Why You Should Use Manual Focus and How To Do It

Just like any camera enthusiast, we love the advancements in autofocus performance of modern digital cameras, and how these systems help you achieve sharp focus with minimal effort. However, we still find that in some instances there are benefits to switching your lens over to manual focus. Read on to find out why you should use manual focus and get some tips on how to do it successfully.

What is manual focus in photography?

Manual focus in photography is the technique where the photographer directly controls the focusing ring of their camera lens to bring the subject into sharp clarity, rather than relying on the camera's internal autofocus system. This hands-on approach allows for precise focusing on specific points within the frame, particularly useful in situations where autofocus might struggle, such as low light, macro photography, or when shooting through obstacles.

Understanding what manual focus is vs autofocus highlights the fundamental difference: manual focus offers deliberate, user-driven control, while autofocus provides automated convenience. While autofocus excels in many situations, mastering manual focus expands creative possibilities and ensures critical sharpness exactly where the photographer deems it necessary.

The benefits of manual focus in an automated time

Autofocus is all about allowing you to point and shoot while making as few adjustments as possible and still capturing sharp images. Why then would anyone use manual focus, which involves physically adjusting the focus ring of your lens until the image is sharp? Here are a few reasons why you should consider improving your manual focusing skills:

Shooting in dim lighting: While advanced mirrorless and DSLR cameras now feature impressive AF systems that can find focus in low light, your camera and lens will often have to make a few attempts to lock onto a focal point — this is called hunting. Using manual focus removes this hunting and allows you to make sure your image is sharp before you press the shutter button.

Fast and discreet shooting: Using autofocus can often be a little noisy, although this has drastically improved in modern times. If you are photographing indoors, in hushed environments, or taking candid photographs in which you wish to remain unnoticed — such as in street photography — manual focus is the way to go.

People using manual focus in these settings often develop techniques to make the job quicker and easier, such as zone focusing. This involves setting your focus distance in advance and then selecting an aperture that assures everything within a certain distance range will be sharp.

Pro tip: When zone focusing, a smaller aperture that provides a larger depth of field yields the most success. You may need to bump up your ISO a little more than usual to achieve this.

Macro photography: As discussed in our Autofocus vs Manual focus blog, minor shifts in focus can have huge effects on your macro photography results. For this reason, we advise taking things into your own hands and leaving nothing to chance.

Selecting one particular subject: While AF systems are wonderful, they are not smart enough to know exactly what you want as a photographer. An example of this is if you have multiple subjects within your frame and you want to select which one is the focal point — an obvious reason for learning how to focus manually.

Filming video with your DSLR or Mirrorless camera: If your video contains lots of movement and focus shifts, it is extremely hard to focus manually, so you will probably want to stick to auto. On the other hand, if your subjects are mostly stationary or moving only slightly, using manual focus can be quieter — removing AF noises and the risk of your video going temporarily blurry as your lens hunts for focus.

How to manual focus with success

Now that you've been convinced to give manual focus a crack, here are some tips to help make your early attempts more successful and ultimately, enjoyable.

Adjust the diopter on your camera: You are relying on your eyes to get a sharp image when you focus manually, so adjust the diopter of your camera to suit your eyesight to be sure you are seeing things accurately.

Use live view: Live view isn't always the best option for photography, which is why we preach the benefits of composing with a viewfinder. For some forms of photography, however — such as landscapes and macro shots — we encourage you to mount your camera to a tripod and turn live view on. Not only does this larger view make it easier to achieve a visual confirmation of your sharp image, but in most cases you can magnify the area you are focusing on for even more precision.

Pre-focus your lens: Similarly to zone focusing, you can speed up your manual focus performance by having your lens preset to a distance you think is right before your subject comes along. With this step followed, you should only need to make minor adjustments before your focus is sharp and you are ready to shoot.

Utilise focus-peaking: Focus-peaking is a tool found in many modern digital cameras, where a white or coloured highlight appears in your EVF or LCD screen when an area of your image is in focus. This confirmation reduces your workload considerably — turn it on if it's available in your camera's menu.

Use a moderate aperture: If you are just starting out and worried that your manual focus abilities haven't been perfected yet, use a slightly smaller aperture than you normally would. This will give your photograph a greater depth of field, which means there is more margin for error on your part.

Do all cameras and lenses offer manual focus?

While it's not a universal feature across the entire spectrum of photographic equipment, manual focus capability is present in the vast majority of cameras and lenses available today. From DSLRs and mirrorless cameras to many compact cameras, the option to take direct control of the lens's focus ring is a standard inclusion. Smartphone users take note — you can even manually focus on an iPhone!

The ease and practicality of using manual focus can vary significantly depending on the equipment. Attempting manual focus without a viewfinder, relying solely on an LCD screen, can be considerably more challenging due to stability issues and difficulty in critically assessing sharpness. Certain camera designs — particularly those with large, bright viewfinders and focus aids like peaking or magnification — are inherently more suitable and user-friendly for precise manual focusing.

Should I use manual focus for video?

While manual focus in video offers significant creative control, it also presents unique challenges compared to autofocus. Understanding these advantages and disadvantages is key to choosing the right focusing method for your videography project.

Pros of Manual Focus for Video:

• Greater creative control over focus pulls and rack focusing.
• Consistent focus without the risk of autofocus hunting.
• Reliable performance in low light conditions.
• Silent operation, avoiding autofocus motor noise.
• Precise focusing on specific points, even through obstacles.

Cons of Manual Focus for Video:

• Difficult to maintain focus on moving subjects.
• Slower focus adjustments compared to autofocus.
• Challenging for solo shooters who are also the subject.
• Requires significant skill and practice for consistently sharp results, especially with shallow depth of field.