A Photography forum. PhotoBanter.com

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » PhotoBanter.com forum » Photo Equipment » Medium Format Photography Equipment
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

auto focus mf camera



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old February 14th 04, 04:16 AM
Don
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default auto focus mf camera

What cameras are there in the Medium Format that are auto focus.I was at
camera store today and could not find one. Anyone have any suggestions for a
auto focus MF camera?

Don


  #2  
Old February 14th 04, 04:40 AM
Tom Thackrey
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default auto focus mf camera


On 13-Feb-2004, "Don" wrote:

What cameras are there in the Medium Format that are auto focus.I was at
camera store today and could not find one. Anyone have any suggestions for
a
auto focus MF camera?


The Contax 645 has AF. Many of the rangefinders like the Fuji have AF.

--
Tom Thackrey
www.creative-light.com
tom (at) creative (dash) light (dot) com
do NOT send email to (it's reserved for spammers)
  #3  
Old February 14th 04, 04:45 AM
David J. Littleboy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default auto focus mf camera


"Don" wrote in message
...
What cameras are there in the Medium Format that are auto focus.I was at
camera store today and could not find one. Anyone have any suggestions for

a
auto focus MF camera?


I can think of 5 off hand.

The claim is that the Hasselblad H1 is the best/fastest. It's a tad pricey.
I'd guess that it has the best glass.

Other options include the Pentax, Mamiya, and Contax. The Pentax is probably
the most reasonably priced. The Contax glass may be the best of the three,
although the reviews I've seen say there isn't much difference.

There's an AF version of the Rollei 6008, although AF lenses are in short
supply.

I don't know about the Pentax, but all the other cameras have limited
choices for AF lenses. I'd personally lean towards the Pentax. Observing the
landscape magazines in Japan, the Pentax is clearly the 645 camera of choice
for landscape photography here.

All are glacially slow compared to the cheapest Canon Rebel 35mm film
camera.

If you really need AF, you probably don't really need MF. Get the Canon 300D
for your sports, kids, available light work, and a manual focus MF for
quality work.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan



  #4  
Old February 14th 04, 01:10 PM
Dennis O'Connor
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default auto focus mf camera

do a google on the words: autofocus camera 645
denny
"Don" wrote in message
...
What cameras are there in the Medium Format that are auto focus.I was at
camera store today and could not find one. Anyone have any suggestions for

a
auto focus MF camera?

Don




  #5  
Old February 15th 04, 02:22 PM
Paddleman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default auto focus mf camera

I own a Fuji GA645Zi. This is a very nice AF/MFcamera w/zoom lens; it takes
wonderful MF pictures. It is light weight and makes for a good walking
around/travel/vacation camera. One drawback is it has a slow lens 4.5-6.9 at
55mm-90mm focal length. I use mine mostly outdoors but it does have a built in
flash. The prices have been coming down on these in the used market.
Regards,
Gary
  #6  
Old February 16th 04, 01:29 AM
Bob Monaghan
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default homebrew AF confirmation for non-AF kits? AF mf camera


I think the major benefit of AF for many of us using MF would be
confirming focus, esp. for low constrast scenes and wide angle lenses?
Rather than buying new AF bodies and all new AF lenses, I would like to
find a means to modify a prism or chimney finder to indicate in-focus or
not using LEDs or whatever.

One of the pentax transitional 35mm SLRs ( ME-F, IIRC?) was an
intermediate design with focus confirmation but w/o AF mount or lens
control interface. The lights in the prism indicated in or out of focus.

Has anyone experimented with a focus indication module to see if these
can be reworked for standalone use (e.g., Nikon Multi-CAM530 autofocus
module etc.)? Perhaps a simpler sensor from a low cost P&S unit could be
used too?

thanks for any ideas or pointers and tips ;-) bobm

PS see http://medfmt.8k.com/third/af.html AF problems pages - to see many
reasons why AF is not always a great solution to many photo problems ;-)
--
************************************************** *********************
* Robert Monaghan POB 752182 Southern Methodist Univ. Dallas Tx 75275 *
********************Standard Disclaimers Apply*************************
  #7  
Old February 16th 04, 11:49 PM
Bob Monaghan
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default homebrew AF confirmation for non-AF kits? AF mf camera


yes, there are conditions where using ultrawides or in low contrast or
lighting situations where focusing becomes more problematic ;-) The early
ME-F and F3-AF you cited are probably examples of the simplest sensors and
electronics, as they were for the early systems (but performance may not
be as good as currently possible?). At worst, it might be feasible to take
a P&S and use the electronics modules from them. Sadly, I don't have
access to camera repair tech magazines, so I don't have the direct info I
would need to scope out which modules would be the simplest to modify/use?

