Hi everyone again... I just got the lens with adapter for the GF1 but then it is so hard to shot it handheld wide open for portraits... can someone plz give me tips?

Start out by stopping it down a stop or two or three until you get the hang of it, and then you can open it up as you get practice at holding it steady. It will be a lot more fun and a lot less frustrating and DOF will still be quite shallow.

would an evf be helpful?

Here is a good thread

GF1- help with manual focus?

Also are you using the MF assist zoom - accessible by pressing the thumb wheel.?

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yea the MF assist zoom is helping but still super hard for me... maybe i got shaky hands... i was never good in dissecting in my bio classes =)

keep at it, it's worth the effort!

I'm trying hahaha =)

These tips are rangefinder/lecia based but most of the tips work for any MF camera.

Manual focus technique » Yanidel Street Photography

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what does the manual focus assist do? I have the G2 and I believe that's a feature on it as well...is that where it zooms in even into more detail so you can perform even finer focus?

that brings me to my next point...with the kit lens, in manual focus mode, can i PREVENT the camera from doing that super "zoom" in to finely focus? Sometimes it's annoying when I just want to focus traditionally by seeing what the photo would look like and focusing, rather than the camera automatically zooming in super close to finely focus.

With this lens (I have one that I love!), there are two considerations:

1) be sure that you are in focus - if you are shooting at f1.2; you have to use the magnifier or you will not likely be in focus.

2) be careful not to use too slow a shutter speed - for this lens you should use 1/100th of a second or smaller. If you are using IS3, you should be able to shoot at 1/30th or so but only with a non-moving subject.