x pro mishaps from Saturday...please read

[Johnhw]

All,

First, I am enjoying this site and this is my second post. I started the thread "...advise with honest answers" several threads down. I went to try the x pro this weekend. Let me start by saying that I have read and researched this camera for weeks, reviewed images, etc. I want to love this camera..."visions of sugar plums" danced in my head on the way to the store Saturday...a 60 mile drive.

Second, I started back in the F2 days and have shot most everything since in the way of DSLR...so I am not a rangefinder per se guru...I know that. But, I am not stupid either.

Here was my experience and I have two major problems. please keep in mind...I want to love this camera, I want to buy this camera...and have reached out to this forum as maybe there is a bad batch, or maybe I just did something wrong...but the pro at the store I have known for years had the same issues. And we even opened a new box to try a second camera. ok...nuff said.

Outside the camera was fine. i did not take portraits outside. Using aperture priority I stopped cars in action, shot into the sun, etc. I had read about the "trick" of just pushing the shutter in one motion and all was well. No issues.

Inside was a whole different deal. In my opinion I would not consider the store low light, it has sun coming through the front windows and plenty of lighting. of all cameras i have tried in there I never had the issues I had with the x.

Even with ISO up (because my time is limited I can't type n all the details) the camera could not focus. I had no problem with focus speed, for what i do it would be fine and it immediately almost sent the "red" square that it could not commit. But it should have...every other camera did. My little E-P3 focused with no issues. i understand sensor size...I am just saying that with both textures and contrast it was disappointing to say the least. i am not looking for DSLR bang here but even my 7 year old Nikon N55 with 5 focus points would focus better.

Also, the big one was focus accuracy. when taking a portrait lets say 5 ft. away and focusing on the closes eye, it would focus on perhaps the ear, or the farthest eye, or sometimes said "forget you, i like the background...WHAT!!" I can live with a few "quirks"...but c'mon, we both had the same issues and I don't get it, Before someone asks, yes, I reduced the focus point in size to be able to put it right on the eye and it just moved. Both in single or continuous mode.

I want this camera!!! really, but it was really frustrating. it just should have done better.

So, I am willing I think to try again but for 3 hours straight I had a few smiles and many more headaches. I have seen a few threads about focus inaccuracy but figured those may have been user error but i really do not feel that was the case here.

i am willing to listen to thoughts...thanks.:bang:

 

[Landshark99]

Hi, first thing this camera will not focus as fast as the OMD or a DSLR but for me I have had very little issues getting it to focus for what I want to use it for. I own two bodies and have used the 18 and 35 so far with pretty much the same performance out of both. If you are using the camera with the OVF, set it to corrected AF frame. It will show you two boxes in the OVF and it will light up where it sees the focus. You can also use the EVF which will display the smaller focus spot making it easier in bad contrast situations to find the sweet spot, and finally use the camera in manual focus and focus with the AE-L/AF_L button.
Here are two image shot behind the scene of a job I am working on in much worse light than in a store with out much trouble focusing, both shot at wide open at very high ISO, first shot out of six frames taken all were in focus, second 7 out of eight were sharp, both shot in SAF

 

[lam]

Something I noticed immediately with this camera, to get more consistent results was to set it on S focus, activate the close focus box (or AF corrected frame), and generally put a contrasty or at least visibly distinguishable object between the two boxes. I haven't had any issue focusing using this method. I actually do this a lot when using my M2 in low-light. "Human focus hunting" as it were.

If I know i'm going to be bat-**** out of luck with no hope in achieving focus, I've noticed a quick switch into Macro EVF mode gets me focus lock almost 100% of the time.


Love this damn thing. by lamlux.net, on Flickr

 

[dreilly]

Forgive the non-X-Pro-1 owner interloping, but I have found the same as above with the X100...sometimes the EVF locks focus easier, especially with objects closer than two meters. And yes, I have the adjusted AF spot enabled. A few times now I've done a quick ovf to evf switch and it worked.

It could be that you just need some more time to learn how to use this type of AF...took me a while with the X100. I was using it the other night at a chip music show and I found that it would lock on focus with just the slightest bit of light...it took a few seconds but I was impressed. I hope the X-Pro 1 would have that performance and there's a lot of positive comments suggesting it does.

 

[JHutchins]

If you set the camera to manual focus and use the AE-L/AF-L button to focus, and if you have time and want to get the focus precisely, then pressing the control dial will bring up the magnified electronic viewfinder (even if you're using the optical viewfinder) and will let you see just where it's trying to focus and how effectively it does focus. Pressing the shutter button returns you to the optical viewfinder if you were using that, or to the unmagnified electronic viewfinder.

 

[Johnhw]

We were in EVF mode. I had reduced the focus point, it was on S even though we tried both. I will see if we had auto-focus corrected on. Thanks its a start.

