Autofocus point in centre

[gazza19]

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On my Q2 is there a way to either-

fix the autofocus point to be always centre 

Hit a button which centres the autofocus point quickly

disable the wheel which moves the point.

Problem I have is that the camera is slung over my shoulder and when I bring it around my body to catch a shot I have to hunt to find where the autofocus point is and frantically tap the wheel to get the point in the centre where I always want it. Result is lost shot.

 

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[Hookeye]

I feel on thin ice here. Please feel free to tell me if I am way off,  but here I go:  

In the menu/settings choose "Focusing" and select "Touch AF" and set it to OFF.  Do the same for Touch AF in EVF if you like. That should stop the focus point shifting position at random (when you unknowingly touch the screen).  

I have turned off the "Touch AF" myself.  I much prefer to point, focus and keep the button half depressed and recompose when required.  

The strange thing is that even if i have turned OFF the Touch AF, sometines and inexplicably the AF point has moved to somewhere it should not be.  However, a simple double-tap on the screen will put it back in the centre.

[gazza19]

I don’t use the touch af. I never use the screen, just up to eye

[Le Chef]

2 hours ago, gazza19 said:

I don’t use the touch af. I never use the screen, just up to eye

So is it set to “off” in the menu?

[Casey Jefferson]

11 hours ago, Hookeye said:

 However, a simple double-tap on the screen will put it back in the centre.

That's very useful, thanks! 

I kept touch af off too and the focus point never moved ever since. I also have horizon displayed and that gives me a very quick check if my focus point is in the middle.

[Pelu2010]

On 3/25/2023 at 6:31 PM, Hookeye said:

I feel on thin ice here. Please feel free to tell me if I am way off,  but here I go:  

In the menu/settings choose "Focusing" and select "Touch AF" and set it to OFF.  Do the same for Touch AF in EVF if you like. That should stop the focus point shifting position at random (when you unknowingly touch the screen).  

I have turned off the "Touch AF" myself.  I much prefer to point, focus and keep the button half depressed and recompose when required.  

The strange thing is that even if i have turned OFF the Touch AF, sometines and inexplicably the AF point has moved to somewhere it should not be.  However, a simple double-tap on the screen will put it back in the centre.

This is due to the arrows (joystick). If you touch them slightly they move. 
to me it happens all them time because of the camera strap! 

[SirBlunder]

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On 3/25/2023 at 1:31 PM, Hookeye said:

I feel on thin ice here. Please feel free to tell me if I am way off,  but here I go:  

In the menu/settings choose "Focusing" and select "Touch AF" and set it to OFF.  Do the same for Touch AF in EVF if you like. That should stop the focus point shifting position at random (when you unknowingly touch the screen).  

I have turned off the "Touch AF" myself.  I much prefer to point, focus and keep the button half depressed and recompose when required.  

The strange thing is that even if i have turned OFF the Touch AF, sometines and inexplicably the AF point has moved to somewhere it should not be.  However, a simple double-tap on the screen will put it back in the centre.

This is exactly what I do BUT it's frustrating that, for a shooter like me that never needs to move the focus point away from the center, there's not a menu option to the effect of "Fix focus point to the center of the frame when in point focus mode"

 

PS -- I should point out that I employ the focus-and-reframe technique to virtually all of my shots. I literally never need to move my focus point. (Although I guess I might if I ever used a tripod and wanted to do some self portraits 😃)

Edited March 27, 2023 by SirBlunder

[Casey Jefferson]

6 hours ago, SirBlunder said:

This is exactly what I do BUT it's frustrating that, for a shooter like me that never needs to move the focus point away from the center, there's not a menu option to the effect of "Fix focus point to the center of the frame when in point focus mode"

 

PS -- I should point out that I employ the focus-and-reframe technique to virtually all of my shots. I literally never need to move my focus point. (Although I guess I might if I ever used a tripod and wanted to do some self portraits 😃)

Focus recompose works wonder with Q2 even with the high resolution and I believe Leica designed it with that in mind. I couldn't do that, for example, with RX1R (let alone ii), even if I zoom in and focus manually. Once I start recompose the focus plane shifted. So I always move the focus point on the RX1R and it's PITA and less of a joy to use.

 

[ianforber]

Focus recompose for me too. I have the rear screen options all turned off but a quick double click returns the focus point to the centre if it somehow wanders. I agree that it would be nice to be to fix it there though. 

