X2 and a lack of focus

[ThwartedEfforts]

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Not an expert by any means, please be gentle.

 

Since buying my X2 over a year ago I've used it sparingly. In that time I've had the devil's own job trying to get a good photo, the biggest problem being that what I thought was in focus very obviously isn't.

 

Yesterday we visited the beach and again pretty much two from every three shots are spoiled. I've attached one as an example (straight from camera but resized to 1024px wide); it's indicative of almost the entire set, and feeling somewhat depressed at having all the shots from an enjoyable day out go wrong I'm hoping the folks here might help.

 

I've used all type of focus bar face recognition - which gives even poorer results than the others - and the images from yesterday were taken with spot.

 

I've already confessed to being something of a rank amateur but I hope you can see from the example that it'd take a special kind of clumsiness to fail to focus on a child sitting on a beach. In this particular shot I'm waiting for the focussing rectangle to show green, then taking the shot.

 

Honestly, that's it. What you see is repeated a hundred times, as though the green rectangle means 'do NOT focus here'. Is it technique? Is it some setting? A known problem? I'm using the latest 1.1 firmware, have tried factory resets, holding breath and hoping, magical incantations, etc.

 

All suggestions gratefully received

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[symmetron]

What focusing mode are you using? Was the green rectangle centered on your child?

[wda]

TE, Welcome to the forum!

 

I feel for your frustration. Did you buy the camera new from a dealer? If so, I would discuss it with him before your warranty expires.

 

But, try and eliminate obvious causes of failure. First, place the camera on a tripod so that camera shake is eliminated. Then select a fixed target at a distance equivalent to that of most of your human subjects. Switch to manual focusing mode and see if you are able to obtain a sharply focused picture of your chosen subject.

 

Looking at your example, I suspect that if you actually spot focused in AF on the child, you did not exert a half-pressure on the shutter release at the point of AF confirmation, and continued without relaxing that pressure to take the picture. I say this because the middle distance is sharper than the child. If you agree with this diagnosis, practice on inert objects just to perfect your shooting technique.

 

Actually, face-recognition might have worked in the example you have given because there are no distracting alternative targets at or nearer than the child. It would be worth trying. However, I seldom use the mode because it can latch onto bits in the scene that are not your chosen targets. That is why I use '1 Point H' as a regular habit and occasionally use 'Spot' if I need finer control in certain situations.

 

If forum advice does not solve your problem, take the camera back to the dealer for a check. It is just possible that the AF is faulty, but that would be quite rare. Do let us know the outcome because the camera is capable of stunning results, but rewards those prepared to put in the time to master it.

[JDFlood]

Wow, yes something is very wrong. I see why your disappointed, that is bad. The focus point is way behind the boy. I shoot in auto focus multi-point, and it would have nailed the shot every time. So, both dial = A, on swithch = S and AF set to the white box. When you point and squeeze down half way it will light up one or more green squares on the LCD. Are the green boxes covering the beach or the kid. If they cover the kid(and the photo is out of focus), then send the camera in for repair. If they cover the beach, let go of shutter release, point camera at child, press half way, if the child is painted in green rectangles ( and the camera happily beeps, it is correctly locked on, press rest of way down, the photo should be dead on. If not, return camera.

 

If it the above tests are good, then it is likely something you are doing. But the green rectangles, and beep when it achieves and shows you the lock, should make it simple... If you still have trouble, post some more details. JD

[Chuck Albertson]

I tend to leave my X2 in facial-recognition autofocus, as it does a very good job of locking on to any faces in the frame. If there aren't any faces, it defaults to regular multi-point autofocus.

[wda]

I tend to leave my X2 in facial-recognition autofocus, as it does a very good job of locking on to any faces in the frame. If there aren't any faces, it defaults to regular multi-point autofocus.

But Chuck, even regular multi-point autofocus is capable of picking on the wrong zone, usually an object nearer to the camera than perhaps you desire. I agree it is a good catch-all setting when shooting on the move, but for more precise focus point selection I find a single 1-point zone suits my style better and is generally more accurate.

[NZDavid]

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That is a shame. I am assuming you are using the LCD to compose and not an optical viewfinder which will be less precise?

 

With the X1 I always used spot focus. It should work (though I have struggled with AF compared with rangefinder focusing which I find more precise). I would repeat the advice above to experiment on various subjects to see if you can nail them. If not, take the X2 back to the dealer and explain the problem.

