Digital cameras have come a long way since they were launched. They are more powerful than ever with an ever-increasing level of technology to aid photographers. One of these bits of technology is the auto or semi-auto focusing capabilities. The vast majority of times, this works perfectly. But there are occasions when the auto-focus of the camera isn’t the best option and also times when it fails to focus correctly. So if you’ve ever found yourself frustrated with blurry photos, it could be due to the fact that you are using the autofocus on your camera rather than the manual focus.
What is manual focus?
Manual focus is pretty much what it implies. A photographer manually adjusts their lens to focus on whatever it is that they want to appear sharp in the photograph. You can do this by turning the ring around your lens to extend or retract it. But it’s important to know that there are other factors that can also impact how sharp your focus point and beyond will be. So to understand manual focus you should also grasp how your camera works.
How does a camera work?
Most professional photographers use a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera. The camera body and lens work together to transfer the scene in front of you into a picture.
Light travels through a hole before hitting the camera sensor. The hole can be manually changed to open larger or smaller the instant you take a photo, which is referred to as aperture. By adjusting the aperture, you are allowing a certain amount of light in, determining the exposure. This is important to know because the aperture also regulates your depth of field, which is the parts of your photo that are in sharp focus. So even if you have manually focused on a specific point, the depth of field will determine how much in front and behind this point will be in focus.
In addition to this, there is also the length of time that light is allowed to hit the sensor. The shutter lets light in for a particular length of time before being closed off. The period of time that it stays open is called the shutter speed. Similar to aperture, shutter speed does two things for you. It regulates the brightness and motion of the content in your photo.
A fast shutter speed opens and closes the curtain quickly, allowing less light and captures a moving object in still motion. A slow shutter speed remains open longer, bringing more brightness into a poorly lit area but also catching the movement of a moving subject and creating a blurred effect.
As crucial as aperture and shutter speed are for a photograph, there is a third key element to know about. Although it is not an actual part of your camera as the lens or shutter, the adjustable ISO is the sensitivity of your sensor to light and works to brighten a photo the higher it is set. But it also creates noise at high ISO levels. So even if you have correctly used manual focus for your focus point, with the noise from a high ISO you will find this point being less sharp. You should only resort to adjusting your ISO if you are unable to brighten your image enough through the other two settings.
When should you use manual focus?
Strictly speaking, there is no right or wrong time to shoot in manual focus. You can technically shoot in manual mode all the time. But for example, trying to manually focus on a fast-moving subject or scene in manual mode is going to be extremely difficult. The more time you spend photographing the more experience you will gain in when to use manual focus mode. But it all comes down to what you are trying to photograph. So here are some common scenarios of where manual focus mode comes in handy.
Macro photography – The beauty of macro is its ability to hone in on the detail. Manual focus allows you to draw the eye to a specific level of depth in an up-close photo. Manual focus is really important in this scenario as you need to ensure that the focus is spot on otherwise the photo just won’t work.
Low light – When trying to shoot a photo in an area where there is minimal light (like for example when photographing the Milky Way) your camera’s auto-focus might struggle to find something to focus on. Even if it does, you want to make sure it has actually focused on the correct element in your scene.
Low contrast – Sometimes you’ll find yourself trying to take a photo with significantly bright light or even in a situation where the tones and colours within your image are almost the same (like on a foggy day). This can cause issues with the auto-focus as it struggles to find enough contrast in a scene for focus. Manual mode can ensure you are focusing correctly in these situations
Shooting “Through” – Taking a photo through something means you are trying to set your focus beyond whatever is closest to your camera. Shooting a photo with a wire fence laced in front of your lens can confuse your camera. Manual focus is excellent for this type of photography in comparison to autofocus, where your camera will have a difficult time deciphering on what it is you are trying to focus.
Video – One thing that camera enthusiasts forget is that manual focus mode can be a lifesaver to videographers. In the same way that you need to tweak settings for a photograph, videos may need manual focus to ensure you are focusing on the correct element.
Using autofocus isn’t the end-all to be all of a photograph. Most of the time it can come in handy and it will definitely be the best focus mode for shooting. But keep the points above in mind for the occasions when auto-focus may fail you and you need to rely on manual focus to be able to ensure your point of interest is sharp.
Photo credits: Kav Dadfar – All rights reserved. No usage without permission. Dreamstime.
