Survey AE-/AF-Lock Handling

[Coppereye1960]

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I am really against the proliferation of buttons on cameras.  Also putting options in menus is nearly as bad but I would prefer that over a button. 

For me it depends on what I am shooting.  Things that are relatively static then I would use the AE mode - take the light reading from one place and recompose and shoot.  

Photographing moving object you need to set your focus point and let the camera choose the exposure. 

A menu item could say Off, AE, AF, Both. -simple.  

I changed from a Pentax 645D to the Leica S-E because I called it the hedgehog it had so many buttons and dials that they got in the way of getting the shot. With the S-E a few buttons - you can pick it up and use it straight away. 

If I’m honest I have the Beautiful Q and have never needed a AF/AL button

[jonoslack]

On 7/6/2019 at 12:52 AM, danielmfrank said:

I I think it's slightly different than what Jono seemed to be suggesting in the survey, which I read as "press once to lock focus, then once more to cancel." It's much easier to just press the button once each time you want to refocus, and you don't have to keep track of whether to press it once or twice, which is the downside of a modal control.

I don't think it's different - In my reading, this is how the AF lock button would work if you had it on 'hold' and you had the camera set to Continuous AF (with only AE on the shutter). When set to single shot it would focus when you press the button. (Just as IQ2 said above)

best

Edited July 8, 2019 by jonoslack

[KariP]

My addition is following: please, add a choice in menu: AE lock = spot / matrix / average

Independent of what AE is selected ( spot / matrix / average)

I would like to have normal AE as matrix but in difficult situations I'm longing for a push-button locked spot reading .

And I choose back button for AE and half pressed shutter for AF lock.

[Smogg]

May be Leica’s software developers never use their cameras outside of laboratory?)) I cannot imagine why they changed perfectly working Back Button Focus on Q (since firmware 2.0) to very awkward “keep pressed” button on Q2. 

[Wireman]

I voted "not bothered".

I've set it to AE lock in all profiles, mostly because I don't have much use for frame lines.

It's not perfect, but I'm learning to work with it as it is. If I am forced to relearn (and reconfigure) because of firmware/menu/option changes I will be a lot more "bothered".

[Leica Guy]

On 7/23/2019 at 11:33 AM, Smogg said:

May be Leica’s software developers never use their cameras outside of laboratory?)) I cannot imagine why they changed perfectly working Back Button Focus on Q (since firmware 2.0) to very awkward “keep pressed” button on Q2. 

My “Pure” guess is they leveraged an early release of Q code to develop the Q2 initial release. Early on the Q required keeping the button pushed. It’s dumb, but its not uncommon in the SW development world. 

[ramarren]

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I circumvent the entire AF-Lock/back button focus issue by using only manual focus lenses. Focus, for me, is always a different control from exposure setting. 

Not everyone's cup of tea, but it works great for me.

[Smogg]

2 minutes ago, ramarren said:

I circumvent the entire AF-Lock/back button focus issue by using only manual focus lenses. Focus, for me, is always a different control from exposure setting. 

Not everyone's cup of tea, but it works great for me.

On m10 manual focus is super fast but it is not so fast on any mirrorless camera, so back button focus helps a lot

[photogray]

I'm very late to this discussion, having just gotten the Q2 a week ago, but I've had and used the CL for a year now and found the combination of focus and exposure locking to be accomplished 'old school'. Simply put, probably because I shot for 40 years with manual lenses (and even spent the 1970's traveling the Americas with an M3 and no light meter), I use the shutter button for focus and the exposure compensation wheel to adjust exposure without ever needing to take my eye away from the viewfinder. Frankly, my brain starts to overheat when I begin considering all the optional ways I can complicate the act of taking a photograph. What I love about the Q2 so far is it allows me to get as close as I can to removing technological obstacles whilst enjoying the technological advantages of an 'intelligent' digital device. Perhaps with more 'exposure' to the camera I'll join the crowd clamoring for more options to separate exposure lock and focus lock, but for now I'm a very happy Q2 user.

[RoySmith]

I too have only had the camera for a short time. Are you shooting in AP mode ? I usually prefer back button focus but the current setup with needing to keep the button pressed is awkward, esp if you need to adjust the exposure. 

[BXL Gotham]

The problem with these polls is that they skew the correct action for Leica. The correct action is to give this camera the ability to toggle the AEL/AFL, as well as hold and press. This is standard industry behavior and *toggle was offered on the last Q camera*.

What other people think of this feature is frankly irrelevant. Because while it's great if some don't need it, that is hardly an excuse for it to not be here.

Nor does adding this rise to the proliferation of buttons and options that some fear in SONY cameras. We are talking about a concept that is quite old and quite required to make good use. To those who think you can live with press and hold, there are plenty of us who can show you our cramped hands from doing so while attempting to also press shutter and hold camera for extended periods.

No thanks, it's just a major failure on the company's part to do this. I have not even bothered with AE as a result, I now manually expose everything as well as manually focus, but that's a shame because I would appreciate AE.

[genefama]

I don’t get the point of an AF lock “on hold” button. Rear button focusing should happen at the brief press of a button, and if the mode is set to continuous or some kind of follow-focus, it should stay on the subject it was focused on when the button was pressed. It’s goofy to have to hold the button down and depress the shutter at the same time, and I’ve never seen a back button focus that behaves that way.
 

So I guess “on switch” is the mode I’d choose, though I wouldn’t describe it that way. 

[marchyman]

15 minutes ago, genefama said:

I’ve never seen a back button focus that behaves that way.

I have.  On a different (non Leica) camera the operation of back button focus is selectable.  When taking pictures of static subjects pushing once to set focus works well.  When shooting moving subjects you may want the focus to change as you follow the subject.  But not always.  The typical example is shooting a football game.   Hold the button down while following the ball but let it up when a referee gets between you and the ball.  That keeps the focus where it was, on the ball instead of refocusing on the referee.  Once the referee is out of frame hold the button down again.

[Leica Guy]

I use BB Focusing exclusively on my Canon DSLR’s and now R5. I’ve done that for the past 15+ years. I find Leica’s implementation not very usable and so I abandoned trying to use it. The 28mm lens also makes it less necessary IMHO as compared to a telephoto. My 2 cents. 

[Coquelicot]

Hello, I would love the option for AE-/AF-Lock on hold (Exposure / focus is locked as long as the button is pressed)

Thank you.