Nikon 17-55 2.8 Lens

[NYC Girl]

Hello everyone, this is my first post, and hope someone can help. I just bought a 17-55 lens and I am a little confused about it. I know how to use the focal length zoom, but when adjusting the focal distance I dont see much of a difference from infinity to the closest setting. I have not shot with it yet, this is just my initial out of the box inspection. I will be using the lens on the M/A setting for the most part. I also read that if you are using auto focus that you should not manually focus the lens because you could ruin the mechanics of the lens... this is what is confusing me. Does that mean i should not be adjusting the distance on the lens? Can someone help me out? Thanks so much, I am in the learning stages of these better lenses. Appreciate your responses.

[dubaiphil]

The 17-55 is an autofocus lens, and a good one at that. It can also very safely be used while manually focusing.

When you say you don't see much of a difference from infinity to the closest setting, are you talking about through the viewfinder or on your finished images?

[NYC Girl]

Oh sorry, through the viewfinder. thank you for responding.

[dubaiphil]

Well select a single centre point autofocus, have the lens set on A, the body set on A, and fire off a few shots at something close at f2.8 - you should get a suitably blurred background and shallow depth of field

[NYC Girl]

Thank you so much, I am trying to learn. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks for not laughing at me....

[dubaiphil]

Well all start sometime, NYC Girl - what camera body are you shooting with?

[NYC Girl]

Thank you and its a D7100

[NYC Girl]

And you are in Dubai, wow, theres a place I would love to visit some day.

[dje]

Hi NYC Girl

Some lenses are designed to allow safe manual focussing when switched to auto and some aren't. This one is safe and the M/A position allows auto use but with manual over-ride. The M position disables auto focus.

I find it a bit surprising you can't see the focus change much even through the viewfinder. The only time I use manual focus is for low light landscapes with the camera tripod mounted. If you go into Live View mode, you can get a magnified view that allows fine adjustment of focus manually. I'm a Canon user but assume you can do this on the D7100.

Dave

[NYC Girl]

Thank you Dave, I really appreciate your feedback. I love this forum!

[NorthernFocus]

I wonder if you are not seeing a difference because the lens is autofocusing? In M/A mode, the camera/lens will autofocus but allows you to manually override. But in that mode, when you take your hand back off of the focus ring, the AF takes back over. So if you are setting the focus distance by looking at the scale on the outside of the lens, than looking through the viewfinder, the camera is likely switching back to AF and refocusing so quickly that you don't notice it is occuring. Maybe you should satisfy yourself testing it by setting the camera to M, then manually manipulating the focus ring. As someone already said, you should certainly be able to see the difference from close focus to infinity.

In the base case, if you want to manually focus and have the focal point stay put, either the lens or the camera needs to be set to M. Or as someone will surely point out if I don't, you can use back button focus. But let's not go there....

[NYC Girl]

Thank you Dan, I have been playing around with the lens and camera, and I can definitely see the difference in the images more than in the viewfinder. Of course my eyesight isnt what it used to be so the images hold the truth. Thank you for your response!

[NYC Girl]

Your pictures are amazing Dan, and lol back button focus, not ready for that yet, but I will let you know when I am!

[dubaiphil]

Thank you Dan, I have been playing around with the lens and camera, and I can definitely see the difference in the images more than in the viewfinder. Of course my eyesight isnt what it used to be so the images hold the truth. Thank you for your response!

Your view through the viewfinder will not show the same depth of field as the final image, NYC Girl. If you use Live View it will give a better view of the effect. Not in Dubai anymore, just cold old UK again now!

[george013]

NYC girl,

Nikon has AF and AF-S lenses. The 17-55 is a AF-S lens. This means that the focus engine is in the lens. You can overrule this manual.

With AF lenses focusing depends on a focus-engine in the camera and the movement is mechanical transferred to the lens. With those you have to disconnect the lens and camera mechanical, a switch on the lens.

I don't know by head if your camera has a focus engine build in. If so, you can also use AF lenses normaly, if not, then only manual. So check out if you want to buy other lenses.

George

[pnodrog]

Thank you Dan, I have been playing around with the lens and camera, and I can definitely see the difference in the images more than in the viewfinder. Of course my eyesight isnt what it used to be so the images hold the truth. Thank you for your response!

I take it you have set the viewfinder's diopter adjustment correctly for your eyesight.

[NYC Girl]

Your view through the viewfinder will not show the same depth of field as the final image, NYC Girl. If you use Live View it will give a better view of the effect. Not in Dubai anymore, just cold old UK again now!

Thank you Phil, you have been most helpful, and the UK is great as well. Thank you to all who responded I have the answers I need. This is an amazing site, glad I found it. I will be back with more questions I am sure.