{"id":2680,"date":"2021-09-26T14:16:26","date_gmt":"2021-09-26T14:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new-blog.artlist.io\/?p=2680"},"modified":"2025-04-16T08:55:52","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T08:55:52","slug":"manual-focus-vs-autofocus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new-blog.artlist.io\/blog\/manual-focus-vs-autofocus\/","title":{"rendered":"Manual Focus vs. Autofocus: When to Use Which and Why"},"content":{"rendered":"

Until recently, if you asked about “manual focus vs. autofocus” you would always be told that manual focus is superior and that’s what you should use, whether for photography or filmmaking. However, there have been considerable improvements in autofocus technology, which means that the answer is now not clear-cut. Depending on your camera, when, where, what and how you’re shooting, autofocus could be the better option for video.<\/p>\n

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What is autofocus?<\/h2>\n

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Take a look at your lenses, and you’ll probably see on them a switch marked AF\/MF, or sometimes AF\/M, depending on the make. On some cameras, there’s an AF\/MF switch on the body. Wherever it is, this switch allows you to switch between autofocus and manual focus modes when your camera locks onto your focal point or when you choose where to focus.<\/p>\n

After selecting AF, you can decide on an AF mode, whether you’re using a\u00a0mirrorless or DSLR camera<\/a>. These autofocus modes will help you use it to its best advantage. When it comes to video, the chances are that you won’t want to use single shot or AF-S mode because it holds the focus in one place. If your subject is entirely static, that’s great, but that probably doesn’t happen too often!<\/p>\n

Continuous AF is a better option for filmmakers when the autofocus is always adjusting. On some cameras, you can choose between “multi,” which covers all of the frame or “area” or “zone,” where you can select a specific part of the frame to focus on.<\/p>\n

Face\/Eye detection, or Eye AF, is an excellent advancement in AF modes. The autofocus detects faces and focuses on them. For vlogging, interviews or documentaries, this mode is very useful.<\/p>\n

What is manual focus?<\/h2>\n

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When you flick the lens switch from AF to MF or AF to M on some lenses, the control of where your lens focuses shifts from the camera to you. There is a focusing ring on the lens that you will turn to decide where your scene should be sharp and what sharp looks like.<\/p>\n

When you looked through the viewfinder of old manual-focusing cameras, you would see marks over your scene that you would align to ensure that you had focused on your subject. Now, you just tend to manually focus your camera by eye: identify your focal point and twist the focusing ring until it appears sharp. When you’re making videos, using an external monitor is an excellent investment to assist your focus. Having a screen that is larger than your camera’s and might include focus peaking will certainly help with accuracy.<\/p>\n

What are the advantages of autofocus, and when should I use it?<\/h2>\n

When you’re beginning with filmmaking, AF can be hugely helpful. It allows you to concentrate on other elements of filmmaking, such as exposure and lighting, without splitting your attention. Then, as you grow in confidence, you can practice taking control of your camera’s focus manually.<\/p>\n

When filming a fast-moving subject, it’s entirely possible that you just will not be able to adjust the focus sufficiently fast to keep it sharp. In which case, you’d better turn over the task to AF.<\/p>\n

For anyone who is vlogging or self-shooting, setting your focus manually and filming yourself is pretty tricky. So let AF get your face sharp in the shot instead.<\/p>\n

When solo shooting, it might be helpful to let the camera work in AF so that you can concentrate on getting the other elements of your video right.<\/p>\n