philcycles Posted January 8, 2014 Share #1 Posted January 8, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) I see a lot of comments about focussing difficulties with the LCD and especially the EVF. I was a TV cameraman for a while as well as a sound mixer so here's my take. Practice, practice, practice.TV studio cameras have no focussing aids at all, just a small monitor perched on top of the camera and focus doesn't seem to be a problem. I don't seem to have focussing problems myself but prior experience has helped. So practice. It works. Phil Brown Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 Hi philcycles, Take a look here Focussing with the LCD and/or EVF. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jdlaing Posted January 8, 2014 Share #2 Posted January 8, 2014 I see a lot of comments about focussing difficulties with the LCD and especially the EVF. I was a TV cameraman for a while as well as a sound mixer so here's my take.Practice, practice, practice.TV studio cameras have no focussing aids at all, just a small monitor perched on top of the camera and focus doesn't seem to be a problem. I don't seem to have focussing problems myself but prior experience has helped. So practice. It works. Phil Brown What f stop do they shot at in studio? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philcycles Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted January 8, 2014 What f stop do they shot at in studio? That's controlled by the video guy. You focus and frame. Phil Brown Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted January 8, 2014 Share #4 Posted January 8, 2014 That's controlled by the video guy. You focus and frame.Phil Brown Okay. What is the minimum range? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jip Posted January 8, 2014 Share #5 Posted January 8, 2014 Most professional video cameras don't even have a full frame sensor, so depth of field is per definition larger. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philcycles Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share #6 Posted January 8, 2014 Most professional video cameras don't even have a full frame sensor, so depth of field is per definition larger. Studio cameras typically have 3 sensors -R, G, and B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted January 8, 2014 Share #7 Posted January 8, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Even some consumer grade Panasonics have that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted January 8, 2014 Share #8 Posted January 8, 2014 Studio cameras typically have 3 sensors -R, G, and B What's the size of those sensors, typically? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted January 9, 2014 Share #9 Posted January 9, 2014 It's controlled by the sensor guy. You focus and frame. Just kidding. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaques Posted January 9, 2014 Share #10 Posted January 9, 2014 practice is always a good idea- if you want to improve at a given task... but focus aids would also be good- if they worked.. I just noticed in the M240 user manual- in the section about focus peaking - there is a highly misleading image of the LCD screen showing objects in focus framed in red. I challenge any Leica M user to replicate that image or anything close to it: it is impossible to see such red frames on the lcd without magnification- and probably even with magnification. Especially so with a wide aperture- which ironically is the situation where critical focus is most important- and an aid to achieving it most desirable... so I guess your advice is doubly good: practice or be damned. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest redge Posted January 9, 2014 Share #11 Posted January 9, 2014 Historically, the main complaint about video cameras has been that they show far too much depth of field. If you've ever watched a sporting event on TV, especially in high definition (e.g. European or American football), you've seen this. Everything is in focus, indiscriminately. There's even an argument that this has changed how people appreciate/respond to moving images. In other words, video cameras don't have the "film look". This is the principal reason why DSLR video became of interest. DSLRs overcame the "problem" with video depth of field, although there are now adapters for video cameras that can kind of correct this "problem". If one is a fan of Citizen Kane, a film noted for unusually deep apparent depth of field, one might have a less black and white view of the issue. Regardless, the bottom line is that M 240 focusing and video camera focusing are not the same thing. The former is a lot more like focusing a film cine camera, which a video camera is most decidedly not. And yes, it's about sensor size. Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted January 9, 2014 Share #12 Posted January 9, 2014 What's the point in practicing focussing if everything is in focus then? Just curious. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted January 9, 2014 Share #13 Posted January 9, 2014 …. I just noticed in the M240 user manual- in the section about focus peaking - there is a highly misleading image of the LCD screen showing objects in focus framed in red. I challenge any Leica M user to replicate that image or anything close to it: .... You seem to refer to an illustration which I personally think is clearly recognizable as a schematic drawing. However, it might have been wiser to include an actual shot of the screen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaques Posted January 10, 2014 Share #14 Posted January 10, 2014 it is not a schematic- it is a drawing of how the red edge focus aid supposedly works. As such it is completely misleading. I don't think they could have used a picture of the actual screen as if they had: they would have realised that what they were suggesting the camera could do: is actually impossible. Perhaps they did realise this: and hence the drawing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoppyman Posted January 11, 2014 Share #15 Posted January 11, 2014 In my experience the focus peaking does exactly what that drawing shows on the LCD without magnification although it is easier to see with the 5x or 10x magnification. The red lines are easier to see if you have the camera set to BW film so tht the preview is BW. If you have Focus Aid set to manual you must push the front button to activate it of course. I think it is somewhat dependant on the light levels and subject though. I wouldn't take the drawing as a literal example since it shows a person shape if you like. It works with edge contrast. My view is that it is a possible aid and for some applications (long teles, macro etc) liveview and focus peaking are the only option. Experimenting with my M lenses wide open and otherwise, I find it gives an acceptable range perhaps (of focus ring movement) but nothing like the precision of the RF for critical applications. I know that I've got an (Oly) EVF squirreled away somewhere since my camera was unavaillable for 3 months but darned if I can find it again yet to experiment more Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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