Manual focus lens on the 5D Mark III, What do I need to know?

[bherman01545]

Just joined the forum, so this is my first posting -

I currently have a Canon 24-105 F/4 IS USM L, a 100mm F/2.8 IS USM L Macro and a 70-200 F4 IS USM. I'm now looking for either a 35mm or a 50mm prime. I'm leaning towards a 35mm F2 or F/1.4 Zeiss ZE ir a 35mm F/1.4L. I'm not to keen on the 50mm F/1.4 or 1.8 Canon lens, although the 40mm F/2.8 pancake looks pretty cool. However, with that said, Since my main walkaround lens is an F/4, I would prefer an F/1.4 or an F/2 at minimum (ideally).

Regarding a manual focus lens, I looked through the manual and there really isn't very much on using a true MF lens on the 5D Mark III.

Since the 5D Mark III does not have interchangeable screens, do I just focus until the image on the screen looks clear? What about the focus indicator red/green dot? Does that work?

Any recommendations on one of these lenses? Is there a write-up anywhere on how to focus a manual focus lens properly? If it is just too much of a pain to go that route, perhaps the AF lens is the way to go?

Thanks

Brad

[dr croubie]

I've used MF lenses on my 7D, here's my advice:

1 Get a Katz-Eye screen. It's $200 or so, but well worth it, with the split-rangefinder you can actually see where you're focussed, and the rest of the screen shows a much brighter image, with true DOF. If there's none available for 5D3 (i haven't checked), or it's too expensive, then:

2 Use Live-view. Tripod is best, but i've done it handheld with an 55 f/1.2. Zoom in to 5x and you can see if you're focussed well enough. Don't forget to zoom back out to 1x before clicking the light-reading though (if you're zoomed in and the lighting changes, you could end up with an all black or all white photo). Not the best for action.

3 Hyperfocal. For 35mm or wider, and f/4 or higher (narrower), just focus on something 10 meters away or so, and everything will be in focus from 5m to infinity, you only have to change for closer subjects.


As for the 'confirmation light', as far as I know you Do get it with Zeiss (ZE) lenses. For everything else (like Samyang, and/or lenses from any other brand on an adapter), you don't. But then you can buy a $20 chip from 'ml-gvalt' on ebay and glue it on yourself...

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Just joined the forum, so this is my first posting -

I currently have a Canon 24-105 F/4 IS USM L, a 100mm F/2.8 IS USM L Macro and a 70-200 F4 IS USM. I'm now looking for either a 35mm or a 50mm prime. I'm leaning towards a 35mm F2 or F/1.4 Zeiss ZE ir a 35mm F/1.4L. I'm not to keen on the 50mm F/1.4 or 1.8 Canon lens, although the 40mm F/2.8 pancake looks pretty cool. However, with that said, Since my main walkaround lens is an F/4, I would prefer an F/1.4 or an F/2 at minimum (ideally).

Regarding a manual focus lens, I looked through the manual and there really isn't very much on using a true MF lens on the 5D Mark III.

Since the 5D Mark III does not have interchangeable screens, do I just focus until the image on the screen looks clear? What about the focus indicator red/green dot? Does that work?

Any recommendations on one of these lenses? Is there a write-up anywhere on how to focus a manual focus lens properly? If it is just too much of a pain to go that route, perhaps the AF lens is the way to go?

Thanks

Brad

I've tried most of the tricks, split prisms, etc.  For critical focus, I have luck only with liveview and 10X magnification.  The focus lights have too much play in them, I prefer a much finer adjustment than just turning the light on or off.  Same with split prism, not accurate enough for me.
My criteia is that I want manual focus to be as good or better than autofocus, and I have seldom achieved that except using live view and a rock solid tripod.  In bright sun, I use a cloth over my head to be able to see the screen.
Do yourself a favor.  Buy a nice old Nikon 50mm lens and a fotodiox adapter and experiment.  You are going to learn about a lot of things you haven't asked, but need to know.
If you can master it, your ready to spend money on the Zeiss.

[tomusan]

Just my five cents worth: how about this: get yourself a nice used EOS 1D markiin, glue the 'dial' (figure of speech) in the M-position, put in an Ec Focusing Screen. Then proceed with buying yourself the set of 4 (yes, there are 4 now, since the new 28mm was released) Cosina - Voigtlander SL lenses and you are back to the good old days of manual shooting" (a time which most of you youngsters sadly never experienced, I guess :-) Granted their max f/ stop values (2,8 or 3,5) might not be as glamorous as the ones you are mentioning on those Zeiss beauties, but you'll end up with a camera that actually makes sense as a 'manual digital body', and with a very convenient, nice range of focal lengths (taking the APS-H crop factor of 1.3 in mind you'll end up with a 26mm, a 35mm, a '50'mm and a '120'mm) to match. When ever I grab the camera bag that houses this set up, and walk through the door, I am seriously 'time traveling' my friends...

[tomusan]

Oops, bummer... Just checked Cosina's website and it seems they have discontinued their APO-LANTHAR 90mm F3.5 SL II, just to spite me! Well, just have to find one second hand I guess!

[EvilTed]

Katz-eye don't make any focus screens for the 5D MK3.
The only company that I know that does is Brightscreen.

This is an email they sent me recently.


HTH

ET

Suggest pre-ordering the screen so it can be ready to install which only
usually takes 1 day at the current time. Screen would currently be $ 191.96
and we can install the screen and ship back to you via FedEx for $ 100 total
$ 291.96.

BrightscreenR 1905 Beech Cove Drive, Cleveland, TN 37312 USA
Telephone 9AM to 5PM EST weekdays only 423 478-1451. 

www.brightscreen.com
http://brightscreenstore.com/estore/

You can also find us on Facebook with our new business page that is being
developed now at:
http://www.facebook.com/Brightscreen

[pdirestajr]

Live View with a LCDVF or Z-Finder. This allows you to still have that 3rd point of contact (for handheld shooting) you normally lose with live view. It also allows you to see the screen outdoors while magnifying the screen significantly.

[Gert Arijs]

You could also buy the Sigma 50/1.4, maybe it's an option over the Canon version (which you don't like)? It has AF and can be calibrated using AFMA.

[NormanBates]

+1 for live view and loupe

[Artifex]

I personally always shoot with manual focus; I mostly use Samyang 35mm f/1.4, Samyang 14mm f/2.8, SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7 and SMC Pentax-M f/4 Macro. These are all great lens at a great price. For all of them except the 14mm, I use the live view and zoom inside the picture to fine focus; it is easy and pretty quick and mostly, it is the best way to nail perfect focus every time, especially at a wide aperture. However, it can cause problem when shooting fast action, but it is perfect for landscape, portrait, etc. With the 14mm, for anything farther than 2m, I use hyperfocal, and I use live view for near subjects. The live view is by far the best way to do your manual focus in my opinion, but if you are using UWA, hyperfocal are really fine.
If you want to calculate the hyperfocal of your lens, I recommend this site:
http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html