Jeff S Posted February 16, 2022 Share #41 Posted February 16, 2022 Advertisement (gone after registration) 20 hours ago, trickness said: This is SUCH a helpful tip - I had no idea you could electronically manipulate the focus throw on the SL lenses, obviously my comments about them being less than ideal for manual use must now be regarded as incorrect - a good reminder that when one is in doubt, RTFM! 🤣 Changed the setting to 120 degrees and man, what a HUGE difference. Game changer for manual focus with these lenses - thanks again! The feature came with a relatively recent FW update to the lenses. The SL system provides for separate camera and lens FW updates. The manual is likely not updated for this stuff, but is typically covered on this forum and various review sites. Red Dot Forum (Leica Miami) is a good place for information, and lists/links all Leica current FW. Jeff 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 16, 2022 Posted February 16, 2022 Hi Jeff S, Take a look here Keeping my SL2, but I think I’m done with autofocus - M glass is my joint. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
trickness Posted February 16, 2022 Author Share #42 Posted February 16, 2022 19 minutes ago, Jeff S said: The feature came with a relatively recent FW update to the lenses. The SL system provides for separate camera and lens FW updates. The manual is likely not updated for this stuff, but is typically covered on this forum and various review sites. Red Dot Forum (Leica Miami) is a good place for information, and lists/links all Leica current FW. Jeff Yep, I watch all the Leica Miami videos but somehow missed this feature, SUCH a game changer for how I will use my SL glass. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted February 16, 2022 Share #43 Posted February 16, 2022 33 minutes ago, trickness said: Yep, I watch all the Leica Miami videos but somehow missed this feature, SUCH a game changer for how I will use my SL glass. The Red Dot Forum site is also useful for reporting all recent news, and also archives all FW updates/links, even while Leica site FW downloads can sometimes be hard find. There was also LUF discussion on this particular update, as Leica initially messed up the download and folks were frustrated. Jeff 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
beewee Posted February 16, 2022 Share #44 Posted February 16, 2022 SL2 FW 3.0 release notes goes through all the details and is more of a user manual addendum than just release notes. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robb Posted February 16, 2022 Share #45 Posted February 16, 2022 On 2/13/2022 at 1:21 PM, trickness said: Looking at my SL work over the past couple of years, I have a handful of shots with my SL glass, and a ton (like 85%) with M glass. It’s not because of the weight, and certainly it isn’t because of the image quality - the SL glass is insanely gorgeous. I took my 35 SL down to Chinatown for celebrations yesterday and I felt so disconnected - no matter what settings, whether face detection, or using back button focusing, I just felt like autofocus always was getting in my way, taking too long to decide what to focus on, or not doing exactly what I wanted it to. I switched to manual focusing but I don’t find it enjoyable because of the focus throw, takes too long to dial in. I could zone focus, but then I think why am I using this big lens when I could have M glass with me? I’m not bagging on the SL autofocus in particular, I am just feeling an aversion to autofocus in general. I went back and forth between SL and M glass at the same focal lengths this morning and every time I went to to M glass it was like “ahhhhhhh….” Even if the focus wasn’t spot on, in fact the ability to control what was in and out of focus was a huge strength of the M glass. The SL shots, yep, nailed focus every time, but I felt less in control creatively. I’m struggling to envision a usage scenario where I would ever prefer or need autofocus - I don’t shoot sports or any fast movement, and I hate handing over control to a computer. Does anyone else have similar feelings or experiences, and if so, what did you end up doing? The SL2 is such a beast with M glass, my 75 Nocti and 50 1.4 Lux M shots are just gorgeous wide open, and stopped down its an incredible street camera. I fear I’d regret selling the beautiful SL glass, but 9 times out of 10 I grab the M glass. I also like shooting the sl2 with M glass. I have just setup my SL lens focusing throw to 90 degrees and now those SL lenses seem to give me a very similar faster MF. Main benefits to SL lenses to me over M are weatherproofing and future proofing once they put out 100mp + sensors. Using the M glass with the focus peaking and zooming in has been great fun to use for me also. I agree about this being a great bonus to using the m lenses on the SL cameras. problem I see with M lenses is that they cost much more with less optical excellence because they are trying to be as compact as possible. Look at the mtf on M 35 and 50 apo. I’m not going to pay 2 times the cost for M when SL primes are so amazing optically. Robb 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
malligator Posted February 18, 2022 Share #46 Posted February 18, 2022 I went to The Leica Store yesterday to try the SL2-S with my M lenses. I used the joystick to zoom in for focus just fine. However, when I went to hit the shutter release there was a very noticeable black out before it returned to full view. Is that normal? I'm not sure I could get used to seeing that for every shot. I was hoping it would zoom in while I held the joystick down then instantly zoom out once I released it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
