Focus Gear with 60mm macro lens

[js1221]

Is the focus gear needed with the Olympus 60mm Macro lens if I'm not going to manually focus?

 

[vsc]

I honestly don't use it, allowing autofocus to get close then moving the whole rig slightly to refine the focus. That said I have the focus gear in place on the lens.

 

[PedroP]

I have used in both scenarios, in calm waters is fine to use auto focus. In rough water auto focus is sometimes not fast or accurate enough, using a focus light will help. It also helps to use focus limiting range selector on the lens.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Interesting

 

[BoltSnap]

It also helps to use focus limiting range selector on the lens.

How do you do that underwater or do you know your subject and do it on the surface ahead of the dive? It is difficult to access the focus limiting selector on the surface to the point where I don't bother with it.

 

[BoltSnap]

I have the focus ring on my 60mm but I have seldom used it in my 10 years of owning it. I may have used it few times just to play with it but never needed to do manual focus. I have a small focus light attached to the top of the housing just in case when the light is too low to focus.

 

[js1221]

I should have provided a little more detail. The reason I asked was because I really don't see well enough underwater (or above the water for that matter) to utilize manual focus well. I rely on autofocus. My camera fits snuggly in the housing, without the focus gear, and shows not sign of movement. If I don't need it, then I will just leave it off, and consider it one less piece of equipment to deal with.

 

[BoltSnap]

I should have provided a little more detail. The reason I asked was because I really don't see well enough underwater (or above the water for that matter) to utilize manual focus well. I rely on autofocus. My camera fits snuggly in the housing, without the focus gear, and shows not sign of movement. If I don't need it, then I will just leave it off, and consider it one less piece of equipment to deal with.

Don't buy it until you need it.

 

[tursiops]

I guess I'm an outlier. I love the manual focus (with focus peaking turned on) so I can home in on what I want the picture to be. An example is a nudibranch, nearly head-on view, or skeleton shrimp amoung the hydroid branches.. The autofocus has no idea what I want the picture to be. There is little DOF in macro, so I find it not just nice but essential to move that focus ever so slightly. I can do it with less effort with the focus gear than I can by moving the entire camera/tray/light system. It helps greatly to have a good viewfinder on the camera (I have the 45-deg unit) and not be trying to use the LCD.

 

[BoltSnap]

I can home in on what I want the picture to be.

But can't you do that with autofocus pointing the focal point to the exact point you want to be in focus?