"My reference to -1EV, besides coming from the D90 manual, wasn’t about the poster but about your 10-stop ND filter reference. As I said, the focus indicator comes from the AF system. If you can’t focus with AF, then you won’t get a focus indicator."
As an owner of 4 Nikon DSLRS I can assure you that with manual focus you get a focus indicator when focus is manually acquired. I do not wish to fall out with you but you have this all wrong.
"The focus indicator you’ve recommended comes from the AF system. If you can get a green dot during manual focus, then you can autofocus. Otherwise, you’re just as in the dark as the AF system."
Simply not true
Question posed to Nikon...are there two different methods used to determine correct focus (one for manual and one for auto,) or is the same method used in both manual focus and autofocus?
Also, I have a D90. With regard to the question above, is a camera such as the D3 different in operation?
Here is my question put another way...if AF cannot get a focus lock, will manual focus mode give me a steady Focus Indicator?
The answer seems to be "No", and that both AF and manual focus use the same exact focus indication system. But I wanted to check.
Nikon’s response...Hello [Graystar],
Thank you for contacting Nikon USA.
Yes, you are correct. The indicator will never be steady. It will always blink in both Manual and Auto focus. This applies to both cameras.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Claribel C.
So, getting back to eternalforms and the focus problems. As I was saying...modern cameras are not meant to be manually focus. If the AF system can’t get a lock then you’re left guessing at focus by how the viewfinder looks. So it is not a “practice thing”. Also, it shouldn’t be your glasses. If you adjusted the diopter correctly (see D90 manual, page 32) you will see the viewfinder as well as anyone (point the camera towards a bright white wall that’s out of focus when doing this.)
If you’re really hot to manually focus, then a split-circle focusing screen is needed, as I’ve already mentioned. But really, manual focus doesn’t really get you anything. AF-S lenses focus very quickly, and the D90 kit lens takes about 1/2 sec to go from infinity to 2 ft. You’ve got multiple focus points, focus-&-recompose techniques involving focus lock and focus decoupling, focus assist lights...there are so many ways to get focused automatically that there’s just no benefit to manually focusing everything. You paid a lot of money for this camera...make use of the technology in your hands. It works.
That said...do not keep a camera that doesn’t autofocus accurately. That’s a real problem. Return and exchange the camera or send it to Nikon for repair.