Q2 Autofocus

[MCJ]

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I have read (and experienced myself as a recent purchaser of a Q) that the Q has a rather capable (and some even say "lightning fast") auto focus.  Do we expect that the autofocus in the Q2 would improve on the existing auto focus technology present in the Q in terms of (a) speed and (b) face detection and (c) focal point tracking?  Other?  Is the Q lacking in any of these areas by today's standards?

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[FredericB]

The Q is known for rather slow auto-focussing. For video, vloggers prefer Sony or Canon.

[larsv]

38 minutes ago, FredericB said:

The Q is known for rather slow auto-focussing. For video, vloggers prefer Sony or Canon.

Not sure where you got that from. Q’s af speed is better than my a7riii. 

AF is almost instant. 

Edited February 25, 2019 by larsv

[MCJ]

55 minutes ago, FredericB said:

The Q is known for rather slow auto-focussing. For video, vloggers prefer Sony or Canon.

Not sure that is the prevailing view, but whatever the case, my question is really about what people are hoping for in 4 year newer AF technology.  I am not as versed in this sort of thing as many of the folks on here, so am curious what others are thinking about this (if at all......).  In all the discussions about the Q2, AF is definitely not something people seem too (pardon the pun) focused on.    

[FredericB]

1 hour ago, larsv said:

Not sure where you got that from. Q’s af speed is better than my a7riii. 

AF is almost instant. 

 

1 hour ago, MCJ said:

Not sure that is the prevailing view, but whatever the case, my question is really about what people are hoping for in 4 year newer AF technology.  I am not as versed in this sort of thing as many of the folks on here, so am curious what others are thinking about this (if at all......).  In all the discussions about the Q2, AF is definitely not something people seem too (pardon the pun) focused on.    

First, I am not a professional. So forgive me my information is not what you expect.

- I was only mentioning video-auto-focus.
There are some tests on youtube in which you can notice the slowness of the Leica Q (in video mode).

- @MJC:
Yes, auto-focus is my concern too. I want to buy a compact all-round camera. But I'm afraid auto-focus on the Q2 won't be fast enough for video.
 

[MCJ]

12 minutes ago, FredericB said:

 

First, I am not a professional. So forgive me my information is not what you expect.

- I was only mentioning video-auto-focus.
There are some tests on youtube in which you can notice the slowness of the Leica Q (in video mode).

- @MJC:
Yes, auto-focus is my concern too. I want to buy a compact all-round camera. But I'm afraid auto-focus on the Q2 won't be fast enough for video.
 

I am not an expert either -- like not even a little -- but I do think video on the Q feels a lot like something Leica did to make the Q a potential all around solution but not the focus of the camera by any means.  I plan to use my Q exclusively when I am traveling or out and about, but for me video is a sideshow on that device since I always have my iPhone with me (which does shoot 4K if you want it to) and care a lot about the speed of AF for images as I am often photographing uncooperative subjects (my own kids!) and have little time to mess around with a focus ring or anything else for that matter once I decide to take a picture.

 

[larsv]

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My bad, I was talking stills, not video. Never use video.

[xaradaisy]

14 hours ago, MCJ said:

I have read (and experienced myself as a recent purchaser of a Q) that the Q has a rather capable (and some even say "lightning fast") auto focus.  Do we expect that the autofocus in the Q2 would improve on the existing auto focus technology present in the Q in terms of (a) speed and (b) face detection and (c) focal point tracking?  Other?  Is the Q lacking in any of these areas by today's standards?

Q's focusing for stills is actually very fast and works well in low light as well.  At worst, I would expect it to stay the same as Q when it comes to Q2.  

Look at the reviews for Panasonic S1R camera.  I am thinking it should give you a good idea of what to expect of Q2 in terms of focusing since Panasonic will most likely be implementing Q2s focusing just like they worked on Q's focusing.

[LexS]

Autofocus on the Q is very fast, better than al Canon and Nikon I ever had.