[jaapv]

I tend to leave my X2 in facial-recognition autofocus, as it does a very good job of locking on to any faces in the frame. If there aren't any faces, it defaults to regular multi-point autofocus.

 

But it is the slowest of all AF modes to use it this way.

[CalArts 99]

..... but for more precise focus point selection I find a single 1-point zone suits my style better and is generally more accurate.

 

With the X1 I always used spot focus.

 

I find spot focus to be always accurate. I also only use this mode with the X2. It's similar to using the rangefinder patch at the center of the M finder, although of course needing to partially hold down the shutter release button when re-composing (which is something everybody gets used to anyway when using AF.)

 

The OP did say that they used spot with their images that were still out of focus, so I would assume something is wrong. Unless they are focusing and then moving the camera right before releasing the shutter (?) Try putting it on a tripod and use spot focus at several distances to check for certain before sending the camera in for service. AF is a bit slow with the X2 but it's pretty accurate.

[earleygallery]

I suspect it's simply user error. Re-read the instructions regarding the various focus modes and how to lock focus and try various test shots.

 

I think in the image above, if spot focus was used, the OP has simply focussed on the background.

[Paul J]

X1 has a habbit of throwing focus like that at times. For no apparent reason too. At first I thought it was just me but I have a read a few people saying the same thing on the net. Maybe the same for the X2.

[Chuck Albertson]

But it is the slowest of all AF modes to use it this way.

 

Could be, I've never really compared the two. But it should be fine for the OP's picture. A kid shoveling sand on the beach isn't exactly Lewis Hamilton exiting the pits at Monaco.

[earleygallery]

Could be, I've never really compared the two. But it should be fine for the OP's picture. A kid shoveling sand on the beach isn't exactly Lewis Hamilton exiting the pits at Monaco.

 

If the kid was shovelling sand into the wrong bucket it'd be a fair comparison

[wda]

Much criticism is levelled at the X1/X2 camera for its tardy AF. After years of use I grant you that there are faster AF systems available, but for most applications it is not a valid excuse for unconvincing photography. It would not be my first choice for fast-firing press photography; but the camera isn't designed to be a serious tool in that arena.

[Chuck Albertson]

If the kid was shovelling sand into the wrong bucket it'd be a fair comparison

 

It was the bucket he used when he came to the beach last year. An honest mistake.

[ThwartedEfforts]

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to get back to me on this. It's greatly appreciated.

 

To answer some of the questions raised:

 

I use spot most of the time for the simple reason that the others seem to give me even more random results. With multi-point AF, it's common to have entirely different locations of a static scene light up when I half press the shutter, as though the X2 can't make its mind up. I use that to my advantage some times, in that I can effectively cycle through sets of green rectangles until I get the grouping I want, but at the same time I'm left feeling concerned the AF is fundamentally unsettled.

 

My shooting technique is pretty simple. Half press the shutter and wait for the AF confirmation both in terms of the beep and the green rectangle. Without releasing pressure, fully depress the shutter to take picture. That's it.

 

I can get the X2 to focus manually and dead-on. But I find it laborious and certainly in instances other than filling a bucket on a beach, my boys rarely sit still. Certainly not still enough for me to wind the focus back and forth with my thumb to make sure they're sharp.

 

What I am guilty of is focussing an object with a half press and then moving the camera - the assumption being that the AF is then locked in place and I can safely recompose the shot with, say, the focussed object to one side. If that is not possible, how might I achieve the desired effect?

 

I must emphasise that what has prevented me from taking the camera back to the shop is the few pictures that are just so unbelievably good I am instantly reminded of why I paid extra for a Leica. Nothing else makes quite as lovely a picture.

[wda]

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to get back to me on this. It's greatly appreciated....

What I am guilty of is focussing an object with a half press and then moving the camera - the assumption being that the AF is then locked in place and I can safely recompose the shot with, say, the focussed object to one side. If that is not possible, how might I achieve the desired effect?....

What you describe should work provided you retain the half-pressure and constant confirmation light signal while re-framing.

[jaapv]

With multipoint focus the camera may well change focus point if you change the framing, even minimally- between attempts. Which you are nearly sure to do, especially when shooting the camera in smartphone position.

