Contax G1 - focusing

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Here is the download link for a pdf of G1 manual: http://www.onlinedisk.ru/file/75894/

Nevertheless I bought a hardcopy, since it's more convenient sometimes 🙂

Not the G1 manual, the G1 focus guide.

 

[evb]

Not the G1 manual, the G1 focus guide.

Sorry, I'm absolutely unaware of its existence

I suppose that at present this thread is the best G1/G2 focus guide ever.

 

[evb]

Seems to be an interesting article about focusing on Contax G, but alas! Contax G2

http://www.botzilla.com/blog/archives/000378.html

 

[oris642]

I just scanned the "Contax G1 Useful Hints on Focusing The Lens". It's in two pdfs, and are 7.4 Mb and 7.1 Mb in size. I don't know how to attach pdfs, or even if I'm allowed to, so if anyone wants them, email me at oris642 at telus dot net

 

[kuzano]

I no longer have the camera or focus manual.

I no longer have the camera or focus manual.

I have been looking for a pdf of this for the better part of a year. If you would scan yours and post it for this forum, you'd be a hero. I would be more than willing to host it on my ftp.

the "Contax G1 Useful Hints on Focusing The Lens" is a separate manual, less than half the pages of the camera manual, and with the same blue cover.

If you search via yahoo for "Contax G1 Useful Hints on Focusing The Lens" You will get hits including one source that sells the manual for $15.

 

[evb]

Dear friends and colleagues,

I received my first film from G1 and the results are awful indeed 🙁 The system G1 + 45/2 has terrible back-focus. The camera was bought from Keh, the lens - at eBay in very good condition. Do you have any advice what I have to do?

Here is the scan of the picture with the table:

 

[jaap]

The G1 should be able to focus a 45 mm very accurate. I would suggest just take pictures
in practical situations and keep the af windows very clean. If there is still a tendency for back focus the G1 is the problem.

 

[evb]

The G1 should be able to focus a 45 mm very accurate. I would suggest just take pictures
in practical situations and keep the af windows very clean. If there is still a tendency for back focus the G1 is the problem.

I took a lot of pictures in practical situations and they all are with back-focus. The camera is very clean and I wiped the focusing windows with cloth several times. My urgent question is: who is to blame for that - camera or lens? I bought camera from KEH and lens from eBay, so now I have to decide what to do and what item to return.

Very sad... 🙁

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I just scanned the "Contax G1 Useful Hints on Focusing The Lens". It's in two pdfs, and are 7.4 Mb and 7.1 Mb in size. I don't know how to attach pdfs, or even if I'm allowed to, so if anyone wants them, email me at oris642 at telus dot net

Fantastic! I just emailed you. Send them to me, and I'll host them on my website, with a permanent download link.

 

[Bob Michaels]

I have found that the distance shown in the window is not very accurate for my G1 and G2, yet the focus is accurate. The cameras will focus very accurately on a subject while still showing a distance that is only approximately correct. I believe the distance measurement by the camera is a direct analog link to the lens focusing mechanism while the displayed distance is some secondary digital conversion calculation that is only approximate.

However if your real world shooting indicates the focus is off, that is something wrong. Sorry I have no idea if it is the lens or the body as I have never seen that. Both of my bodies and all five lenses focus accurately no matter what the combination.

I seem to remember that you are not in the USA or someplace with official service. Then your only option seems to be finding someone else with a body / lens and swapping components to find which is the problem.

 

[oris642]

OK, I have uploaded the files to Sendspace, thanks to Eugene for pointing me there.

Part 1 (7.1 Mb) : http://www.sendspace.com/file/n4lq1k
Part 2 (7.4 Mb): http://www.sendspace.com/file/m1l6or

 

[jaap]

If you just have one lens it'll be difficult to say wich one is to blame the lens or the camera. One thing you could try is let the camera focus without a lens and measure the disctance by hand. If the distance is to far every time than the camera is to blame,otherwise send the lens back.
By the way my two G2 body give exact the same distance indication without a lens.

 

[sniki]

Dear friends and colleagues,

I received my first film from G1 and the results are awful indeed 🙁 The system G1 + 45/2 has terrible back-focus. The camera was bought from Keh, the lens - at eBay in very good condition. Do you have any advice what I have to do?

Here is the scan of the picture with the table:

Two questions:

1) Has your G1 a silver or a green sticker inside?

2) Where have you found the focus table for the test?

sniki

 

[evb]

Two questions:
1) Has your G1 a silver or a green sticker inside?

Green sticker.

2) Where have you found the focus table for the test?

http://www.focustestchart.com/chart.html
http://www.focustestchart.com/focus21.pdf

 

[evb]

I have found that the distance shown in the window is not very accurate for my G1 and G2, yet the focus is accurate.

Thanks a lot for your advice. My case is quite opposite - the distance measurement seems OK, but real focus is incorrect. Of course, I could shoot at f/2.8-4.0 but in my opinion it's rather absurd while having a lens with f/2.0 🙁

Yes, I'm very-very far from the USA. I've already written letters to the eBay seller, from whom I purchased my 45/2, and to KEH.com, where I bought G1.

I'm very-very upset with the whole case... 🙁 🙁

 

[Issy]

I thought the G1 looked for vertical lines... not horizontal? (page 22 of the download in this thread... in the part 2)

Based on where the chart is in the full frame, it looks like it got one of the vertical dark lines in the surrounding box (the right side, which is in focus), instead of the center horizontal line (unless that is bad parallex, which the G1 should compensate for).

I would try the test again, but mount the chart so the centerline is vertical, not horizontal.

b

 

[evb]

I thought the G1 looked for vertical lines... not horizontal? (page 22 of the download in this thread... in the part 2)

Based on where the chart is in the full frame, it looks like it got one of the vertical dark lines in the surrounding box (the right side, which is in focus), instead of the center horizontal line (unless that is bad parallex, which the G1 should compensate for).

I would try the test again, but mount the chart so the centerline is vertical, not horizontal.

b

Thanks for your opinion! Of course, I'll repeat the test in vertical position also (now I have nothing to shoot except tests with such a camera 🙁 ). But here the vertical lines are well out of the brackets and the horizontal line is too wide. Any AF system I tested with this chart before snapped into the focus correctly, "catching" the central line.

 

[ampguy]

Does the G1 have a setting for infinity focus lock? I think this is important for auto-focus cameras, since infinite (and beyond) is really the way to get detail in backgrounds. (the "beyond" is for intentional soft focus, if desired, and if lens allows for it).

 

[uhligfd]

I did look at the test chart website:

1) How good was your 45 degree angle in the test set-up? A bit off and you worry for nothing ... It is hard to get that 45 degree angle precisely without an optical bench ...

2) The Gs focus best on vertical lines, not horizontals.

 

[jvan01]

One minor complaint I have about the G1 is that the shutter button's action is so shallow and imprecise.
Does anyone else have this problem or does my camera need servicing?

Also I don't have particularly large hands but the handling/ergonomics of the G1 leaves something to be desired. It's not a particularly comfortable camera to hold.