Manual Focus using 700D - Wow!

[eninja]

So I got myself a part time shooting client on weekends in the park.
I like the simplicity of a prime lens so I got 35mm IS and 85mm 1.8. - plus one body 6D.
To avoid changing lens all the time, I decided to get another body.
with low budget I only get to choose crop body. - I got a brand new 700D with 18-55 stm at bargain price.

On the first night, testing view finder AF - its so cheap that I could not use it professionally, plus no back button focus, very hard to choose af points - i was like holding a toddler's toy camera. Live view auto focus is good but I could not find myself moving my hand here and there while taking shots. So I post it for sale on the next day.

Nobody confirmed to buy it. So I play it on my second night.
Trying my best to give it a place on my shoot.
Mount my 85mm. and say I might as well try Manual Focus on this thing.

Suddenly, bam! bam! Its so easy and fast to nail manual focus on this thing using live view. And the swivel screen was perfect for this.

I suddenly fall inlove with manual focus, not the 700D. lol.
big problem with 700D, exposure setting. - NO MINIMUM SHUTTER SPEED AND ISO step is 1 STOP?????!!
so now im keeping 700D for a while, upgrade to 70D later.

now its the lens issue. 85mm on crop is to narrow for me.
looking on a good manual focus prime now!

 

[tat3406]

For back button focusing, u can go custom function FN-6 to assing *button to af, shutter button for metering only.

 

[Menace]

As 85 is too tight, it sounds like a 40 2.8 would complement your 700d very well.

 

[eninja]

As 85 is too tight, it sounds like a 40 2.8 would complement your 700d very well.

I also own the 40mm 2.8. worth to try, but doubt, and it will be to wide..
40 on crop is 64mm
85 on crop is 136mm

I am looking now at light and cheap 50mm 1.4. should be just right.

 

[pablo]

I suddenly fall inlove with manual focus, not the 700D. lol.
big problem with 700D, exposure setting. - NO MINIMUM SHUTTER SPEED AND ISO step is 1 STOP?????!!
so now im keeping 700D for a while, upgrade to 70D later.

Minimum shutter speed on 700d is 1/4000th, a stop brighter than the 6d you are used to, If you are shooting wide open in full sunlight you might reach the limits of the cameras shutter, I would suggest a pl or nd filter, or stopping down a little, or a lower iso, assuming you aren't already on 100.

I would also consider installing magic lantern, as it has a few features that may assist your specific purposes...

- intermediate iso is unlocked

- you get things like focus peaking (really helps live view mf) trap focus etc.

The 700d is what it is, a camera pitched towards an undemanding market, with enough automation to make it viable for those graduating from point and shoot cameras, and enough manual control for aspirational photographers to learn the basics before moving on to something a bit more advanced.

In the right hands, as with most cameras, it can turn out a good image. It might seem a bit fisher price next to your 6d, but then think of the target market, not wanting something huge and heavy to cart around all day.

If you got such a great deal why not put sone of the change towards a katzeyes focus screen? Matte prism with split centre circle? The 700d was never really designed for mf, along with everything up to the 70d... if canon don't make a replaceable mf friendly screen for it, then they were probably expecting folks just to use af.

I agree that the swivel lcd is great, I use mf for video and will usually puck up my 600d rather than the 7d, I'm loving my samyang 35mm f1.4. behaves like a fast 50, lovely smooth dampened focus ring with hard stops.

 

[eninja]

If you got such a great deal why not put sone of the change towards a katzeyes focus screen? Matte prism with split centre circle? The 700d was never really designed for mf, along with everything up to the 70d... if canon don't make a replaceable mf friendly screen for it, then they were probably expecting folks just to use af.

Do you mean the focus screen of 700D can be replace?
does split center circle focusing means it only emphasize manual focus only on center?

 

[Shootitalready]

Mount my 85mm. and say I might as well try Manual Focus on this thing.

