The tracking sounds like it would be really helpful. But I guess you need to
be able to get it to focus on the bird through the leaves initially before it
can start tracking it, and that you need to be able to keep the camera
reasonably still for it to keep tracking.
Robert Gosford wrote on Friday, 12 December 2008 2:59 PM:
> Just a note re focussing with DSLRs - most high end cameras
> have readily adjustable focus points - either as single
> points or as adjustable groups (my Nikon D2H has a four-way
> adjustable thumb button) and a variety of focussing programs
> that allow for movement of the primary target - i.e. can
> track a moving bird within the focussing screen. It takes a
> while to get used to but, for example, I can quite quickly
> follow a bird's head within the range of a bird's movement so
> that, even if there are sticks/leaves in the way, you can
> track the birds head to ensure the eye (as is most important IMHO) is
> in focus.
>
> julian wrote:
>> Modern focusing screens in DSLRS are not actually designed to help
>> the AF system since they are unrelated to how the AF works and are
>> used only by the human user.
>>
>> The normal DSLR is provided with a plain focus screen (without a
>> split prism) because that is less distracting for general work and
>> split prisms can affect light metering. But these plain screens are
>> lousy for manual focus, especially with small aperture lenses (f4,
>> f5.6) like those mostly used for birds.
>>
>> Most up-market and many mid-market DSLRs allow you to replace the
>> focus screen with OEM or after-market screens. Here's a link to the
>> best-known manufacturer's replacement screen for my camera (Canon
>> 30D). The only reason I haven't got one yet is because of the cost
>> and that I can't work out from the installation instructions how
>> tricky it is to install, or how much can go wrong, Also there is the
>> issue of "funny" performance around the centre of the screen where
>> the split image and microprisms are, but where many of my birds live
>> their entire lives (i.e. within the small centre circle). I'd like
>> to try before I buy. Other than those unknowns, I agree that manual
>> focus with the standard screens is all but impossible for critical
>> work, so split prism screens would be a great improvement. And help
>> prevent those hundreds of photos I've taken with perfectly focused
>> twigs and blurred bird.
>>
>>
> http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/item--Katz-Eye-Focusing-Screen-for-the-Ca
>> non-30D--prod_30D.html
>>
>>
>> On this site can also be found lots of other good info on this topic.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Julian
>>
>> At 11:49 AM 12/12/2008, you wrote:
>>>> In the old days of film and manual focus only cameras focussing
>>>> screens were fantastic and had split prisms etc to ensure you were
>>>> getting what you wanted in focus. Since the advent of auto focus
>>>> teh focussing screens are designed to help the AF system not the
>>>> user. This i think is the single biggest reason why manually
>>>> focussing modern cameras is quite difficult.
>>>
>>> I didn't know that. I assume the optical screens on DSLRs are much
>>> better that the approx 100k pixel electronic viewfinder on my Canon
>>> S3, but perhaps not so much better as I thought. Are there
>>> particular brands and models that have better focusing screens than
>>> the rest?
>>>
>>> Given the number of occasions that the bird is behind twigs or
>>> leaves, I would have thought that the quality of manual focusing was
>>> essential, yet it doesn't seem to be discussed that often.
>>
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