[rtai]

Repositioning and locking focus point at the center with a press of the joy stick is a common feature found in other cameras. Here I needed to adjust my shooting style to the camera. I don’t ever let the camera go to sleep and remember to regularly check the location of the focus point. I carry the Q2M on a wrist strap so nothing disturbs the controls but am very cautious because I have missed shots before. While I don’t need AF because I can accurately zone from F5.6 but the Q2 is such a beautiful camera at f/1.7 it’s worth working around it’s deficiencies.

[luetz]

On 3/25/2023 at 10:31 AM, Hookeye said:

I feel on thin ice here. Please feel free to tell me if I am way off,  but here I go:  

In the menu/settings choose "Focusing" and select "Touch AF" and set it to OFF.  Do the same for Touch AF in EVF if you like. That should stop the focus point shifting position at random (when you unknowingly touch the screen).  

I have turned off the "Touch AF" myself.  I much prefer to point, focus and keep the button half depressed and recompose when required.  

The strange thing is that even if i have turned OFF the Touch AF, sometines and inexplicably the AF point has moved to somewhere it should not be.  However, a simple double-tap on the screen will put it back in the centre.

This method only works when your DOF is large enough to cover(acceptable focus) after you recompose to your new subject.  

[DenverSteve]

On 3/30/2023 at 4:56 PM, luetz said:

This method only works when your DOF is large enough to cover(acceptable focus) after you recompose to your new subject.  

You don't recompose to a new subject, you just move that primary focal-point to your preferred location by recomposing.  Your focus-point remains the same, only recomposed. You can do this regardless of where your focus box is.  It's always been that way, especially pre-electronics when your split-screen or rangefinder was fixed in the center. Also, it's up to the shooter to decide, prior to activating the shutter-release button, how much depth of field they want and to know their equipment enough to know how much depth-of-field you have at any/all apertures - and to set the appropriate.  Focus and recompose has always been the process especially any time you want the focal-point anywhere other than the center. 

[luetz]

Sorry, I should have left out the "new subject".  

[KidzNature]

On 3/25/2023 at 1:31 PM, Hookeye said:

I feel on thin ice here. Please feel free to tell me if I am way off,  but here I go:  

In the menu/settings choose "Focusing" and select "Touch AF" and set it to OFF.  Do the same for Touch AF in EVF if you like. That should stop the focus point shifting position at random (when you unknowingly touch the screen).  

I have turned off the "Touch AF" myself.  I much prefer to point, focus and keep the button half depressed and recompose when required.  

The strange thing is that even if i have turned OFF the Touch AF, sometines and inexplicably the AF point has moved to somewhere it should not be.  However, a simple double-tap on the screen will put it back in the centre.

Thanks for all the discussion here - I was starting to worry I had made a mistake with the Q2 but have found many helpful things on these Forums.  Hopefully I can offer help in return.  I think what may be happening is that in "Focusing", there is also an option for "Touch AF in EVF" - if that is not set to "Off", you may be accidentally touching the screen when you use the EVF?  Hope that helps!

Also - I do find the "Touch AF + Release" option helpful sometimes when photo'ing kids (sorry, with all the stuff going on these days I just can't use the usual term and "kids" together).  It worked really well for me recently at a birthday party for some action shots as well as shots where i wanted something at the edge of the view to be in focus quickly - didn't have to center and recompose and risk my hand not being steady when I release the shutter if still in motion, again, because with the kids I didn't have as much time to work with occasionally.

[Giff]

Hi Hookeye

You’re very much on solid ice here! 

I’m a professional photographer and have been shooting all formats from 10x8 film down to 35mm for a long time and didn’t realise this was the problem. 

Big thanks for posting and solving this annoying quirk. 

Giff

 

[chris_tribble]

Late in the day - and actually related to Q3 43, but it’s the same problem.  Is there a way of disabling the way the arrow keys move the focus point in Field Mode.  With the SL2 I can disable the joystick. I’d really like to be able to do this with the Q3 43.  So far as I can see it’s not possible.  Help?

[M Street Photographer]

Double touch on the Display and focus field is back center, so easy.

[steve edmunds]

I use the double touch method and it works well but it would be nice if you could set up the camera so the focus point never ever moved.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[jaapv]

We have identical threads for all Leica EVF models…