 

Your focus/halfpress - recompose technique should work, provided that you do not inadvertently lose the halfpress position on the shutter button during recomposing. I find that quite easy to do on the ~X cameras, again especially when focussing on the LCD, the localization of the halfpress is not very positive to feel. You must really watch your LCD or EVF to make sure the AF rectangle does not jump when shooting that way.

 

Using the EVF will make your life a lot simpler.

 

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to get back to me on this. It's greatly appreciated.

 

To answer some of the questions raised:

 

I use spot most of the time for the simple reason that the others seem to give me even more random results. With multi-point AF, it's common to have entirely different locations of a static scene light up when I half press the shutter, as though the X2 can't make its mind up. I use that to my advantage some times, in that I can effectively cycle through sets of green rectangles until I get the grouping I want, but at the same time I'm left feeling concerned the AF is fundamentally unsettled.

 

My shooting technique is pretty simple. Half press the shutter and wait for the AF confirmation both in terms of the beep and the green rectangle. Without releasing pressure, fully depress the shutter to take picture. That's it.

 

I can get the X2 to focus manually and dead-on. But I find it laborious and certainly in instances other than filling a bucket on a beach, my boys rarely sit still. Certainly not still enough for me to wind the focus back and forth with my thumb to make sure they're sharp.

 

What I am guilty of is focussing an object with a half press and then moving the camera - the assumption being that the AF is then locked in place and I can safely recompose the shot with, say, the focussed object to one side. If that is not possible, how might I achieve the desired effect?

 

I must emphasise that what has prevented me from taking the camera back to the shop is the few pictures that are just so unbelievably good I am instantly reminded of why I paid extra for a Leica. Nothing else makes quite as lovely a picture.

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[jlindstrom]

I feel I'm running into the same issue as the OP. Just got back from a family vacation where I used my M9 and my X2. The X2 was my main camera and now for some reason, on a bigger screen, I'm finding quite a lot of misfocused images. Seems unbelievable that I'm getting more misfocus with an X2 than my m9. (I know rangefinders are more accurate, but I'm not.. )

 

What's worrying is that those are @f8 in bright sun light and with shutter speeds in the region 1/250 - 1/400. So it isn't camera shake either..

 

I have a couple of photos with those specs that have absolutely nothing in focus. Which is something I find hard to achieve with a 24mm lens and f8..

 

I don't have the confirmation beep on, but I most certainly half press and check for green box. I use solely 1-point AF and never use the IS. And I try to keep my shutter speeds at or above 1/125 to avoid camera shakes, since I use the back lcd for focus. And no, not at arms length but with arms tucked against my body (or something else) for better support.

 

Mine still has couple of months of warranty left, so I will probably have it sent to Solms for checkup on focus errors, just to make sure. I can live with my m9 just fine while the camera is away.

 

-- Juha

[Msin]

Hi all,

 

I can feel the frustration about the mis-focus situation. Let me share my experience on X2.

 

I actually know that AF of X2 has improved from the X1; but still during my test at a Leica Store, X2 is not quite up to the AF from a DSLR. Anyhow, I still bought it.

 

In my first week of using the X2, I had the same problem of mis-focus. Nearly 50% of my images are off. Worse, exposures are not correct, & are mostly over. I was enquiring about if there is an AE Lock so that I can get a locked exposure than move to focus elsewhere. There isn't one.

 

I read a thread here about learning curve of X2. I therefore keep using it, bring it to my vacation etc. Then, I start to get some ideas on how to use it right. My images are very well now. Occasionally, I still have a mis-focus, may be about 5-10% of the time. But the images are great with rich color & tone that resembles M9's foot-print. Here are what I found:

 

On focus: Do not treat it as a DSLR or a Sony RX100. I still allow some more time for the focus to be acquired. Be still & patient when shooting. Remember, it t is not a fast camera.

 

On exposure: I only use both manual aperture & shutter speed. All manual exposure and I will under expose a little 1/3 or 2/3 of a stop & just put all your attention towards focusing & composition.

 

Use a EVF all the time. To me, it is useful to acquire focus at people's eyes.

 

Keep practicing & you will start to know the temper of X2. Once you can dance with it, the images will be extra-ordinary. Hope it helps & keep practicing, it is a great camera.

 

I have some images from my recent vacation in my flickr account:

 

Flickr: M. Sin's Photostream

 

Michael.