'Neuro' would be proud of you

 

[pablo]

Do you mean the focus screen of 700D can be replace?
does split center circle focusing means it only emphasize manual focus only on center?

not officially, but yes, it can with care.

split prism works in centre, micro prisms work across whole area. The matte focus screen in all eos cameras (unless user replaced) is not conducive to manual focus work.

http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/item--Canon-550D-600D-650D-700D-T2i-T3i-T4i-T5i-Focusing-Screen--prod_550D.html

 

[NancyP]

There are a ton of decent M42 mount fast 50mm and 55 mm primes out there, and they have long focusing throws, much nicer for manual focus. M42 to EOS adapter is 10 to 12 bucks with dandelion chip already mounted (chip allows for reporting the lens to the camera focus confirmation module to enable focus confirmation at the AF points - chip not needed if you run Magic Lantern zebra mode?). Maybe a friend has some old lenses in the closet? I have been playing with my old film camera' s M42 mount lenses on the 6D.

 

[eninja]

For back button focusing, u can go custom function FN-6 to assing *button to af, shutter button for metering only.

Thanks, now I'm using back button focusing. unless im shooting moving subject, its back to normal setup.

Since I find the Swivel screen good. I was initially thinking replacing my new 700D with the 6D.
But I read that Phase-AF of both camera almost the same.

So i guess i just need to get use to: 700D with 85mm/1.8 = 135mm focal length view.
There's no good/fast AF 50mm in the market. So I'll stick with 85mm

using 85mm + 6D + center AF on a kid running towards you. Can get a lot of keeper.

This weekends I going to try if 700D can keep up with running kid.

 

[e17paul]

After reading this I'm very tempted to by the 100D that I've long promised myself as an every day camera. I too prefer primes, and the option of switching primes between crop and full frame bodies for different field of view makes a lot if sense to me.

Meanwhile, I've just spent all my funds on a new Mac, so will have to wait a while....

 

[pablo]

For back button focusing, u can go custom function FN-6 to assing *button to af, shutter button for metering only.

Thanks, now I'm using back button focusing. unless im shooting moving subject, its back to normal setup.

Since I find the Swivel screen good. I was initially thinking replacing my new 700D with the 6D.
But I read that Phase-AF of both camera almost the same.

So i guess i just need to get use to: 700D with 85mm/1.8 = 135mm focal length view.
There's no good/fast AF 50mm in the market. So I'll stick with 85mm

using 85mm + 6D + center AF on a kid running towards you. Can get a lot of keeper.

This weekends I going to try if 700D can keep up with running kid.

You have a bright lens with usm focusing. just remember, track track shoot a burst track track shoot a burst. the aiservo likes a few seconds to get its predictive focusing up to speed before mirror black out kicks in.

Using centre spot af on my old 400d I got plenty of keepers at the speedway motorcycling with bikes coming right down my 200mm f2.8 at 70mph.

Have you looked at the Sigma 50 1.4s? the older version is at good prices just noe, and I believe that if you ML your camera you get some form of mfa (dot-tune?)

 

[eninja]

For back button focusing, u can go custom function FN-6 to assing *button to af, shutter button for metering only.

Thanks, now I'm using back button focusing. unless im shooting moving subject, its back to normal setup.

Since I find the Swivel screen good. I was initially thinking replacing my new 700D with the 6D.
But I read that Phase-AF of both camera almost the same.

So i guess i just need to get use to: 700D with 85mm/1.8 = 135mm focal length view.
There's no good/fast AF 50mm in the market. So I'll stick with 85mm

using 85mm + 6D + center AF on a kid running towards you. Can get a lot of keeper.

This weekends I going to try if 700D can keep up with running kid.

You have a bright lens with usm focusing. just remember, track track shoot a burst track track shoot a burst. the aiservo likes a few seconds to get its predictive focusing up to speed before mirror black out kicks in.

Using centre spot af on my old 400d I got plenty of keepers at the speedway motorcycling with bikes coming right down my 200mm f2.8 at 70mph.

Have you looked at the Sigma 50 1.4s? the older version is at good prices just noe, and I believe that if you ML your camera you get some form of mfa (dot-tune?)

