contax g2 focuing problem

[fbf]

Don't get me wrong. I love this camera very much as well as all six prime lenses. However, I have found myself having trouble with precise focusing, especially with 35mm and 90mm lenses.
Does anyone have any experience or tricks for focusing?

Chris

 

[Mike Richards]

Use straight lines

Use straight lines

Chris,

The G2 likes to focus on straight lines. If you have a lot of them in the background, out of your intended focus area, you will likely have an out of focus subject. For work arounds, try either (1) manual/zone focusing using the scale and estimating the distance, or (2) focus on an area near to your subject that has straight lines, capture the focus by half depressing the shutter, then compose and shoot. Since focus errors can be expected, it's often a good idea to stop down as much as you can, even if it gives you more DOF than you want.

Good luck. BTW, my solution was to change to Leica M.

 

[Papa Smurf]

G2 focusing problems?

G2 focusing problems?

:bang: Sorry to hear about your issues with your G2. The Contax Gs have been much maligned with "alledged" focus issues. I suspect that your camera is not focusing on the exact portion of the scene that you think that it is. Technology has come a long way since our cameras were released. With my G1 I found that when properly handled, it is very accurate as to focus the first time that I press the shutter button. However, if I release the button and immediately refocus, it tends hunt a bit like it is saying, "well that wasn't the right spot, how about this one?"

On this and other forums, there are many discussions concerning whether or not the Contax Gs focus accurately. I performed the test suggested on <contaxg.com> under the "articles" folder specifically addressing the G1 and G2 focus issues. Since then, I have had very few problems getting my G1 to focus exactly where I want it to focus. Contax released a supplement to the G1 owners manual titled, "Useful hints on focusing the lens." It was very helpful for me. I do not know if a similar document exists for the G2. Part of photography is getting to know your equipment and just how to extract its best performance. Even with the latest and mostest of equipment, sometimes we have to help it do its job.

Best of luck and I hope that this has been helpful. 😀

 

[uhligfd]

Can you explain in any way, what your focusing problems actually are?

Camera does not acquire focus?
Picture not shap? Motion blur or mis-focus? Anything in focus? Where?
With manual focus using a ruler to measure? With in-focus bracket?
etc etc

 

[fbf]

Thank you all

The biggest problem I found is that I often encounter the "unable to focus" alert when I am trying to focus on certain objects and I have tried what the contax user manual has suggested " to focus on nearby object and then recompose". It works okay most of time. However, I do find some of the images weren't as sharp as I expected. Maybe I didn't use the focus lock correctly?
One more thing, after handling a couple of leicas, I find the focus noise of g2 is quite
annoying...but, it's too hard to give up those cheap yet amazing glasses

 

[Bobfrance]

You're right the glass is a bargain.

Why not try zone focussing?

I got into it a bit on my G1 but found the focussing wheel too easity nudged and put out of focus. I know the G2 focusses differently - it might be an option for you. And good practice for when you get bored and buy another rangefinder like I did. 😉

 

[plummerl]

Since learning to use the back focus lock button, my focus problems vanished. It is much easier than trying to guess with the half-depress of the shutter button. It is also easier to access the exposure lock switch at the same time. Check out:
http://www.botzilla.com/blog/archives/000378.html

 

[fbf]

Since learning to use the back focus lock button, my focus problems vanished. It is much easier than trying to guess with the half-depress of the shutter button. It is also easier to access the exposure lock switch at the same time. Check out:
http://www.botzilla.com/blog/archives/000378.html

Wow, thanks a lot, Larry. 😀

 

[Papa Smurf]

Why not try zone focussing?

I got into it a bit on my G1 but found the focussing wheel too easity nudged and put out of focus. 😉

I had the same problem with my G1. It was so loose that I couldn't let go of the range dial knob without it moving slightly, so I did a 15 minute DIY fix for the lack of tension and now it works great. If you are interested, I could share it with you all.

Papa Smurf

 

[Bob Michaels]

I think one can break G focus problems down to 3 distinct areas:
1) won't focus accurately
2) focuses somewhere other than where you want
3) won't lock in focus

1) I find both my G1 and G2 focus dead on. Both are incredibly accurate. Focus on the left eye of a subject, and it's there. Even wide open with the 45mm or 90mm.

2) Both my G1 and G2 focus exactly where the indicator in the middle of the VF indicate. There is no averaging or complex algorithms like on a AF SLR. What is on that set of brackets is where it's focused. You lock that in, and it's there. Just make sure you put it where you want to focus.

3) inability to focus lock is the challenge. It needs something with a bit of detail and contrast. Wiping the fingerprints off the VF glass makes a world of difference. This is not a problem for me.

I find the ContaxG AF to be easy to use because you know exactly where it's focused. It's the modern AF SLR's that baffle me when they use the "double inverted throwndown sine wave / least squares /1.5 standard deviation algorithm" to figure out where to focus.

 

[keoj]

plummerl has it correct. This tip really, really helps get a focus procedure down so now its quite automatic for me. I have a g2 and did a pile of testing and found that it was accurate to better than a cm (on average). Most of time, the issues of focusing are not having "lines" to grab for focusing. I occasionally, will grab a focus line by rotating the camera 90 degrees, focus lock and then bring the camera into correct orientation. I hope this helps. This camera (and optics) are a wonder.

keoj