Self Timer and Auto Focus

[Richard K]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I’ve been taking pictures of statues in cemeteries. To get a more straight on view of faces that are 10 feet or more above the ground, I thought of using a mono pod to hoist the camera up and frame by trial and error. I set the camera on self timer to give me 12 seconds to try to position it. What I didn’t realize is that the camera focusses as soon as you’ve depressed the shutter and not just before it snaps the picture making the whole enterprise useless. Any suggestions from anybody? I use a Q2 Monochrom.

[LocalHero1953]

Irritates me as well. Another scenario is taking a selfie from a tripod (not for holiday snaps but e.g. for a passport photo). I had to take half a dozen before I got one framed and focused.

A practical solution (which only occurred to me later) is to use the FOTOS app to trigger the shot, not self-timer. Of course, with a monopod you have to do it one-handed. And I would have to do it while not looking at my phone.....

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Pintpot]

Old type air release perhaps?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394479792349?hash=item5bd8d3f0dd:g:6jAAAOSwe8lj7N8J&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0G5a7G8szxGzxvINY0zesmbyo3k%2F6B%2FnGDxNV5jBWhROXFbcjKYN0hbOWsathIypIoXHSv0WTkRglNFZ4m2z6HgvY5XUIes05p7Z9lPqII55UefHZQ8ahTFV2axGtmCXSvc50DCvXhtjsPTzFtOBTUJZr3b1knOQE7UnDTphL0Zs59jw786rbHBpL0e6NVKMcdcp1wAkMR5NEk%2BII2J2%2BXBbAIc7j5BLTDm%2BnXsITYAFAbhq07fnEDb6n%2FhEOvdJAxwc4EhpYx3ZWMbxyT28y2U%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR9Lcxub-YQ

[bobtodrick]

21 minutes ago, Pintpot said:

Old type air release perhaps?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394479792349?hash=item5bd8d3f0dd:g:6jAAAOSwe8lj7N8J&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0G5a7G8szxGzxvINY0zesmbyo3k%2F6B%2FnGDxNV5jBWhROXFbcjKYN0hbOWsathIypIoXHSv0WTkRglNFZ4m2z6HgvY5XUIes05p7Z9lPqII55UefHZQ8ahTFV2axGtmCXSvc50DCvXhtjsPTzFtOBTUJZr3b1knOQE7UnDTphL0Zs59jw786rbHBpL0e6NVKMcdcp1wAkMR5NEk%2BII2J2%2BXBbAIc7j5BLTDm%2BnXsITYAFAbhq07fnEDb6n%2FhEOvdJAxwc4EhpYx3ZWMbxyT28y2U%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR9Lcxub-YQ

The Q cameras do not have threaded release sockets

[ianforber]

On 5/7/2023 at 8:22 AM, LocalHero1953 said:

Irritates me as well. Another scenario is taking a selfie from a tripod (not for holiday snaps but e.g. for a passport photo). I had to take half a dozen before I got one framed and focused.

A practical solution (which only occurred to me later) is to use the FOTOS app to trigger the shot, not self-timer. Of course, with a monopod you have to do it one-handed. And I would have to do it while not looking at my phone.....

Do both? Set the self timer in FOTOS, compose,  focus and press the shutter release in the app, then put the phone away to give you 12 secs to use both hands to hold the monopod (ie a large selfie stick). Sounds hard to do though!

[jaapv]

It is a 28 mm lens, so go to manual and zone focus? 

[beewee]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

On 5/7/2023 at 7:54 AM, bobtodrick said:

The Q cameras do not have threaded release sockets

Q3 will.  

[beewee]

I’d suggest the following:

1) Enable face detect, assuming there is a face in the scene. If not, set MF focus for zone focus.

2) Set intervalometer to 2s

3) Hold the camera up and start shooting. You can shoot a bunch of frames and then pick the one you want, discard the rest.

Edited May 10, 2023 by beewee

[bobtodrick]

13 minutes ago, beewee said:

Q3 will.  

Gotta admit I have no reason to purchase the Q3.

But the one thing I really would have liked on my Q is a threaded socket.

[Aram Langhans]

On 5/10/2023 at 10:47 AM, beewee said:

I’d suggest the following:

1) Enable face detect, assuming there is a face in the scene. If not, set MF focus for zone focus.

2) Set intervalometer to 2s

3) Hold the camera up and start shooting. You can shoot a bunch of frames and then pick the one you want, discard the rest.

Now that's a clever idea.  I will use it for other things, too.  Thanks for reminding me the interval timer exists.