Any tips on working with a manual focus lens for Nikon d40?

Question

I just bought a Tokina 11-16mm lens for my Nikon d40 and it doesn't allow auto focus, only manual focus. Any tips on how I could make sure my subject is focused properly? Is there a certain mode I should be on? I will be mostly photographing landscape and architecture. Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer 1

Tripod/Monopod/beanbag: Just anything that offers you stability really



Take your time to learn to focus manually, it takes time but what I use even with my automatic lenses is the "sea saw" method. You go over the focus then back under then back over ever small adjustments Then one day you just "feel" the lens and have to do allot less adjustments.



For the rest shooting landscape the huge DOF the small aperture gives you doesn't gives you allot to worry about

For shooting buildings mmm yeah.. well after a while you begin to learn to do the "sniper" effect. After a while you simply feel the lens feel the body are one with the moment and are able to get it just right. It takes time.



I have an AF lens that I mostly has on Manual, I shoot my pictures mostly manual with it. In the begin that made it slower yes but now I am quick. I have the focus where I desire.



If you do landscapes you need something like a beanbag or a mono/tripod anyway. Longer Exposure times due to smaller aperture.



Manual Focusing becomes something you have to get feeling with. Photography truly can become an art on itself. As in watching a good photographer do his/her thing.. they just know what to do the only way to do that.. is doing it yourself.



Most fun part about the manual focusing ;) Is the freeze.. the way you learn to freeze your movements and go for it like a sniper.



You learn it it will go wrong a few times but you'll learn it. And using smaller Apertures obviously makes it easier to

Answer 2

As far as I know, Nikon has focus confirmation. When the subject is in focus, whether you use autofocus or manual, there is a dot or circle that appears in the viewfinder. Set focus point to single at center only to make it as easy as possible. Hold the shutter button halfway as you focus. When the dot appears, frame then shoot.

Answer 3

ISO is a setting to tell how sensitive the sensor or film is to light ( in the D40 of course its sensor) A low ISO is not very sensitive to light but gives less noise with a sensor or grain on film. A high ISO is more sensitve to light. To set it go to the shooting menu,scroll to ISO sensitivity , press the right multiselector arrow to open the drop down , scroll down to select hit OK The settings P is vari-Program The camera sets the shutter speed and aperature based on meter readings and software in the image processor. You can change these with the command dial and sub command dial S is shutterspeed priority you set the shutterspeed the camera uses the meter to pick the aperature that will give a proper exposure A is aperature priority you pick the aperature the camera sets the shutter speed based on meter reading M is Manual you set everything and have an analog scale that shows you if you are exposing properly or if it is over or underexposed White Balance sets your color to give you accurate whites. There are many diggerent colors of light and what the eye interprets as white is not always white. Daylight white balance is about 5200K ( Daylight film is white balanced at 5500K. Warmer lights look more yellow to the camera and cooler more blue. In film we used warming and cooling filters to correct for the color in different light. In the digital camera we can correct it at the sensor by setting the white balance Options on your camera Auto the camera sets it between 3500 and 8000 K Incandescent light at 3000 K if uncorrected everything will look reddish Flourescent 4200K Direct sun 5200 K Flash 5400K Cloudy 6000K Shade 8000K There is also a pre setting where the user can define the white balance funny it feels I am doing someones homework

Answer 4

At the lower left side of the viewfinder, you can find a green dot if you press the shutter button half way as in focusing using AF. The green dot appears and steady when the subject is in focus.

Answer 5

There is no mode setting to use... not for this.



It's difficult at best to focus manually with a dslr because there's no viewfinder reference point.



All you can do is make sure your diopter is set correctly for your vision and watch the subject very closely in the view finder.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

use a tripod. helps keep the subject in focus as well as when using other effects such as shutter speed to maintain a clear picture