[SonomaBear]

I've been spoiled by near-instant still focussing for three years.  Better than my DSLRs equaled in Canon's new FF mirrorless.

 

BUT for Q2, I would be tempted if true eye-AF were implemented.  The Canon R is OK on eye-AF but hopefully new firmware will improve it.

[MCJ]

8 minutes ago, SonomaBear said:

for Q2, I would be tempted if true eye-AF were implemented.

Can they really release a $5-6K camera with an AF ability in 2019 that does not have the ability to detect faces and eyes as well as any camera out there?

[tgdinamo]

4 hours ago, MCJ said:

Can they really release a $5-6K camera with an AF ability in 2019 that does not have the ability to detect faces and eyes as well as any camera out there?

Of course they can because no other cameras of this size in 2019 (or any other year) have the phenomenal 1.7 Leica Summilux lens attached to them (IMHO many people will rightfully choose that reason over most other features).

[MCJ]

Perhaps, but they already have that on the Q.   Guess time will tell.  I know very little about the technology that makes autofocus better from one camera to the next, but it strikes me that some sort of upgrade on such an important feature would be forthcoming on a 4 years later edition.  

[dkmoore]

2 hours ago, MCJ said:

Perhaps, but they already have that on the Q.   Guess time will tell.  I know very little about the technology that makes autofocus better from one camera to the next, but it strikes me that some sort of upgrade on such an important feature would be forthcoming on a 4 years later edition.  

Yes, of course. Every iteration of Leica Camera is improved upon in many ways. This trend will continue with the Q2.

I wouldn't bet on 4,700 point auto focus with eyelash detect super sonic whatever but it will be improved. To what degree, no-one will be able to answer you until it is released.

[MCJ]

1 hour ago, dkmoore said:

Yes, of course. Every iteration of Leica Camera is improved upon in many ways. This trend will continue with the Q2.

I wouldn't bet on 4,700 point auto focus with eyelash detect super sonic whatever but it will be improved. To what degree, no-one will be able to answer you until it is released.

Fair. Maybe expecting it to be “as good as any camera out there” is a bit overstated.  How about just “better” than the current?   That should do the trick.   I would love it if a camera company named their AF system “eyelash detect supersonic whatever”.  😂

[Qster]

I expect the Q2 to AF down to -6EV and have Eye AF like the Panasonic S1

[Thomas852852]

I compared a Q2 and Q side by side at Leica store.  Seems Q2 AF is quite a bit slower. And no face detection focus. It seems easily get hot too. Hope future firmware will help. 

[MCJ]

3 hours ago, Thomas852852 said:

I compared a Q2 and Q side by side at Leica store.  Seems Q2 AF is quite a bit slower. And no face detection focus. It seems easily get hot too. Hope future firmware will help. 

I would bet money you didn’t have them set up the same way.  For starters, the Q2 definitely has face detection. Can’t say whether or not it’s good, but it’s there.   I would also be a lot surprised if nobody at Leica noticed something as simple to spot at slower focusing on their new Q2.  Did you inspect the settings on each camera to make the test a worthy comparison?

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[Flilow06]

4 hours ago, Thomas852852 said:

I compared a Q2 and Q side by side at Leica store.  Seems Q2 AF is quite a bit slower. And no face detection focus. It seems easily get hot too. Hope future firmware will help. 

 

24 minutes ago, MCJ said:

I would bet money you didn’t have them set up the same way.  For starters, the Q2 definitely has face detection. Can’t say whether or not it’s good, but it’s there.   I would also be a lot surprised if nobody at Leica noticed something as simple to spot at slower focusing on their new Q2.  Did you inspect the settings on each camera to make the test a worthy comparison?

Agree with MCJ. Reviews have been pretty unanimous thus far in describing the Q2 as having slightly faster AF, with the spectrum of how much faster dependent on the situation.

[LexS]

Whatever: it does not make a difference when the moment you want to preserve is correctly on the SD card.