How did people get by in the days before auto focus. It must have been like life before the TV changer.

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Please have a look at my new website [link]

the main problem with the manual lens is that it isn't very wide, i was stood about 50 yards from a building yesterday and could barely fit any of it in!! The focusing itself isn't too bad, no light meter facility though.

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Too much reasoning kills inspiration. Stone dead

Oh bugger. I had the same thing some time back with my main 24-70. The helicoid wore out mainly due to the weight of the lens being too much for the design.

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Machines were mice and men were lions once upon a time, but now that it's the opposite, it's twice upon a time. - Moondog

- getting some good experience with the 50mm now though! its about 30 years old.

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Too much reasoning kills inspiration. Stone dead

Probably great glass as well.
There is a softness to older lenses and I don't mean detail, more a light thing.

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Machines were mice and men were lions once upon a time, but now that it's the opposite, it's twice upon a time. - Moondog

aye, latest 2 pictures are taken on it.

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Too much reasoning kills inspiration. Stone dead

Looks like I was bang on, the typewriter shot show that very trait, detailed but soft. Nice shot man.

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Machines were mice and men were lions once upon a time, but now that it's the opposite, it's twice upon a time. - Moondog

Cheers

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Too much reasoning kills inspiration. Stone dead

Judging by those pics I think you did very well with the 50mm lens. I find mine almost impossible to focus properly, apart from macro photography, so usually stick with my 28mm.
Hope you get your main one back okay.

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The best way out is usually through the door but not many people realise it: Confucius.