You don't have to use on-axis light or the center point; the old vivitar
AF lenses (200mm f/3.5 AF) provided autofocus using internal electronics
and motors and batteries in the lens, not the camera body. They used off
axis lighting to do the AF sensing.

But yes, it would be interesting to see if there is a simple module such
as those for Nikon I cited (not so simple, as they use multi-sensor points
etc.), which could be easily adapted to a chimney finder or prism module.
Just power and LEDs, ignore the motor control outputs etc.?

Then again, if I wait a bit, perhaps Kiev folks will come out with this
kind of prism too - they just delivered on the spotmeter variant ;-)

grins bobm
--
************************************************** *********************
* Robert Monaghan POB 752182 Southern Methodist Univ. Dallas Tx 75275 *
********************Standard Disclaimers Apply*************************
  #8  
Old February 17th 04, 07:32 PM
Gordon Moat
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default homebrew AF confirmation for non-AF kits? AF mf camera



Bob Monaghan wrote:
I think the major benefit of AF for many of us using MF would be
confirming focus, esp. for low constrast scenes and wide angle lenses?
Rather than buying new AF bodies and all new AF lenses, I would like to
find a means to modify a prism or chimney finder to indicate in-focus or
not using LEDs or whatever.


The Rollei 6008AF does indicate focus confirmation on many of the manual
focus lenses. I have not tried one, so I have no comments on how well
that works (or not).


One of the pentax transitional 35mm SLRs ( ME-F, IIRC?) was an
intermediate design with focus confirmation but w/o AF mount or lens
control interface. The lights in the prism indicated in or out of focus.

Has anyone experimented with a focus indication module to see if these
can be reworked for standalone use (e.g., Nikon Multi-CAM530 autofocus
module etc.)? Perhaps a simpler sensor from a low cost P&S unit could be
used too?


One weird idea is to use the module from a Polaroid SX70. These are
sonar autofocus, but they have a simple mechanical drive to move the
lens. Perhaps a rework of one could be rigged. The device is easy to
remove from the SX70.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
Alliance Graphique Studio
http://www.allgstudio.com

  #9  
Old February 17th 04, 11:51 PM
Bob Monaghan
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default homebrew AF confirmation for non-AF kits? AF mf camera


Hi Gordon,

that's an idea; you can buy a stand-alone module for distance measuring,
but the SX70 setup uses sound traveling time/2 to estimate the distance
setting. Bit tricky if you wanted to focus on the middle person in a line,
say, since the return would be from the first one? ;-)

I do suspect that there are some modest cost replacement part AF sensor
modules out there which could be remounted with simple power setup and
diode LED readouts to provide in and out of focus signals using contrast
differentials directly.

Why bother, some ask? Because it would be a lot cheaper than investing in
an AF kit in medium format just 'cuz our eyes are getting older and less
flexible ;-)

I guess I will try asking on the camera fix mailing list to see if any of
the repair techs can suggest a likely candidate module, perhaps one with
only one AF sensor point for simplicity to start. ;-)

grins bobm
--
************************************************** *********************
* Robert Monaghan POB 752182 Southern Methodist Univ. Dallas Tx 75275 *
********************Standard Disclaimers Apply*************************
  #10  
Old February 18th 04, 12:05 AM
David J. Littleboy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default homebrew AF confirmation for non-AF kits? AF mf camera


"Bob Monaghan" wrote:

Why bother, some ask?


Well, wide angle lenses really are hard to focus...

Because it would be a lot cheaper than investing in
an AF kit in medium format just 'cuz our eyes are getting older and less
flexible ;-)


You should be able to adjust your viewfinder diopter + glasses combination
so that you can focus on the screen. YMMV, but I find that even with
glasses, adjusting the diopter setting is both important and helps a lot, at
least with faster longer lenses. I have varifocal glasses, so I have to be
sure to always use the same section of the glasses for viewing.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan



 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Starting camera Scott M. Knowles Large Format Photography Equipment 17 July 2nd 04 01:35 PM
Sony Cybershot DSC-W1... Bad Camera...Bad Customer Service by Sony... Read on... unavailable 35mm Photo Equipment 38 June 29th 04 06:45 AM
Starting camera - Part III Scott M. Knowles Large Format Photography Equipment 5 June 23rd 04 11:48 PM
For Sell --- SLR camera and a Point & Shoot APS Camera: I am in Toronto, Canada slrcamera APS Photographic Equipment 0 March 30th 04 05:29 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 09:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 PhotoBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.