Comparing D2X Auto Focus and Manual Focus using KatzEye focus screen

I wear glasses and wanted to compare my ability to manual focus against the D2X auto focus. The setup used exposes the slightest variation in focus.

I setup a tripod with my D2X and 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor pointing down on my desk Wacom tablet, with Katz Eye focusing screen installed. All shots were taken at 1/160 sec at f / 1.4, ISO 320 using an 18 W Ott-Lite and overhead 3 bulb incandescent fixture. I pressed the shutter by hand. A future test should use a cable release for more stability.

The WACOM logo I shot measures 80 mm x 370 mm and the camera was about 3 feet away. The WACOM tablet was slightly tilted about 20 degrees or so which accounts for the lack of a flat DOF.

I shot small JPEGs with AF and MF and compared the result.

Initial test show that AF is best, but I will retest with a DK-17M at some point in the future. The logo is small and the focusing so precise that more magnification is required for me to do it accurately.

1. Auto focus

   

2. Manual focus using the diopter

   

3. Manual focus using glasses and viewfinder focus indicator