Quote Originally Posted by Anbesol
Wow I am surprised at how unpopular manual focus is! I use it for predictive shooting, I trust my fingers better than a focus motor in those tight and tricky environments.

Sushi - that would depend on the zoom range. On my 70-210, even through an APS viewfinder, the line of focus is clearly and instantly detectable. I frequently use manual focus for predictive framing - where I see the subject coming into the frame and I'm ready for it. I also use it 98% of the time for Macros, I assumed that everybody used it for Macro.
I focus manually 100% of the time with my 35mm rangefinder camera, and I do a lot more predicting the point of focus with my RF than I do with the DSLR. If I did much of that kind of shooting with my DSLR, I'd use manual more often, but I find focusing my DSLR manually is a slow and careful process best reserved for tripod shooting. I'll probably get a split image focus screen for it if I ever manage to save up enough money for some of that Zeiss ZE glass, but that's not going to happen in this economy.

Paul