XTi Manual Focusing Tips

[jayfixit]

I'm a newbie to the dSLR...well, any SLR world, and I basically have one AF zoom lens. It's a Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8, and it serves 75% of my current needs. Since it's a new hobby, I'm trying to control my budget...but, want to try some other lenses. No problem. My dad has a bag full of old Nikon glass.

But...you can't manual focus a Canon XTi!!!....right....

Here was my setup for yesterday, while I wandered around Chicago:

http://jayfixit.com/personal/MFnikkor/xti80_200nikkor.jpg

It's a Nikkor 80-200mm f/4.5 zoom lens. It has the "slide" zoom, and I found it incredibly easy to capture candid and spur of the moment pictures as everything is done with one ring. It's also a fairly lightweight lens, and easy to carry around for 4+ hours.

For example, I bet this looked a lot more fun than these people are finding...

http://jayfixit.com/personal/MFnikkor/4bike.jpg

For the above picture, I concentrated on the sunglasses of the girl "driving" once I saw a small, sharp "glare" from the sun, I knew it was in focus. Not perfect, but I quickly turned, and zoomed in...dodging bikers...to get this shot.

Right after that, I had time to compose for this vintage Mercedes at a stop light:

http://jayfixit.com/personal/MFnikkor/benzPP.jpg

This one was cake. The car was so clean, there were tons of sharp reflections to get into focus. I concentrated on the passenger front headlights and made sure the reflection was clear...then snapped away. Just to show the accuracy, here's a 100% crop of my focus point:

http://jayfixit.com/personal/MFnikkor/benz100crop.jpg

I continued to the end of Navy Pier to practice some simple "panning" techniques. Boats far away aren't moving too fast to the naked eye, so it was good practice.

This guy could use some anti-fouling paint:

http://jayfixit.com/personal/MFnikkor/boatPP.jpg

For the above picture, the chrome handrail provided me with my "contrast region". Here's a 100% crop of the bow area:

http://jayfixit.com/personal/MFnikkor/boat100crop.jpg

A bit easier one was this seagull. Just about 10 ft away, and hanging out, waiting for food. The gull's eye was used as my contrast point for focusing:

http://jayfixit.com/personal/MFnikkor/gullPP.jpg

Here's a 100% crop of the head:

http://jayfixit.com/personal/MFnikkor/gull100crop.jpg

Finally, I decided it was getting late...I was tired from 4 hours of sweating in the heat, so I went to another good tourist spot to practice...Millenium Park. Here is a candid of some kids playing in the fountain, right as the water started to dump on them heavily:

http://jayfixit.com/personal/MFnikkor/MParkWater.jpg

I used the mortar in the glass block as an area to focus on for a good contrast point. The result was nice IMO.

So...yes, you can manually focus a Canon Rebel XTi. Just pick a high contrast point on your subject and concentrate on that. Your eyeball and brain can't focus the entire scene, so do what the camera does. Pick a point, and get it in focus.

Happy picture taking! :D

[fionndruinne]

Hmm, that old Nikkor has an odd rear lens cap.

No, wait... that's a Canon XTi! :eek:

Those are nice shots, although the 100% crops can't be 100% unless you've cropped the original heavily... or were shooting as small res. as they're, well, not very big or 100%-ish. Good manual focusing, though. Folks complain about it too much, in my opinion.

You've got a nice Sigma - you could probably put a teleconverter on it and get a bit more reach.

[jayfixit]

...Those are nice shots, although the 100% crops can't be 100% unless you've cropped the original heavily... or were shooting as small res. as they're, well, not very big or 100%-ish...

Hmmm....I was shooting at "L" resolution with the smoothed curve. The white Benz resolution of the original is 3888 x 2592. That's 10.1MP?? File size 3.80 megabytes. Then....view actual size (100%)...crop headlight, and that's what I see.

Am I missing something??? :confused:

EDIT: whoops...yes, the original "full size" shown was cropped a bit.

[fionndruinne]

Well yeah, your 100% crops aren't being displayed at 100% size, which kind of makes them... not 100% :D

See, the bird crop, for instance, is about 250 pixels wide as shown. But it's only about 60% bigger than the full photo, so if it were 100%, the original image would only be about 1000 pixels wide. Not exactly a 10 MP image.