beewee Posted February 18, 2022 Share #47 Posted February 18, 2022 Advertisement (gone after registration) 1 hour ago, malligator said: I went to The Leica Store yesterday to try the SL2-S with my M lenses. I used the joystick to zoom in for focus just fine. However, when I went to hit the shutter release there was a very noticeable black out before it returned to full view. Is that normal? I'm not sure I could get used to seeing that for every shot. I was hoping it would zoom in while I held the joystick down then instantly zoom out once I released it. I don’t really use focus enlargement so I don’t remember whether it blacks out or not normally. If I do use manual focus with the SL2-S, I’m using focus peaking which works quite well and doesn’t cause blackouts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Nebard Posted February 21, 2022 Share #48 Posted February 21, 2022 On 2/18/2022 at 7:00 PM, malligator said: I went to The Leica Store yesterday to try the SL2-S with my M lenses. I used the joystick to zoom in for focus just fine. However, when I went to hit the shutter release there was a very noticeable black out before it returned to full view. Is that normal? I'm not sure I could get used to seeing that for every shot. I was hoping it would zoom in while I held the joystick down then instantly zoom out once I released it. I use the SL2-S joystick to magnify the focus for my M lens which - for me - works really well. There is absolutely no blackout, or delay, in reverting to the shutter release button for full view & taking the shot; it’s an instantaneous function. I think you’re right, in that the blackout you experienced can’t be normal. If it was a common issue it would, as you suggest, seriously compromise the experience. Hope this helps, Chris. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFriendly Posted February 22, 2022 Share #49 Posted February 22, 2022 I'm only an amateur street photographer with less than two years of experience, so I probably don't know what I'm doing, but to me the AF system on the SL2 is a F-ing joke. So many times in the past I've come close to just wanting to smash my SL2-S on the asphalt and walk away, it's just not healthy. I often use the back button technique, too; I set the camera to MF, use the back button to focus, and then press the shutter button. This is the most reliable technique on the SL that I know of, but it works mostly on static or stationary subjects. After focusing with the back button, if the subject moves away from the plane of focus before the shutter button is pressed, then that's a miss, specially when shooting wide open, and I almost always shoot my SL lenses wide open. Not to mention, this technique does not always work; sometimes the camera struggles to focus (for reasons that are beyond my understanding). Besides, if you think about it, it's not really auto focus, it's more like automated manual focus. The actual auto focus modes on the camera that have the potential to be very useful in street photography are absolutely miserable to work with. I went out today for a drive and took some dumb throw-away shots just to illustrator how bad the AF on the SL2 is. You can tell me i'm doing it wrong :-). All the shots were taken on my SL2-S, latest firmware, using 50mm Summilux-SL, wide open, and the camera set to iAF, Face/Body Detection, and AF Profile to Wildlife. I simply pointed the camera at these two gentlemen, but the AF missed it. It's not obvious until you do 100%: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! As you can see, the focus is actually about six feet behind the two guys walking. Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! As you can see, the focus is actually about six feet behind the two guys walking. ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/329772-keeping-my-sl2-but-i-think-i%E2%80%99m-done-with-autofocus-m-glass-is-my-joint/?do=findComment&comment=4388458'>More sharing options...
MrFriendly Posted February 22, 2022 Share #50 Posted February 22, 2022 Here is another one where the AF system failed miserably: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/329772-keeping-my-sl2-but-i-think-i%E2%80%99m-done-with-autofocus-m-glass-is-my-joint/?do=findComment&comment=4388459'>More sharing options...
MrFriendly Posted February 22, 2022 Share #51 Posted February 22, 2022 Here is another one. My car was barely moving, and there is clearly visible body and face in the frame, but for whatever reason the camera decided to focus on the car behind: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/329772-keeping-my-sl2-but-i-think-i%E2%80%99m-done-with-autofocus-m-glass-is-my-joint/?do=findComment&comment=4388460'>More sharing options...
MrFriendly Posted February 22, 2022 Share #52 Posted February 22, 2022 (edited) Here is an interesting one. I was at a complete stop, the subject was not moving either, and there is a human head in the frame. The camera misses the first time, but manages to get it right the second time. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited February 22, 2022 by MrFriendly Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/329772-keeping-my-sl2-but-i-think-i%E2%80%99m-done-with-autofocus-m-glass-is-my-joint/?do=findComment&comment=4388462'>More sharing options...
