Do professional photographers use autofocus regularly? If so, why?

Answer 1

Really depends upon what kind of photographer you ask. If you are asking a sports photographer or an event photographer you will more often than not get the response that they use autofocus. The reason for this is simple, you are pursuing critical and unique moments in time which cannot be recreated and manually focusing will slow you down and perhaps result in you losing that moment forever. On the other hand if you ask an architectural or say fine art photographer who often can be found using large format view cameras such as this example from Sinar http://www.sinar.ch/site/index__gast-e-1321-23-1408-urlvars-rand-153.html , 100% of your responses are going to be manual focus as these types of cameras are not available in autofocus (and no I havent forgot abotu those people who use Leica rangefinders, they too have no autofocus). In these cases timing is not essential as you are often working with static images in a somewhat more controlled environment. However to say that timing is not important in architectural or fine art photography is a joke, of course timing is important as lighting is constantly changing, it is just that you won't hear people like Ansel Adams saying "hold that pose tree, don't move, ahhh darn it I missed it, I sure wish I had an autofocus camera!!" For some photographers each image is an act of premeditation and preconception, whereas others each image is about the critical moment. If you are all about the critical moment in time: sports photographer, photo jounalist, event photographer then go autofocus. But for the rest who can take the time to previsualize an image manual focus is the way to go.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

The truth is, cameras these days are so damn good we dont need to manually focus. With a high end camera, auto focus is accurate no matter where the subject is in the frame and even in more difficult situations autofocus is easily adjusted to suit.

Time is the reason I use auto focus. For example, I shot 1200 photos at a wedding yesterday within a 4 hour period. I dont have time to worry about accurate manual focus when the camera is quicker and more accurate than I am. Makes sense.

I did use manual focus once during the wedding when I was shooting a little girl blowing bubbles. I didnt need to but I didnt want to risk losing the girl and bubbles to the background as they werent going to be there for long for me experiment on.

More and more professional photographers also use auto exposure. I still tend to do everything manually but that's only out of habit. I'll change my ways soon.

Anyway, hope that helps. check out my website and email me with further questions if you like. http://www.straightshots.co.nz

Answer 4

I'm a professional photographer and, yes, pros use autofocusing. And pros use manual focusing. And we use a technique whereby we don't touch the focus controls at all.

Many action or sports photographers will setup one camera with a certain focal length/aperture/focus setting and keep it that way all the time. With those three factors set, they know the zone of focus. This way, they can shoot like crazy and never have to worry about whether or not the shot is in focus. Wedding photographers will do that in some situations too. The wedding party is walking up the aisle, so the photographer focuses on one particular pew and when the people reach that pew, they snap the picture. This way, they will always have a sharp picture.

Almost all macro pictures are manually focused. This becomes extremely critical in this situation. A fuzzy or soft macro shot looks terrible. It's worthless. So the macro photographer takes great pains to ensure the picture is properly focused.

Answer 5

I think I use both 50-50. If I'm in a rush I mostly use autofocus... but for the Special Pictures I use Manual. ...I don't know what I'd do if the Camera didn't have them Both.
Define of Special Affect: If you want to focus the Glass Window instead of the Tree behind it. Of If you Want the Bride to be all the way on the side of you viewfinder and the Camera doesn't have a autofocus range there.... you get my point.
The New Nikon D80 has a 11 Area FocusPoints ...That's my Next Camera!! Thanks for reading, and Enjoy the rest of your day!

Answer 6

I'm a photography enthusiaist for hobby, not professionally and I've used autofocus and manual focus, but I have to say that some of my manual focus pictures aren't in focus so more often then not I use the autofocus because it simplifies the method and reduces the errors.

Answer 7

Yes, professional photographers use autofocus and other automatic features ... but any photographer worth their salt doesn't rely on it. For example, when shooting clusters of people with a zoom lens, the autofocus may lock on to a subject different from the one the photographer wants to capture - so they have to switch to the manual setting.

Answer 8

Check here a good photography course online:
http://photography-course.info

You can be like the masses of humanity and buy a camera you can afford that has auto this and that for worry free picture taking. And learn through trial and error how to use something like aperture or shutter priority auto modes or even attempt to use the thing on full manual mode.
You seem to know already there is some thinking to using a camera and to take pictures. A good place to start is by reading the owners manual that comes with a camera. Read the information and look at the illustrations with part names and look at the real camera. Handle the camera and take pictures. Let me rephrase that. Take pictures to learn how to use the camera and maybe even to keep some. Don't start with important stuff you cannot photograph over again such as birthdays, a toddlers first steps. That puts picture taking out of the learning phase and puts the pressure and emphasis to taking pictures for real and to keep.
These first pictures are for you to learn how to use your camera. And you have learned how to use your camera when you can take pictures with it and can teach others how to use it. Honest. You can also go to a college in your area and take a beginning photography course. There you will be taught the basics even a pro must learn and do in their work. Camera handling and use, taking exposures with film and/or digital cameras, and maybe even some photo assignments to get some real time learning. In this learning do not take serious pictures you must keep as that detracts from the learning aspect of the class. Do so only if you have mastered the use of your camera before class is over.
It's like growing up in a way. And I am happy you know there is a way to learn how to use a camera and take pictures. It's like learning how to drive I suppose. Someone can teach you or you can get taught at a driving school. Both will get you a drivers liscense. One though will really teach you the fundamentals you can use for the rest of your driving career.

Answer 9

Often when there's an issue of less-than-perfect vision involved. I'm so grateful for auto-focus! However, there are occasions when I must rely on the diopter assist (I reset it when I get new contact lenses) to help me be able to focus manually. I use "fast" lenses and my cameras "snap" or "pop" to the focus point much quicker than I can focus manually, anyway. My cameras are all of the same brand and I was quite fortunate that this company's auto-focus mechanism is known for its accuracy, as well as for the metering system and the lenses' glass quality is superb! Of course, I don't do shoots as often as I used to now. The old carcass is slowing down nowadays.

Answer 10

Professionals use both. I use auto focus most of the time. (Make that 99%!) I have had cataracts removed from both eyes, and have no closeup vision remaining, so it is very difficult to decide when I'm in focus. Auto focus is much better now than a few years ago. I depend on my F100 to nail it. I still manually focus when shooting macro and have loads of time.