 

[macjim]

Yes, it's been a hit and a miss for many. Personally I've not had any issues to speak of and so far, I'm very happy with this camera. All cameras have issues and there are many that are faster at focusing in all qualities of light. But this is one camera you have to make up your own mind whether to buy it or not. I know that doesn't help answer your worries but it's a fact — you'll either like it a lot, or you'll wish you never bought it. I haven't tried using it indoors under low light, the only shots taken indoors was in a bright room — I've used it in early morning light where it was misty and it seemed to focus ok. Can you hire an X-Pro1 from your dealer? Maybe you need to try it out for a while and see how you fair with it, if you can hire one then that may answer your worries.

 

[ray*j*gun]

I have been trying to justify getting an X Pro but the more I read the less I want to risk it.

 

[Johnhw]

I am in the process of printing 136 pages of the manual.Maybe that will help.

Again, i understand it's not perfect, but I have never tried a camera in the store that made me want to throw it through the window.

Focusing speed is ok, can live with that...but you have to focus and focus accurately. Frankly, the issues with speed were never a problem when i read them in reviews, but at least focus on the "part" of the image I directed you to.

Going to read the manual and ask my rep. to try some settings at the store to see if that changes things.

I cannot rent the camera. This store is no returns on cameras, lens ok but not cameras, they are a good store but just people are really picky when it comes to cameras. it's not huge like B H.

 

[Johnhw]

I am almost now wondering if we were in OVF mode and the issue was parallax. Crap...going to try one more time it appears. Just not willing to let my desire to own one go...yet.

 

[Ryan1938]

I have to say... I'm baffled by all of these comments I've heard from folks about auto focus issues and the XP1. Obviously, you are not the only person to have issues... Me? I simply haven't had any using the 35mm. I wouldn't call it fast focusing, but I would certainly call it accurate. I haven't had any issues at all.

Strange.

 

[j.scooter]

I have to say... I'm baffled by all of these comments I've heard from folks about auto focus issues and the XP1. Obviously, you are not the only person to have issues... Me? I simply haven't had any using the 35mm. I wouldn't call it fast focusing, but I would certainly call it accurate. I haven't had any issues at all.

Strange.

+1 (10 characters)

 

[soelin]

In lowlight, I've had better success focusing using (M) manual mode. By pressing the AE-L/AF-L button even when you're in (M) mode, it will auto focus. And, you can fine tune your focus manually if need be. I can focus very accurately in lowlight with this method.

 

[Johnhw]

Ryan,

i understand...strange indeed which is why i am reaching out. And again, i do not call the large well lit room I was in low light...at all. when you put the focus frame/point on an area and it turns green...shouldn't it focus there? Just trying to figure it out...

 

[Landshark99]

It has more to do with contrast and keeping the whole box on that subject, than the overall light level, last night in my hotel room I could focus perfectly on my phone screen and a magazine sitting on the window sill in a completely black room but would have had a problem with the wall beside them. Overall I am very happy with the cameras, I have lost far more frames to camera movement than missed focus, still I would not be using this camera for low light or even well lit action subjects. There is a small learning curve to this camera just like there is with a true rangefinder but out of the over 2,000 frames I have shot so far with these cameras, it has missed focus maybe 10 or 12 times

 

[jsrockit]

I am almost now wondering if we were in OVF mode and the issue was parallax. Crap...going to try one more time it appears. Just not willing to let my desire to own one go...yet.

That's my guess.

 

[splitimageview]

Mine too. Lack of contrast at the actual focus location.

Another trick here

 

[Johnhw]

I knew and used the trick above. It worked fine although the Manuel certainly doesn't say to do it that way. I am not taking about a subject focus issue like an entire person. Please read my specific issue... It was putting the focus point on a face that lets say almost filled the frame, and the closest eye was not in focus... The further out eye was if the body was positioned at a slight angle . Focus I accuracy where dof was other than where I placed the focal point. Never had this before do perhaps it was a parallax issue. I hope so cause then it means I screwed up and a easy fix.

 

[Landshark99]

I knew and used the trick above. It worked fine although the Manuel certainly doesn't say to do it that way. I am not taking about a subject focus issue like an entire person. Please read my specific issue... It was putting the focus point on a face that lets say almost filled the frame, and the closest eye was not in focus... The further out eye was if the body was positioned at a slight angle . Focus I accuracy where dof was other than where I placed the focal point. Never had this before do perhaps it was a parallax issue. I hope so cause then it means I screwed up and a easy fix.

were you in macro mode because you could have been too close for the normal af, if you use manual and the afl button you do not need to use the macro setting

 

[splitimageview]

I posted this back on March 10 in another thread:

I had no problems taking photos of my dogs, which are Italian greyhounds and move around as much as any kid. 🙂 I put it on continuous AF and used the cross-hair, put the cross-hair on the eye, and shot.

Here is a link to a full size, straight OOC jpeg. Sharpness is pretty amazing, this shot at f/2.8.

http://fujix-forum.com/images/fuji/DSCF6011.JPG