SL2-S autofocus - further thoughts and experience

[LocalHero1953]

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I have previously commented in the forum that I did not find AF in the SL2-S to be such a big step forward from pre-firmware 2.0. After some recent experience, I have changed my mind - I find it to be a much bigger step than I thought. I bought a SL2 in September and used it for photographing an outdoor play (one of the few being put on). I found the iAF (which switches automatically between AFc and AFs) combined with face/body recognition to be useful but not always reliable - with multiple figures in a frame it would often select the 'wrong' body, with no easy way of making it choose the one I wanted.

I swapped the SL2 for the SL2-S in December. When firmware 2 came out, and in the absence of any plays, family gatherings or similar events, I gave it a good trial in the town centre, trying to shoot people in such crowds as there were, cyclists etc. It seemed better (quicker to pick up a figure), but no easier to control.

I recently photographed rehearsals (indoors) and the performance (outdoors) of some plays, both in daylight and artificial light after dark. Again, I mostly used iAF and eye/face/body recognition. With the more intensive practical experience I have found it to be much better than I expected. One feature I had not noticed before was that when it identifies up to three figures in the frame, the preferred focus, outlined in yellow, has a pair of arrows either side, and the joystick lets you choose another figure for the preferred focus - half pressing the shutter outlined the preferred figure in green, indicating locked focus. It is not the best imaginable system, though:

• it could only handle three figures at a time. A fourth figure, however clear, would not be outlined or selected.
• if one figure had a body outline and another had a face outline, you could not choose the body over the face: the face took priority.

Nevertheless, I found the system good enough to use full time. Focusing accuracy was generally excellent; when it missed, it was obvious, but it was not often. Some errors crept in due to my technique: after half pressing the shutter to confirm/lock focus I allowed too long before taking the shot, and the subject had moved. I will spend a bit more time in AFc and tracking to see if this helps, but I suspect not.

Just one example of how well the SL2-S performed, in responsiveness to the moment, handling colour and noise in low light, and focus.
SL2-S + 90-280. ISO 25,000, 1/400s, f/5, FL 200mm 
Puck (at the end of a twirl) presenting the flower to Oberon, from A Midsummer-Night's Dream.

 

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Edited June 22, 2021 by LocalHero1953

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[Simone_DF]

I found more or less my results to be consistent with yours. 

Up to 3 people it's decent. Clunky but very usable. 

If the 3 people start to move erratically, you may not be fast enough to move your AF to another target since the AF system will try to reacquire either the body or the face of the subjects.

5+ people and you're better disabling Face/Body AF and use field.