Can you override the Q3 autofocus by manually turning the lens focus ring?

[yst]

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How was your user experience of the Leica Q3, can you point to a target half press the shutter to lock on a focus point (while camera set at “autofocus”), then Manually turn the lens focus ring to fine tune or to change focusing to another point at the same time?  that means while half pressing the shutter when in auto focus mode, can you still at the same time override the autofocus with Manuel focus quickly?

Which I can do that override easily on Leica D-Lux 7, and on Leica CL cameras, a very useful function. Wonder if the Leica Q3 can do that as well ??

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[Derbyshire Man]

No. 

[yst]

2 hours ago, Derbyshire Man said:

No. 

Why? 

[Derbyshire Man]

It doesn’t work like that as it has two hard stops at minimum focus and infinity, do a manual override then you end up with an endless encoder like on most cameras, what makes the Q series so good is that you can develop the same muscle memory as on the M series, so you know that if the focus tab is at 6 o’clock you will be at distance Y. You can’t do that with an endless encoder. 

[Jeff S]

2 minutes ago, Derbyshire Man said:

It doesn’t work like that as it has two hard stops at minimum focus and infinity, do a manual override then you end up with an endless encoder like on most cameras, what makes the Q series so good is that you can develop the same muscle memory as on the M series, so you know that if the focus tab is at 6 o’clock you will be at distance Y. You can’t do that with an endless encoder. 

Is there an easy press, or turn, that engages a quick magnification check? On my SL2, I can use BBF with joystick (not available with Q), then get zoom-in if desired by turning focus ring, then half press of shutter release brings back full view. Is there something similar with Q3 (or 43)?

[Derbyshire Man]

You can set any of the function buttons to do this

[yst]

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6 hours ago, Derbyshire Man said:

It doesn’t work like that as it has two hard stops at minimum focus and infinity, do a manual override then you end up with an endless encoder like on most cameras, what makes the Q series so good is that you can develop the same muscle memory as on the M series, so you know that if the focus tab is at 6 o’clock you will be at distance Y. You can’t do that with an endless encoder. 

Thank you for the explanation.  Also how do you shift from Autofocusing to Manual focusing on the Q3, could it be done very quickly? 

[Derbyshire Man]

Within the focus tab there’s a small latch which when press allows the rotation of the focus ring from the infinity poisition and hence into manual focus. These mirrors traditional lenses which had an infinity lock to aid the removal of the lens such as the first version of the summilux 35mm. Both functional and a nod to the past. 

[JNK100]

3 hours ago, yst said:

Thank you for the explanation.  Also how do you shift from Autofocusing to Manual focusing on the Q3, could it be done very quickly? 

It may be helpful to download the manual from the Leica website.

[LocalHero1953]

3 hours ago, yst said:

Thank you for the explanation.  Also how do you shift from Autofocusing to Manual focusing on the Q3, could it be done very quickly? 

Yes, but the latch is not intuitive, like the old style infinity lock buttons - the latch tab has two parts (moving and fixed) that morph together at rest, and can't easily be distinguished by touch. Once you have looked at the latch to see how it works and know which bit to press with your finger it can be very quick. 

This is a case of style over function IMO - and is unusual for a camera that otherwise feels intuitive in use. For comparison there is no such latch for moving from auto to manual shutter speed or aperture, or from normal to macro focusing - you just turn the respective dials/rings.

[Derbyshire Man]

I prefer the latch as you know for sure if you’re in manual/AF but I do think it could be easy to engage/disengage, hard enough with bare fingers but impossible with gloves. 

[yst]

Therefore, you use the focus finger tap of the lens to turn on or off the lens AF?

[Jeff S]

1 minute ago, yst said:

Therefore, you use the focus finger tap of the lens to turn on or off the lens AF?

You might watch any of dozens of YouTube video reviews to better understand the process; easier to see than describe.  

[Elliot Harper]

22 hours ago, yst said:

How was your user experience of the Leica Q3, can you point to a target half press the shutter to lock on a focus point (while camera set at “autofocus”), then Manually turn the lens focus ring to fine tune or to change focusing to another point at the same time?  that means while half pressing the shutter when in auto focus mode, can you still at the same time override the autofocus with Manuel focus quickly?

Which I can do that override easily on Leica D-Lux 7, and on Leica CL cameras, a very useful function. Wonder if the Leica Q3 can do that as well ??

Why on earth in million years do you want to do that?

[SrMi]

14 hours ago, Elliot Harper said:

Why on earth in million years do you want to do that?

Because AF does not always work correctly and may need human intervention.

[Elliot Harper]

7 hours ago, SrMi said:

Because AF does not always work correctly and may need human intervention.

Then let go the shutter button and turn the focus ring. Why do you have to hold on the shutter button while turning the focus ring?

Edited May 20 by Elliot Harper

[SrMi]

2 hours ago, Elliot Harper said:

Then let go the shutter button and turn the focus ring. Why do you have to hold on the shutter button while turning the focus ring?

Because you want to keep the focus locked (focusing is on the shutter button).

[Elliot Harper]

1 hour ago, SrMi said:

Because you want to keep the focus locked (focusing is on the shutter button).

This is paradox and self contradicting.

You want the focus to be locked while you move the focus ring? So do you want the focus locked or not? If you do, why do you move the focus ring? If you don't, why bother then.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[SrMi]

32 minutes ago, Elliot Harper said:

This is paradox and self contradicting.

You want the focus to be locked while you move the focus ring? So do you want the focus locked or not? If you do, why do you move the focus ring? If you don't, why bother then.

BTW, this is a widespread technique among experienced wildlife photographers.

- The first step is to acquire focus with the shutter button half-press.

- Fine-tune the focus with the focusing ring while keeping the shutter button half-pressed if the focus is unsatisfactory.

- If you release the shutter button to fine-tune the focus, the focus will be reacquired when pressing the shutter button again.

Of course, all that is unnecessary with BBF.

[Derbyshire Man]

2 minutes ago, SrMi said:

BTW, this is a widespread technique among experienced wildlife photographers.

- The first step is to acquire focus with the shutter button half-press.

- Fine-tune the focus with the focusing ring while keeping the shutter button half-pressed if the focus is unsatisfactory.

- If you release the shutter button to fine-tune the focus, the focus will be reacquired when pressing the shutter button again.

Of course, all that is unnecessary with BBF.

I can definitely see that with a long lens on an RFMk2, it makes perfect sense at 400mm for example. With a 28mm fixed lens Q3 you're mostly going to notice a slightly wrong focus point up close on a portrait at f1.7 on single shot, any longer and it won't make much difference, up that close you could move back or forward with your head if on single shot. Agree there will be times when it will have selected the wrong thing in the middle distance and manual override will allow a quicker rectification than trying to half press the shutter again but the cost of that is an endless encoder style focus barrel and I'd much rather than a focus barrel with a hard minimum and maximum focus distance. It's a trade of course.