DAY 352

HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Autofocus

CLEARLY A TURNING POINT IN PHOTOGRAPHY

Before the advent of automatic focus in the early 1980s, photographers relied on their eye, hand, and a bit of math to manually bring their subject into clear view. Even now, with sophisticated autofocus cameras offering both ease of use and flexibility, the debate of autofocus vs. manual focus rages on.

Regardless, autofocus was a significant turning point in photography. Major camera makers like Canon, Pentax, and Chinon offered models in the late 70s and early 80s that could provide automatic focus using a special motorized lens. But it was Minolta that in 1985 “rocked the entire photographic community” with its Maxxum series featuring autofocus capabilities built directly into the camera body.¹

Today autofocus is nearly ubiquitous on all SLR and compact digital cameras. The technology relies on image contrast to select a focal point—the more contrast there is, the more likely the camera will provide maximum focus on that point. In fact, more than the technology itself there are three factors that deeply impact proper focus: light level, subject contrast, and camera or subject motion.²

Many photographers, both amateur and professional, still use manual focus over auto focus, relying on their own artistic judgment—especially in the fields of macro and portrait photography. —DJG