MrFriendly Posted February 22, 2022 Share #53 Posted February 22, 2022 Last but not least, same exact scene, only few seconds apart. In the first shot the AF successes and the guy on the bicycle is in focus, but only couple seconds later a guy with a dog walks by and the AF fails; there is a human body, face, and a freaking animal, but for some reason the camera decides to focus on the background where there is nothing. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/329772-keeping-my-sl2-but-i-think-i%E2%80%99m-done-with-autofocus-m-glass-is-my-joint/?do=findComment&comment=4388463'>More sharing options...
MrFriendly Posted February 22, 2022 Share #54 Posted February 22, 2022 One more. I saw this guy walking towards me, so I got ready. As soon as he was in the frame, I pressed the shutter button, but the amazing AF decided to focus on the building instead. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/329772-keeping-my-sl2-but-i-think-i%E2%80%99m-done-with-autofocus-m-glass-is-my-joint/?do=findComment&comment=4388465'>More sharing options...
trickness Posted February 22, 2022 Author Share #55 Posted February 22, 2022 (edited) 10 minutes ago, MrFriendly said: Last but not least, same exact scene, only few seconds apart. In the first shot the AF successes and the guy on the bicycle is in focus, but only couple seconds later a guy with a dog walks by and the AF fails; there is a human body, face, and a freaking animal, but for some reason the camera decides to focus on the background where there is nothing. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Are you shooting through the windshield in these shots? Because if so, I can see that totally throwing the auto focus off. Also, just my opinion, but autofocus and street photography go together like herring and cotton candy. Edited February 22, 2022 by trickness 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFriendly Posted February 22, 2022 Share #56 Posted February 22, 2022 2 minutes ago, trickness said: Are you shooting through the windshield in these shots? Because if so, I can see that totally throwing the auto focus off. Yes, some of them are through the windshield, but not all of them. Besides, I've had the same bad AF performance when just walking with nothing in between the lens and the subject. I don't even use UV or any kind of filters on my lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reddy Posted February 22, 2022 Share #57 Posted February 22, 2022 12 minutes ago, MrFriendly said: One more. I saw this guy walking towards me, so I got ready. As soon as he was in the frame, I pressed the shutter button, but the amazing AF decided to focus on the building instead. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Hello MrFriendly, which AF mode are you using ? I use single point AF which can get it perfectly focus everytime, just point at your subject not area. Also which lens are you using ? Sigma lenses kind of have some slow focusing problem and Panasonic is a bit faster. I have never use MF and use the back focus button, just pure MF with Manual M lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFriendly Posted February 22, 2022 Share #58 Posted February 22, 2022 17 minutes ago, Reddy said: Hello MrFriendly, which AF mode are you using ? I use single point AF which can get it perfectly focus everytime, just point at your subject not area. Also which lens are you using ? Sigma lenses kind of have some slow focusing problem and Panasonic is a bit faster. I have never use MF and use the back focus button, just pure MF with Manual M lenses. As stated in my post #49, all the photos I've posted here were taken on my SL2-S, latest firmware, using 50mm Summilux-SL, wide open, and the camera set to iAF, Face/Body Detection, and AF Profile to Wildlife. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
malligator Posted February 22, 2022 Share #59 Posted February 22, 2022 7 minutes ago, MrFriendly said: As stated in my post #49, all the photos I've posted here were taken on my SL2-S, latest firmware, using 50mm Summilux-SL, wide open, and the camera set to iAF, Face/Body Detection, and AF Profile to Wildlife. High contrast scenes with a 50/1.4 wide open. You're asking a lot of the system. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reddy Posted February 22, 2022 Share #60 Posted February 22, 2022 (edited) 26 minutes ago, MrFriendly said: As stated in my post #49, all the photos I've posted here were taken on my SL2-S, latest firmware, using 50mm Summilux-SL, wide open, and the camera set to iAF, Face/Body Detection, and AF Profile to Wildlife. No I mean autofocus metering method, multi-fields or spot metering, see manual from P.110, or you can simply use touch AF function on P.80 whatever iAF something detection and the profile are the conditions for the Camera should focus first but not the camera actually trying to focus. metering is another thing, tell the camera where actually to focus on. Edited February 22, 2022 by Reddy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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