(this is estimated and rounded math, if I'm horrendously off track, please correct me)

[swpars]

Is there an adaptor you are using to use manual lenses from another system on your Canon DSLR or do they mount right up? Curious, as my dad has a Minolta SLR from the 1970s with some old Minolta manual focus lenses. Since I don't see myself getting a Sony DSLR compatible with Minolta lens mounts (it'll be Canon, Nikon, or maybe Pentax) I'm wondering if there's something out there.

[coldrain]

The merc and boat crops look like 100% crops to me....

And of course it is an XTi, with a D40/50/70/80 he would not have been able to meter exposure with those older Nkon lenses :p.

[coldrain]

Is there an adaptor you are using to use manual lenses from another system on your Canon DSLR or do they mount right up? Curious, as my dad has a Minolta SLR from the 1970s with some old Minolta manual focus lenses. Since I don't see myself getting a Sony DSLR compatible with Minolta lens mounts (it'll be Canon, Nikon, or maybe Pentax) I'm wondering if there's something out there.
You have to use a mount adapter, yes. In your case you could do a search for a Minolta to Canon EOS adapter for lenses with Minolta's pre AF lens mount.

**edit:

Because the MD lenses in a minolta film SLR sit closer to the film than Canon EOS EF lenses to the film you would need an adapter with optics, else you will lose infinity focus.

I do not think it will be easy to find one. It wil be easier to try and fit the Minolta MD lenses on an Olymous DSLR.

[Rhys]

Nice shots. I see that your Nikon is either AI converted or AIS with rabbit ears. has your dad got an F2?

[jayfixit]

Is there an adaptor you are using to use manual lenses from another system on your Canon DSLR or do they mount right up?...

I was using this adapter:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130138506004&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=003

I think they're almost all made in China, but this seller was US based, and the shipping was quick.

All the crops were 100% of the "original". I did crop the Merc, and the boat just a bit for the pictures shown here.

The dSLR camera is all new to me, so it's a good way for me to try different types of lenses, and learn more about them w/o spending $1000's on several Canon EF lenses.

[Dawoofo]

Nice post and idea, Jay. That's harder than it looks. I think a new eye exam would definitely help me. :D

[jayfixit]

Nice shots. I see that your Nikon is either AI converted or AIS with rabbit ears. has your dad got an F2?

I do believe he has an F2? I was too busy pilfering his lenses to notice. :D He used to be a photographer way, way back. Then he was the owner of a commercial photo lab. Unfortunately, printing technology caught up, and photo went to the side. Now he's in printing sales.

Here's a cool one from the day before using a Nikkor 135mm f/2.8 I bought for $40 on eBay. :D

You always find interesting things at intersections:

http://jayfixit.com/personal/ghiapp.jpg

This particular 100% crop makes it all that more interesting..... :D

http://jayfixit.com/personal/ghia100.jpg

[Rhys]

[QUOTE=jayfixit;250618]I do believe he has an F2? I was too busy pilfering his lenses to notice. :D He used to be a photographer way, way back. Then he was the owner of a commercial photo lab. Unfortunately, printing technology caught up, and photo went to the side. Now he's in printing sales.

Here's a cool one from the day before using a Nikkor 135mm f/2.8 I bought for $40 on eBay. :D

Oh you make me green with envy. I was paying GBP 200 about 10 years ago for my 85mm f2.8. That's $400 and it was an AIS with rabbit ears.

I loved my Nikons and if I can get focus confirmation with my Canon digitals then I might just buy the adaptors and start using my Nikons again - unless I buy a D3/D300.

[fionndruinne]

Alright, if those previous photos were actually cropped, then I can see how the 100% crops could, well, be 100% crops.:D This latest one it's obvious; the difference in size of that license plate reminds me of the difference between P&S and DSLR sensors!

Interesting capture, indeed. Whatcha doin' with all this cool Nikkor glass, anyway? :p

[jayfixit]

...I loved my Nikons and if I can get focus confirmation with my Canon digitals then I might just buy the adaptors and start using my Nikons again - unless I buy a D3/D300.

Search on eBay for "AF confirm EOS" or "AF confirm Canon". They are available. I think around $40-$50, with shipping.
I kinda got the hang of MF, so I haven't bought one yet. Bob Atkins site has a review on the earlier AF confirm adapters. http://bobatkins.com

Also, as coldrain mentioned, the XTi works with the Nikon glass, but some of the others don't because of mirror clearance. Definitely research before buying/trying.