Nikkor 60mm AF 2.8 D

Please correct me if I'm wrong here, but can you change from AF to MF on the fly once underwater?

My equipment is a D80, Nikkor AF 60mm 2.8 D lens, DXD80 Sea & Sea housing, NX Custom flat port.

This question came about when I realized that on the 60mm lens you must push a little silver button and rotate a separate ring on the lens to change from AF to MF. This is the only way to change to manual focus. Then, after doing this, you can adjust focus manually with the focus ring. The AF/M switch on the camera has no effect on the lens' capability to change, except to lock the focus when changed from AF to MF, completely locking out any ability to focus.

Does this make sense? Am I missing something? Did I somehow buy the wrong 60mm lens?

Frustrated!

Relax-- You just need an AF-MF shift gear.

http://www.reefphoto.com/index.php?main_pa...1e0cbbefa5d1fde

Please correct me if I'm wrong here, but can you change from AF to MF on the fly once underwater?

 

My equipment is a D80, Nikkor AF 60mm 2.8 D lens, DXD80 Sea & Sea housing, NX Custom flat port.

 

This question came about when I realized that on the 60mm lens you must push a little silver button and rotate a separate ring on the lens to change from AF to MF. This is the only way to change to manual focus. Then, after doing this, you can adjust focus manually with the focus ring. The AF/M switch on the camera has no effect on the lens' capability to change, except to lock the focus when changed from AF to MF, completely locking out any ability to focus.

 

Does this make sense? Am I missing something? Did I somehow buy the wrong 60mm lens?

 

Frustrated!

Pat,

Do you really want to use manual focus underwater?

It is going to be very difficult to assess focus due to the inherit difficulties of looking through the viewfinder (although I'm sure your D80 is better than my D70). Even if you are able to get the focus right manually, you are almost certainly moving around due to surge that keeping the camera in exactly the same spot between focus and shutter is going to be very difficult.

I use my 60mm f/2.8 Macro with AF all the time.

Thanks Ryan! I'm sure there had to be an answer out there somewhere? Whats another couple of hundred dollars at this point ??

ATJ, I'm probably never going to use manual, but I'd like the option just in case. I have read here that a lot of people use their manual focus in some situtions.

Some of us old folks remember when AF wasn't available, hmmm like three years ago with my Nikon F2.

Kathy

Pat,

 

Do you really want to use manual focus underwater?

 

It is going to be very difficult to assess focus due to the inherit difficulties of looking through the viewfinder (although I'm sure your D80 is better than my D70). Even if you are able to get the focus right manually, you are almost certainly moving around due to surge that keeping the camera in exactly the same spot between focus and shutter is going to be very difficult.

 

I use my 60mm f/2.8 Macro with AF all the time.

Some of us old folks remember when AF wasn't available, hmmm like three years ago with my Nikon F2.

So why do you want to go back there?

How often do you use your 60mm in manual focus mode?

ATJ, I'm probably never going to use manual, but I'd like the option just in case. I have read here that a lot of people use their manual focus in some situtions.

Another thing to watch for with the 60mm Micro is the stupid Limit/Full switch (that I have never intentionally used). I once got into the water, took a few test macro shots and realised I couldn't focus. Seems I had bumped the switch while setting up the rig. I had to go back to the car to fix it before attempting the dive again.

I don't use it much. But I have found it useful in low-light situations (D70 is notorious for AF searching in low light), and sometimes when I am shooting something really small with lots of clutter around it. Focus once with AF and then move in-and-out manually to get focus. But you could use the AF lock button for that also. Sometimes I regress to old habits.

I have the ring that Ryan describes above for my S&S housing.

Kathy

A great thing about the DS125 is it has a modeling light. If I find the light is too low for the D70 to focus, I turn one or both (I have 2 x DS125) modeling lights on and it solves the problem.

i often rack out the 60 with AF, then when it is at its limit use the AF/MF switch to turn it into MF. Then i just move the camera back and forth or wait for the critter (anemone fish especially) to move into the sweet spot, then fire. I do this a LOT with both 60 and 105 lenses, but rarely use the actual MF dial.

Really solves the lens hunting issue for really small stuff and when using subjective focus to get a part of a critter into focus in an area I want.

How often do you use your 60mm in manual focus mode?

All the time.

As Mike says, locking the lens and then firing when the subject is on focus tends to give more keepers than allowing the camera to AF, particularly in low contrast environments. It is a long long long way from infinity to 1:1 when this lens is racking in and out, and this takes a long time to happen if the camera loses focus all together and hunts the entire focus range.

I never use the 60mm in MF mode. For me it focuses reliably in all situations. A focus light would be more useful than MF IMHO. Better to get the camera to focus quickly and reliably than to try to do it yourself through the tiny peephole.

Now the 105mm is a different matter and I can definitely see the benefit in being able to MF the longer lens. The 105mm has trouble focusing all the time even in the VR-AFS version. Add to that the use of diopters and its much better to focus manually. But the 60mm although "old" technology does very very well in AF.

Also, there is always the fin focus method. Set your camera and lens to MF before the dive. Dial in 1:1 close focus and focus by moving the camera closer until you are at 1:1. Probably the easiest way to focus of all!