Q2 manual (pre) focus + remote shutter? Help please :-)

[Phil1066]

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Some help and possible testing from other Q2 owners gratefully received.

What I want to be able to do is frame and setup the camera to focus on a specific subject (self portrait). Are there any special settings I need to use to basically trigger a remote shutter release (not self timer) to take the photo?

Ive tried using the FOTOS App (Admin please do not move this to that part of the forum, as I got limited help there due to the lower numbers of users in there). Even though I set the lens to manual (on camera) - then try to use the shutter button (in app) - but all it does is refocus and then take the photo.

So maybe there is another way on the camera or setting I’m missing here?

Any help gratefully received.

[ianforber]

What firmware and version of FOTOS are you using? I  too was frustrated that the camera defaulted to AF even when the lens was set on manual but I’d heard that a recent update had changed that, although I haven’t had the chance to check. I’ll do so tomorrow and see if there’s a way around it. FOTOS is otherwise very good. 

[Phil1066]

On 2/8/2024 at 9:43 AM, ianforber said:

What firmware and version of FOTOS are you using? I  too was frustrated that the camera defaulted to AF even when the lens was set on manual but I’d heard that a recent update had changed that, although I haven’t had the chance to check. I’ll do so tomorrow and see if there’s a way around it. FOTOS is otherwise very good. 

Thanks Ian - everything is up to date AFAIK - Iphone IOS 17.3 / FOTOS 4.3.3 / Q2 on 5.1 Firmware. I did report the issue via the App, but I assume they never tell if they are fixing anything??? 🙂 Agree, FOTOS is probably the best Phone/Camera App out there (tried them all lol).

[ianforber]

16 hours ago, Phil1066 said:

Thanks Ian - everything is up to date AFAIK - Iphone IOS 17.3 / FOTOS 4.3.3 / Q2 on 5.1 Firmware. I did report the issue via the App, but I assume they never tell if they are fixing anything??? 🙂 Agree, FOTOS is probably the best Phone/Camera App out there (tried them all lol).

Ok, same versions as me. The implementation is different than I recall but still a bit odd. 

First, manual focus does not work: once FOTOS is connected, the focus ring is inoperable and you’re forced to use AF. 

Second, the central AF focus point is fixed, so if you have focused manually before connecting to FOTOS, it will disregard that and refocus using the central AF field. Annoying. 

Third, although the central AF field is fixed, you can focus wherever you want by tapping on the phone screen. This brings up a temp focus field with a small ‘x’ in the upper right hand corner. You can move this around as much as you like by tapping different parts of the screen. Take the picture and it will be focused wherever you tapped. If you delete that AF point by pressing the ‘x’ the AF will default back to the central field. So not quite like using Touch AF on the rear screen as you are not permanently moving the focus point and don’t need to double tap the screen to revert to the central position - just tap the x instead  

The view you see on the phone is the same as you would see through the EVF so shows the effect of the aperture you selected (which, like ISO etc can be changed on the fly using FOTOS). I use FOTOS for landscapes, when the camera is on a tripod and I have plenty of time to compose, focus etc. This implementation works well for me as I can just focus on whatever rock I want to using the moveable af field. 

For self-portraits I would probably focus on myself by tapping, then use the self timer button on FOTOS to take the picture, or just tap away until I got one I was happy with.  As the app lets you select either the 2s or 12s duration that would cover all my needs. Same for group pictures with me in them. 

If you could find something to pre-focus on, this might also work for static street photography - eg if a was resting the camera on a table and using the phone to make it take pictures of people/things moving past outside. 
 

It would’ve been a lot easier if Leica gave us the choice of whether to use mf or af with FOTOS but I think I can live with how they’ve done it as an af only app. You just need to know it’s af only!

[Marc B-C]

6 minutes ago, ianforber said:

First, manual focus does not work: once FOTOS is connected, the focus ring is inoperable and you’re forced to use AF. 

This absolutely astonishes me. I did not believe it in a previous thread and now am just incredulous that the Fotos app can override what should be switching out the focus motor.

[Phil1066]

3 hours ago, ianforber said:

Ok, same versions as me. The implementation is different than I recall but still a bit odd. 

First, manual focus does not work: once FOTOS is connected, the focus ring is inoperable and you’re forced to use AF. 

Second, the central AF focus point is fixed, so if you have focused manually before connecting to FOTOS, it will disregard that and refocus using the central AF field. Annoying. 

Third, although the central AF field is fixed, you can focus wherever you want by tapping on the phone screen. This brings up a temp focus field with a small ‘x’ in the upper right hand corner. You can move this around as much as you like by tapping different parts of the screen. Take the picture and it will be focused wherever you tapped. If you delete that AF point by pressing the ‘x’ the AF will default back to the central field. So not quite like using Touch AF on the rear screen as you are not permanently moving the focus point and don’t need to double tap the screen to revert to the central position - just tap the x instead  

The view you see on the phone is the same as you would see through the EVF so shows the effect of the aperture you selected (which, like ISO etc can be changed on the fly using FOTOS). I use FOTOS for landscapes, when the camera is on a tripod and I have plenty of time to compose, focus etc. This implementation works well for me as I can just focus on whatever rock I want to using the moveable af field. 

For self-portraits I would probably focus on myself by tapping, then use the self timer button on FOTOS to take the picture, or just tap away until I got one I was happy with.  As the app lets you select either the 2s or 12s duration that would cover all my needs. Same for group pictures with me in them. 

If you could find something to pre-focus on, this might also work for static street photography - eg if a was resting the camera on a table and using the phone to make it take pictures of people/things moving past outside. 
 

It would’ve been a lot easier if Leica gave us the choice of whether to use mf or af with FOTOS but I think I can live with how they’ve done it as an af only app. You just need to know it’s af only!

Thanks Ian for validating my findings. I could t quite believe it was implemented this way. Maybe/hopefully there is a fix coming…. Just bonkers!!

[Guest]

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Just for reference, but this works as you would expect with the Q3. Manual focus works with the lens and is not overridden by FOTSO. AF works using touch on the phone display or the camera LCD.

[ianforber]

22 hours ago, Corius said:

Just for reference, but this works as you would expect with the Q3. Manual focus works with the lens and is not overridden by FOTSO. AF works using touch on the phone display or the camera LCD.

Bizarre that they do it how you would expect for the Q3, but not for the Q2. If you focus manually and then connect to FOTOS, does it let you choose to use af without going back to the camera and locking the lens back in af? Or does it stick in mf regardless?