How good are EOS cameras and lenses for manual focus work?
Frankly, not great. EOS cameras and lenses are both completely optimized for autofocus operation. You can go into manual-focus mode at any time (only a couple of really old cheap EF lenses lack manual focus rings) on any EOS camera, but it s not always an easy thing. First of all, EF lenses generally have very short throws, which makes precise focussing by hand fiddly. (this was done deliberately, since lenses with short throws can autofocus more quickly than those with long throws) Second, most EOS cameras do not have interchangeable finder screens and the screens that the cameras ship with lack any form of focussing aid, as mentioned in the previous section. So if your priority is manual focus then the EOS system may not be the system for you. You should consider either an EOS camera with a split-circle focus aid (see above) or a different camera system.
That depends on the model. EOS cameras and lenses are all completely optimized for autofocus operation. You can go into manual-focus mode at any time (only a couple of really old cheap EF lenses lack manual focus rings) on any EOS camera, but it s not always an easy thing. This is because EF lenses generally have very short throws, which makes precise focussing by hand fiddly. (this was done deliberately, since lenses with short throws can autofocus more quickly than those with long throws) It’s also because most EOS cameras do not have interchangeable finder screens and the screens that the cameras ship with lack any form of focussing aid, as mentioned in the previous section. But there is one way out in the case of recent digital cameras with Live View capabilities. Live View lets you zoom in quite a bit, making manual focus easy and precise. It doesn’t work in near-dark conditions, but under ordinary lighting, Live View can be a manual focus lifesaver.
