas for focus confirmation, too.
 
i have had quite a few dslr's that ive used with MF lenses and the best in my experience given your criteria is the canon 5d. i have totally relied on the 5d's focus confirmation in all types of situations and ive rarely been disappointed. with inexpensive m42 and c/y focus confirm adapters you have access to some of the best slr lenses ever made. and the cam is very good in low light, up to 1600, though i rarely shot above 800.

as for mirrorless cams, the plus is access to pretty much ANY lens ever made, slr, rf, c mount, konica etc. the downside is that for accurate focusing it is absolutely essential to add on an external viewfinder, and then you still have no mechanical confirmation of your visual judgement, though most allow for 10x magnification. in this regard an essential feature for me was in body IS, which is only available on olympus cameras. downside to olympus and m4/3 in general is poor low light ability--800 is about it, and even that isnt great.

hope this helps!
 
Nikon D700.


Nikon can accept native mf lenses without an adapter.
All NIKKOR lenses have M/A function (manual focus override over AF), not just expensive pro models.
Interchangable focusing screens and manual focus confirmation.


I'd go Nikon, no contest, if only to use hundreds of legacy NIKKORs.
 
I keep a Canon 1n just for usage with the E-? focusing screen (the one with split rangefinder). That one should fit any of the 1Ds family of DSLR.
 
wonder why Nikon does not provide more screens for their pro models, such as D700. Canon has better focus screen options.
 
the sole reason why I sold my K5, after all, was that with manual lenses, half-pressing of the shutter button does NOT lock the exposure...I mean...what are they thinking?
 
rbelyell said:
as for mirrorless cams, the plus is access to pretty much ANY lens ever made, slr, rf, c mount, konica etc. the downside is that for accurate focusing it is absolutely essential to add on an external viewfinder, and then you still have no mechanical confirmation of your visual judgement, though most allow for 10x magnification
Click to expand...

While an evf would be nice, it is certainly not required for accurate focus on the hi-rez nex lcds with 7x and 14x on nex-5, a bit different mags on 5n

A clean nex-5 body is now only about 300USD on ebay. However only the 5n can take new sony EVF and nex-7 it's built in.

The DSLRs are a can of worms. Only a fraction of MF glass can be used at infinity on any of them. I'm assuming you are planning to use legacy glass.

The nikon mount, for example seems like it would take any old nikon glass. It does not. Some lenses are fine, others will damage the camera. For the Canon its all about adapters. FD glass is useless, but other mounts will adapt: case by case.

The nex simply takes anything with the correct 20USD adapter. Sensor is APS-C so crop on 35mm is 1.5X.

As you know there are only a few full 35mm frame DSLRs and the M9, none cheaper than 2k for body.

However if you just want to MF with the native glass then you have good input here and will have to do your homework by close review study. For that I'd go to the shop and try it if you can.

For cheap access to all 35mm legacy lenses and good image quality the nex is unbeatable right now, and it's obvious from the thousands of samples, that focusing is doable, if not effortless :)

BTW nex does lock exposure with half press on any lens.

good luck
 
2nd piece of advice I'd give re: adapting lenses - don't bother with aps-c cameras. Go straight to full frame and don't look back.
 
uhoh7 said:
The DSLRs are a can of worms. Only a fraction of MF glass can be used at infinity on any of them. I'm assuming you are planning to use legacy glass.

good luck
Click to expand...

i am sorry, but with canon this is simply not the case. i have literally used dozens, perhaps scores, of 'legacy' glass--m42, contax, dkl etc mounts--and never had an infinity focus problem on my 5d. not one time. i'm not saying some one some where did not have this issue, but tomdescribe it as anything beyond 'isolated' would be misleading, as far as my personal experience.

additionally, while nikon probably does give you access to most if not all NIKON legacy glass, my understanding is there are significant problems adapting other mount legacy glass. i do not know thus by personal experience, so i would suggest further research.

finally, if you come at this from an slr background and are used to looking through a normal vf, and bracing cam against your head, its a better than even chance you will both detest and find ineffective focusing a camera whilst holding it at arms legnth like a baby in a dirty diaper, and looking at some tiny tv screen which whites out in bright sun. it is absolutely essential to have an external vf if you use your camera for anything beyond disposable snapshots.
 
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