Thanks for the AIservo tips, with Raw mode, i can get about 5 shot in 2 sec before buffer full.
With this method I can machine gun longer.

But another problem with 700D is the shutter button. Its so rigid that I can't control burst shot.
need to practice.

 

[pablo]

the 7d is very very cheap just now.....

 

[eninja]

Update on 700D performance.

Initially, 1 was using class 4 SD card.
To increase frame per second, I bought UHS1.
When using class 4, I got 3 to 5 shots, and playback screen will go busy up to 20 sec.
When using UHS, I got more shots per second and playback screen won't lag much.

Using Center AF, with running kid towards me. Fast enough that most of them are keepers. like 70 to 80%.

Honestly, I was not able to use Manual Focus on the shoot itself.
700D + 85mm 1.2 = 135 mm. Initially, I thought point of view was too tight.. but I find it better than 85mm.

 

[eninja]

Its been two weekends I used 6D and 700D with 35mm and 85mm.

first weekends. 700D + 85mm was flawless. All my shots was spot on using viewfinder AF.
6D + 35mm also give a nice landscape background.

2nd weekends. I switch lens. 700D + 35mm. sucks!. - most of subject came out blur,
- i have tested this combination and it does front focus. but i thought i could fix this by setting higher aperture value, or increasing subject distance.. but it didn't it still front focusing....???? why is this?

 

[pablo]

Tell us about your subject distance.

Closer subject distance (as may be inferred by shorter FL) makes dof more critical, and zone focusing harder.

Tell us about your AF mode.

One Shot is great for where your moving person was. AiServo is better for predicting where your moving subject is.

Can you post some of the pics.. could it be motion or camera blur rather than an AF error?

MF is virtually impossible with the Rebels, and if IMHO any EOS without a modified focus screen. Unless you are in live view.

Are you using the OVF or live view LCD?

 

[eninja]

I conclude its probably AFMA problem thing.
What's my option to solve this problem.
My last option, I will just used 85mm 1.8 exclusively for my 700D
using 35mm IS on 700D - not getting good result.

This was the test I've done last night.
I post the starburst on a wall.

I set my camera to manual, back button focus, AF one shot. My shutter speed a least 1/80.
I step back, subject distance varies.. AF point either center or right most AF point.
I manual focus lens to defocus on subject and AF on the subject (I did these repeatedly)

These are the result I get.
Half of them are a blur
1/4 of them just a bit blur (noticeable blur)
1/4 of them sharp

When I mount 35mm on my 6D. 60% of them are sharp and the rest just a bit not sharp.

 

[Ruined]

So I got myself a part time shooting client on weekends in the park.
I like the simplicity of a prime lens so I got 35mm IS and 85mm 1.8. - plus one body 6D.
To avoid changing lens all the time, I decided to get another body.
with low budget I only get to choose crop body. - I got a brand new 700D with 18-55 stm at bargain price.

On the first night, testing view finder AF - its so cheap that I could not use it professionally, plus no back button focus, very hard to choose af points - i was like holding a toddler's toy camera. Live view auto focus is good but I could not find myself moving my hand here and there while taking shots. So I post it for sale on the next day.

Nobody confirmed to buy it. So I play it on my second night.
Trying my best to give it a place on my shoot.
Mount my 85mm. and say I might as well try Manual Focus on this thing.

Suddenly, bam! bam! Its so easy and fast to nail manual focus on this thing using live view. And the swivel screen was perfect for this.

I suddenly fall inlove with manual focus, not the 700D. lol.
big problem with 700D, exposure setting. - NO MINIMUM SHUTTER SPEED AND ISO step is 1 STOP?????!!
so now im keeping 700D for a while, upgrade to 70D later.

now its the lens issue. 85mm on crop is to narrow for me.
looking on a good manual focus prime now!

Might want to try 50mm f/1.2L. It is a superb manual focus lens (does auto, too) and the aperture is ideal for crop's low ISO requirements. Plus, it will give the the 80mm FOV you likely desired out of the 85mm. Results are very similar to the 85L II, just less sharp.