D-Lux 8: Autofocus does not track subject

[JochGinkgo]

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If I set the focus mode to AFc in the menu and the autofocus metering mode to "Tracking," I expect the focus rectangle on the monitor to stay at the position where I last half-pressed the shutter button. If the subject then moves or I pan the camera, the rectangle should stay on the focused subject.

Unfortunately, that doesn't happen. The rectangle always stays in the center and constantly focuses on new objects when I half-press the shutter button and pan the camera.

What am I doing wrong?

The D-Lux 8 instruction manual states:

TRACKING

This field metering variant helps in the capture of mov-

ing objects. The focus on the object in the focus frame is

continuously adjusted, once it is detected.

→Aim the focus frame at the desired object

(by panning the camera shifting the focus frame)

→Tap and hold the shutter button

or

→Press the function button

(provided it was assigned the function AF-L or AF-L +

AE-L, see p. 106)

•

The camera focuses on the object.

→Pan the camera to the desired cropped section

•

Note

The focus frame “tracks” the saved object and

focus is continuously adjusted.

•

This metering method focuses continuously, even if the

AF mode AFs was set.

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[EspressoVizsla]

It works for me if I activate tracking mode like this:  I press the subject it should focus on on the display BEFORE half-pressing. Now it tracks the subject where ever I point the camera within the frame that the subject is in. When I half-press now, it will focus on the subject.

 

As soon as you half press, the focus will stay at the point on the screen it set the focus on. I guess it works that way so it still adjust the right exposure, which wouldnt be the case when you half-press and then recompose (only maybe if you have AE-L / AF-L assigned to buttons but I didn't try that out). 

 

Hope that helped  

[JochGinkgo]

Thanks for your reply, it helped and I got it to work. I don't know exactly how but I first enabled the Touch-AF option.

It took a while to start tracking objects, I guess the algorithm needed some time to "learn" in order to get started, since it was the first time I used this AF metering mode on my camera.

I ended up disabling the Touch-AF option again, since I generally don't use it. I only need to half press the shutter button and hold it. When I release it, the crosshair turns yellow and keeps tracking and "sticking" on the subject. When I want to reset it, I press the middle button (the one in the center of the arrow keys), and it turns white and goes back to the last position.

[JochGinkgo]

Just one thing I need to add: for some reason, tracking does not work if you have any of the two monochrome film looks enabled. I remember that I switched to Vivid look before it started working.