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How to improve the speed of AF?


ynp

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Hello,

I am on a trip and used my CL with a 18-56 zoom for a shoot today. My friend who is a dancer and a circus artist asked me to shoot her some promotional pics. I have my CL with me and it’s is the fastest camera I own now. I sold a lot of gear to finance my S3 and my Sony a73 found a new home. 

I was disappointed with the autofocus speed and reliability with my standard zoom. I was shooting using Face detection and it was unreliable. Zone auto focusing was a bit better, but still terrible. Sometime I thought that even Leica M would have been better with the zone focusing and Medium bursts. 

I understand that my technique is most probably lacking and I am totally wrong to blame the camera. But I remember that the Sony was much easier to focus. 

Hence the question. How can I improve my hit rate with the camera shooting dancers and other moving subjects? Maybe there is a better strategy than just pressing the button and hope for a success? Maybe a different lens could improve the autofocus speed and reliability?

thanks,

Yevgeny

 

 

 

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sorry to say that although the cl is 'entirely adequate' for things that don't move much, you're not going to ever turn it into a sony--and especially not while using a slow lens.

i have a panasonic s1 and it only wishes it had the sony phase focus. 

/guy

Edited by gteague
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5 minutes ago, gteague said:

sorry to say that although the cl is 'entirely adequate' for things that don't move much, you're not going to ever turn it into a sony--and especially not while using a slow lens.

i have a panasonic s1 and it only wishes it had the sony phase focus. 

/guy

Will a faster prime lens improve the autofocus? What lens would you recommend? A Sigma f1,4? Anything else?

Edited by ynp
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for a contrast detect af system like panasonic and (i assume) leica uses, i also assume (getting myself in trouble here perhaps) that more light into the lens increases the contrast and the af system can react faster. that being said, the difference between an f2.8 and an f2.0 or even an f1.4 perhaps can't be detected without many shots taken so you know how the af reacts in a lot of situations. it also depends on the lens and how advanced the movement engine is--stepper motors, so touted years ago, are way behind the curve now.

for example, i had a sigma fp several months ago before i got the cl. it's a tiny full frame camera using l-mount and i got the sigma 45/2.8 lens for it. i also shot that camera with the mc-21 adapter and canon ef 'l' lenses and all those lenses had tiny delays when focusing as compared with the panasonic pro 'g' lenses with the best lens motors. the canons with that adapter were just slow enough to be annoying although they'd track like a walking animal.

/guy

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btw, i have the new sigma 56/1.4 and have used it on the cl and the s1. despite my other lenses being f2.8 or f4.0, i can't notice any speed improvement in the af. but then again, the sigma has the old stepper technology i believe in these consumer 'non-art' budget lenses. i know their macro 70/2.8 has that slower tech as well but it doesn't keep it from  virtually living on my s1 and making for a perfect telephoto for the cl.

/guy

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15 minutes ago, gteague said:

for example, i had a sigma fp several months ago before i got the cl. it's a tiny full frame camera using l-mount and i got the sigma 45/2.8 lens for it. i also shot that camera with the mc-21 adapter and canon ef 'l' lenses and all those lenses had tiny delays when focusing as compared with the panasonic pro 'g' lenses with the best lens motors. the canons with that adapter were just slow enough to be annoying although they'd track like a walking anim

Thank you 🙏 

Are the Panasonic Pro lenses and Leica certified lenses better in your experience?

Edited by ynp
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Just now, ynp said:

Are the Panasonic Pro lenses and Leica certified lenses better in your experience?

well, who can afford a leica l-mount lens? i've shot with the panasonic 24-105/4, the 16-35/4, and the 70-200/4. the first is not a 'pro' lens, but no one has ever complained about it and i wouldn't either--i only traded it off because i have the range covered with the other two. and they are top notch quality wise, as well they should be at those prices.

i've only owned two sigma lenses, that 45/2.8 which was made to a price and performed like it and the sigma art macro 70/2.8. i sold the 45/2.8 with the sigma fp as they're a perfect match, but i did try it on the cl and it wasn't up to the quality of the other lenses and had a sort of clunky focus motor. the 70 art otoh, is a keeper! if all the art lenses are this image quality i'm going to have to have more of them but i'm unwilling to put up with the size they need to make them to support the speeds. but sigma admitted they treated the art reputation for image quality as a priority on the macro and skimped on things like making it fast or compact or quick. and yet, i don't care as it's spectacularly sharp--at least on par with the panny pros and the 50 /m/ summicron i have.

/guy

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I think continuous shooting mode is a priority for capturing rapid movement. There will always be some lag with the first frame. Experiment with rate of continuous shooting. I think you will be surprised.

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4 minutes ago, wda said:

I think continuous shooting mode is a priority for capturing rapid movement. There will always be some lag with the first frame. Experiment with rate of continuous shooting. I think you will be surprised.

Thank you for your advice. 

I found that on camera and off camera flash with the Leica controller improved my hit rate. 

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Today I was shooting in daylight with off camera flash ( two MG10 in a Magmod open parabolic). I mostly used my 55-135 APO zoom. The continuous AF worked very well in daylight even with the moving Subjects. The face detection is still useless, even on a big GFX50r it Is better,  I think. 

I am sure now that under low light the CL is struggling. I am glad that I know the limitations of the camera now  

And I love the long TL zoom. Will try to find a fast focusing lens instead of the 18-56. 
 

This is an out of the camera JPEG. No PP, sorry do not have my laptop with me to touch the files properly. 

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Edited by ynp
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