Q3 AF-L only locks for one shutter release?

[hedleyw]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I believe that for the Q2 a firmware update changed the behaviour of the AF-L function to remain locked through successive shutter releases until cancelled by the user. I sold my Q2 some time back so never got to try this out. On my Q3 I am unable to get this to work. Focus is locked for one shot only. Am I missing something?

[hoolyproductions]

This works okay in the Q2 since the firmware update, hope this hasn’t gone backwards with the Q3

[beewee]

Yes, AF-L only locks for one shot. This makes more sense to me. It’s how AF-L works on the SL2-S and most other back-button-focus implementation found on just about every other camera I’ve used from Canon, Sony, etc..

[hedleyw]

12 minutes ago, beewee said:

Yes, AF-L only locks for one shot. This makes more sense to me. It’s how AF-L works on the SL2-S and most other back-button-focus implementation found on just about every other camera I’ve used from Canon, Sony, etc..

Then why did Leica choose to change this on the Q2 but not implement it on the Q3? There is no back-button focus option on the Q series (admittedly the buttons are hardly suitable) but at least with the Q2 update you could autofocus to set a focus distance and then carry on shooting until you need to change. Handy for fast zone focussing in AF mode, the short focus throw of the lens does not allow for particularly accurate use and has potential for inadvertent adjustment.

I hope someone with a Q3 can tell me I’ve missed something.

[beewee]

6 hours ago, hedleyw said:

Then why did Leica choose to change this on the Q2 but not implement it on the Q3?

Probably because it was so unconventional and they heard the complaints.

[hoolyproductions]

15 hours ago, beewee said:

Yes, AF-L only locks for one shot. This makes more sense to me. It’s how AF-L works on the SL2-S and most other back-button-focus implementation found on just about every other camera I’ve used from Canon, Sony, etc..

Maybe I’ve misunderstood your post, but this is not how it works on the SL2/S. I can focus with the back button and then take as many shots as I like until I want to focus again with the back button. Same on the Q2 now (although the ergonomics are not so good without the joystick it does work)

[Ingo]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

vor 4 Stunden schrieb hoolyproductions:

Maybe I’ve misunderstood your post, but this is not how it works on the SL2/S. I can focus with the back button and then take as many shots as I like until I want to focus again with the back button. Same on the Q2 now (although the ergonomics are not so good without the joystick it does work)

And this is exactly the way it should work on the Q3 (but doesn't). 

AF-L for only one shot is totally nonsens/useless and has nothing to do with BBF. 

I will ask Leica support to change this behavior and encourage everybody to do the same. Maybe then they will react. 

[beewee]

Perhaps I’m thinking from the point of view of MF single shot mode using BBF on SL2-S. I don’t normally use AFc or iAF on the SL2-S so maybe there’s something I’m not understanding.

I would disagree with AF-L for one shot being useless. This is how I personally shoot for single frames where I want to lock focus on something and reframe and meter based on my framing.

With that said, I can see how AF-L being locked for multiple shot in AF mode (not MF) mode is useful now that I think about it as I only use BBF in MF mode. Locking AF for multiple shots in AF mode does make sense as it does achieve the same behaviour as AF-L + MF on SL2-S.

[hoolyproductions]

Yes, I realised I was talking about manual focus BBF behaviour (not af-l) on the SL2: the firmware update for the af-l on Q2 (more or less) replicates this

[Smogg]

Do I understand correctly that in the Q3 camera you cannot decouple focusing from the shutter button and use only the Fn2 button for this purpose?

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Smogg said:

Do I understand correctly that in the Q3 camera you cannot decouple focusing from the shutter button and use only the Fn2 button for this purpose?

Not quite. The complaint is that, with the Q3, if you lock focus with, e.g. Fn2, and take a shot then focus lock is reset for subsequent shots. i.e the focus lock is not "sticky".

So you can't take more than one shot with the focus locked at the same distance. You need to re-lock for each photo.

[Smogg]

1 hour ago, Corius said:

Not quite. The complaint is that, with the Q3, if you lock focus with, e.g. Fn2, and take a shot then focus lock is reset for subsequent shots. i.e the focus lock is not "sticky".

So you can't take more than one shot with the focus locked at the same distance. You need to re-lock for each photo.

Can I completely disable focus on the shutter button and use Fn2 as BBF?

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, Smogg said:

Can I completely disable focus on the shutter button and use Fn2 as BBF?

Yes, but as I said, only for one photo. You can't use it like you can on, e.g Nikon cameras. 

See pages 117-118 in the user manual, although it's not a very good description. Best thing is to have a play with assigning AF-L, AE-L and AF-L+AE-L to a function button and it will become obvious.

[Smogg]

41 minutes ago, Corius said:

Yes, but as I said, only for one photo. You can't use it like you can on, e.g Nikon cameras. 

See pages 117-118 in the user manual, although it's not a very good description. Best thing is to have a play with assigning AF-L, AE-L and AF-L+AE-L to a function button and it will become obvious.

You misunderstood me. I want to completely permanently disable focusing using the shutter button in the menu. Is this possible?

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Smogg said:

You misunderstood me. I want to completely permanently disable focusing using the shutter button in the menu. Is this possible?

no

[SrMi]

28 minutes ago, Smogg said:

You misunderstood me. I want to completely permanently disable focusing using the shutter button in the menu. Is this possible?

Yes. Use MF ;-).

The same problem is with SL cameras, where BBF is possibly only in MF mode (with lenses without MF clutch). BBF is not possible with Q3.

[Nitrox]

That's such a pity. Any signs some future firmware-versions will fix that? That is honestly the one point that keep me from buying a Q3.

[Le Chef]

As has been said here and elsewhere, just focus manually: problem solved without needing to faff about with button setting.

[jplaurel]

I have the same problem. You can assign AF LOCK to a function button on the Q3, but after you take one shot, it unlocks. I have long experience with Canon, Sony, and the M4/3 cameras from Panasonic and Olympus. All allow some way to lock focus so that it doesn't unlock until the camera is refocused or, in the case of the M4/3 cameras, until you explicitly unlock the focus so it returns to focusing with a partial shutter button press.

I cannot imagine a use case for this feature as implemented because it's really no different from a partial shutter button press to focus, then recompose and shoot. When shooting people in environmental scenes with an M camera, the usual way of working is to focus on something, then forget about focusing and just watch for moments as people change expressions, move, etc. As long as distance to your key focal point has not changed, you forget about focus and just keep shooting to capture the right moment. This is the most sensible way for the Q3 to work as well. And also, AE LOCK should work in the same way. Stay locked until the operator unlocks it or the camera is power cycled. Where do we send bug reports?

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[mrlouie]

The Q2 in last firmware was able to lock the AF & AE until you unlocked it.  Unfortunately the Q3 firmware went backwards and got rid of this.  Why ???? 

I had a Q2M used it this way all the time was very happy with that update.
 
Hopefully one day they will realize this and it will go back to working how a Q2 does. 

Edited September 17, 2024 by mrlouie