Does anyone bother with different lens focusing directions?

I

Ivan Lee

Active member
explaining better... Nikon and Pentax/Takumar lenses focuses that way: infinity <---> close focus, and all the other lenses (Canon, Minolta, Leica, Olympus...etc) focuses this way: close focus <---> infinity

I'm used to the most common way, because I have never used Nikon before... and as a camera man/videographer, I can focus "on the fly" without thinking...turn to the left you focus closer, turn to the right you focus farther to infinity. It's like driving.
Now I bought a Carl Zeiss 50/1.4 in M42 mount, to use on my GH1, and realized that this Zeiss was made for Nikon users... and the focus is inverted, different of all my other lenses...
Would you bother with this? I think would be very confusing exchanging different lenses with diferent focus directions...

what do you think?
 
for me its quite confusing sometimes. I'm used to the nikon way. So i'm trying to complete my nikon prime set. I do have 2 lenses that focus Canon direction.
 
I think it's something you should be aware of when you purchase a lens, and something to keep in the back of your mind while shooting, but not something that should deter you from buying a certain lens. Personally, I'm lucky enough that all my lenses (mix of Sigma & Tamron) focus in the 'wrong' direction for Canon. I like this because it made the transition from my Pentax DSLR and the Pentax lenses I used on my GH1 really easy.

Focus is never going to be something that you do automatically - it still requires concentration and thought to get it right even when are are very familiar with all your lenses. Maybe you can mark your lenses with a bit of tape or something (blue for Canon-direction, red for Nikon-direction?) so that in critical moments you can glance at the tape and know how to focus without having to hunt backwards and forwards. It might be half a second slower but slow focus is much more acceptable than hunting focus.
 
IMO with narrow DOF, you must trim focus all the time and do it by instinct

I just cant do it with canon after 15 years of nikon

My HoFo has a direction switch, would not have bought without, same as I wouldnt buy a FF without the facility

Also my OKii has a direction switch, making my canon glass a little more useable
 
Yeah, I could never imagine that Zeiss would make lenses that focuses on "nikon" direction.
But reading your post left me more relieved, and the tape idea was great, I'll certainly do that
thanks!

deltoidjohn said:
I think it's something you should be aware of when you purchase a lens, and something to keep in the back of your mind while shooting, but not something that should deter you from buying a certain lens. Personally, I'm lucky enough that all my lenses (mix of Sigma & Tamron) focus in the 'wrong' direction for Canon. I like this because it made the transition from my Pentax DSLR and the Pentax lenses I used on my GH1 really easy.

Focus is never going to be something that you do automatically - it still requires concentration and thought to get it right even when are are very familiar with all your lenses. Maybe you can mark your lenses with a bit of tape or something (blue for Canon-direction, red for Nikon-direction?) so that in critical moments you can glance at the tape and know how to focus without having to hunt backwards and forwards. It might be half a second slower but slow focus is much more acceptable than hunting focus.
Click to expand...
 
jambredz said:
Completely agree. I am used to nikon and do it by instinct...when i have to think about it it makes almost no sense...cuz the focus has already been compromised.
Click to expand...

Agreed. All my glass is Nikon, so I am trained to want to focus in a certain direction. So I don't mix and match my lenses. If I have to take time to think about what I am doing, I am already in trouble
 
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