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Manual or Automatic Focusing for DSLR video?

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Freebird12
Posts: 114 - Karma: 295
I'm buying a new camera and im deciding on two cameras with the main difference being that one shoots with automatic focusing while taking video and the other has manual focus while taking video. Do you sacrifice freedom by taking the camera with automatic focusing or is it too helpful to pass by?
May 24 2013 12:13AM
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Laurent.
Posts: 10056 - Karma: 25,313
I wouldn't call autofocus in video helpful, it's more of a nuisance.

And please elaborate, what camera's are you debating about?
May 24 2013 1:16AM
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Tikayt
Posts: 1031 - Karma: 1,543
Manual, always manual in video. Plus, it's generally the bypass between the body and the lens that enables autofocus.
Yeah, what DSLR are you talking about ?
May 24 2013 3:58AM
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Freebird12
Posts: 114 - Karma: 295
Between the Canon T3i and the Sony A58. Now i know theres more differences than just the focusing on video but that was the main concern i was wondering about.
May 24 2013 7:34AM
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Tikayt
Posts: 1031 - Karma: 1,543
We know it's not always easy to manage both, the focus and the focal ring and that's one of the main disadvantage DSLRs have but on the other hand, you ought to concentrate more on getting a nice focus than always zooming in and out.
May 24 2013 4:34PM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24725 - Karma: 29,944
I'd say it's quite the contrary. Having manual control over focus is one of the biggest benefits to a DSLR, in that you have full control over the image. This is why so many folks, including myself, swear by vintage glass, because it gives you a fully manual focus ring that's absolutely superior to anything anyone is coming out with today besides perhaps Rokinon...
May 26 2013 6:50AM
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Tikayt
Posts: 1031 - Karma: 1,543
Fuck me Dingo you're totally right, maybe I wasn't clear, but what I wanted to say is that it's tricky to manage both rings, although the most important one is the focus ring.
May 26 2013 7:02AM
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eheath
Posts: 61590 - Karma: 122,949
Both DSLRs will do manual focus.
May 26 2013 12:48PM
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Jiberfish
Posts: 1041 - Karma: 310
I have a T4I and i never shoot video with the auto focus. It is awfully loud and isn't accurate at all. Just go with the cheaper option as long as they have the same quality
May 28 2013 6:17PM
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123+ski
Posts: 2832 - Karma: 581
continuous autofocus on the gh2 is neat, on the gh3 it can be great with some lenses, but I do almost only manual focus. I find it easier, because you don't have to worry about it missing/changing mid shot, and while you can do touch to focus to do focus pulls on the gh2, it has to hunt (by nature of contrast detect af), so it isn't something to rely on. And I would get the t3i, it has magic lantern and a shorter flange distance, but if it works for you, you may wnat to look into a gh2 or gh3, for video they both blow just about anything else out of the water.
May 28 2013 6:59PM
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Daski
Posts: 658 - Karma: 2,348
Get the T3i, I dont know anything about the sony, but I love my T3i. And get a wide angle/ fisheye lens (ex. any Rokinon lens or a tokina 11-16mm, preferably the tokina.) My tokina is awesome. It really helps with focusing, because of the infinity focus thing on the focus ring.
May 29 2013 9:50AM
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