Coolpix A

On paper Snap focus sounds great, but in reality Snap focus mode doesn't always work. I'm sick of hearing about how awesome it is and how every camera must have it or else it sux ...
 
MikeAUS said:
On paper Snap focus sounds great, but in reality Snap focus mode doesn't always work.
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how do you mean this - technical fault due to which snap mode doesn't what it should do or there are situations when you find it less than useful?
 
MikeAUS said:
On paper Snap focus sounds great, but in reality Snap focus mode doesn't always work. I'm sick of hearing about how awesome it is and how every camera must have it or else it sux ...
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True... sometimes exact focus is needed. But other times, it is not. It's just a mode and one attribute of a camera. However, it appears the GR focuses pretty fast anyway, so...
 
The way I've tried to implement a "snap type" focus mode on the A is to simply set the lens aperture to f16 at an appropriate ISO, drop it into "Manual Focus" and set that to what I believe is the hyperfocal distance and shoot away.

The problem is, as mentioned earlier, the concept of "snap" focusing is great but it doesn't always work. Even the method I've mentioned above doesn't always work - I can't explain why other than with autofocus digital cameras they seem to have an issue with the hyperfocal distance method.

Cheers,
Dave
 
dcsang said:
The way I've tried to implement a "snap type" focus mode on the A is to simply set the lens aperture to f16 at an appropriate ISO, drop it into "Manual Focus" and set that to what I believe is the hyperfocal distance and shoot away.

The problem is, as mentioned earlier, the concept of "snap" focusing is great but it doesn't always work. Even the method I've mentioned above doesn't always work - I can't explain why other than with autofocus digital cameras they seem to have an issue with the hyperfocal distance method.

Cheers,
Dave
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At f16 you have to really bump the ISO and also diffraction affects the lens - in other words you're degrading the image quality of Cooplix A to cellphone standards by shooting at F16...

A small sensor P&S has many advantages, one being loads of dof without bumping ISO or closing the aperture.
 
Exdsc said:
At f16 you have to really bump the ISO and also diffraction affects the lens - in other words you're degrading the image quality of Cooplix A to cellphone standards by shooting at F16...

A small sensor P&S has many advantages, one being loads of dof without bumping ISO or closing the aperture.
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Ya ya.. but you get the idea - F11 would work.. heck.. F8 would work.. but it doesn't always work regardless of the aperture used or where you set the lens on the scale.

Same goes for the GRD/GR - it's a good concept - but it doesn't always work (I can speak from experience having owned the GRDII and GRDIII)

Cheers,
Dave
 
Use Autofocus and focus at something ~2m, then change the focus mode to manual and at f8 eventing everything will be in focus, sharp in near and slightly soft in the distance.

The mistake people make is they try to set the focus distance using camera's mf bar which is always inaccurate. The best way to set this sort of focus is use AF to focus and then change to MF.


If you want use infinity focus then you could also use f8 and set the focus at infinity. at 18mm (coolpix A's actual lens focal length) everything from near to infinity that is approximately 2.25 millimeter or more will be resolved, 1.7mm at f11. http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/digital%20focusing%202.shtml
 
I've never really been able to get Snap mode to work for me on my GR cameras (film or digital). I think I maybe don't understand where to place my settings. I've never really had to shoot anything so fast that I couldn't auto focus anyway...
 
matthewm said:
I've never really been able to get Snap mode to work for me on my GR cameras (film or digital). I think I maybe don't understand where to place my settings. I've never really had to shoot anything so fast that I couldn't auto focus anyway...
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Don't use snap focus, use infinity focus that I posted about in the above post.

With small sensor P&S, just set the focus to infinity and shoot away.
 
I think you're missing the point Exdsc - that's how it's "supposed" to work but it doesn't always work that way - but I'll see what I can get out of it with this method.

Cheers,
Dave
 
dcsang said:
I think you're missing the point Exdsc - that's how it's "supposed" to work but it doesn't always work that way - but I'll see what I can get out of it with this method.

Cheers,
Dave
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I think you're missing the point, because I'm trying to help you so that in real life you won't feel embarrassed if someone were to say what you're doing is a waste of a $1000 camera.



Next time someone tries to help you, be grateful, not everyone is born a photographer technical expert.
 
Exdsc said:
I think you're missing the point, because I'm trying to help you so that in real life you won't feel embarrassed if someone were to say what you're doing is a waste of a $1000 camera.



Next time someone tries to help you, be grateful, not everyone is born a photographer technical expert.
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I recognize the fact that you are trying to help but as it has been stated here that even with the physics behind it this camera, along with the GR series, do not necessarily have "everything in focus to infinity" on an APS-C sized sensor.

I noted that you state "small sensor" but you may be mistaken since both the GR and the Coolpix A have APS-C sized sensors and not the previous small sensors of previous point and shoots.

I'm sorry if you're offended by my posts as I meant no disrespect however that's no reason for you to so aggressive.

Good day.

Dave
 
Ok Dave.. I need some help here... I think I am missing a point about snap focus. So let me step back and say some things and u tell me where I missed it...

- for me snap focus is not going to be the norm but the exception case.
- normal shooting half press normal af - center af w/ aperture priority
-- default aperture is at 5.6 and adjust accordingly
- snap focus set to either hyper-focal for f5.6 or at 2m depending on where I am shooting
- use snap focus in situations where I only have time to frame and not sure if af will be fast enough

I don't expect snap focus to give me anything more then a decent picture unless the subject is close to the preset distance and so long as the subject is w/in the current zone for whatever the f stop was at last.

Back in the days when Fuji x100 first came out and the af was slower than what it is today, I remember just taking the picture before af locked.. Just to get the picture.. Turned out a lot of turned out decent.. Someone during that timeframe in one of the forums mentioned that they thought that Fuji set the lens to around 6 feet when it could not lock af..

For me snap is intended as a last resort, not a norm to get a decent shot because the fluidity of the situation calls for it.

On the other hand, I remember in my reading that Ricoh implemented snap focus on a request from a well known street photographer and it became a very popular feature on their cameras. It was not only on their grd series but the gxr ones as well (except the m module, I believe all the lensor modules supported it).

The smaller sensor on the grd will provide much better dof compared to an apsc. Is this where the issue being discussed is? As I said, I am confused..

Gary
 
Gary,

Based on what you've written I would agree with what you've stated.

The issue with "snap" focus (on the APS-C sized sensor cams) is, even when the subject is "somewhat" close to the focus distance (or, say you've set the hyperfocal distance at f8 and everything from x to x+infinity should be in focus) the focus is not as "sharp" or as "bang on" as it may have been had the AF been engaged.

This is not the case with most manual focus cameras. For example, shoot the hyperfocal distance on a film camera (Leica M) and a 24mm lens. You can use the camera a lot like a point and shoot this way. You'll never have issues with "fuzzy" or "blurry" out of focus items in the frame. But I've noted this is not the case with digital and I just don't know the reason why.

The concept of "snap" focus is, as you have said, at times when you only have moments to frame and not engage the AF. I use this method all the time when I'm shooting a wedding with my Leicas. I spot the distance scale, wait till the subject is at the right distance, frame, and shoot. Never an issue but with the AF digital cams this doesn't seem to "work so good" 🙂.

That said, you are correct that a smaller sensor makes "snap" focus a lot easier - the problem is, neither the GR nor the Coolpix A have "small" sensors.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Dave
 
reiki_ said:
How good is Coolpix A for grainy BW high ISO pictures? Like 1600-3200, with prefocusing for street.
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I have since let my Coolpix A go.. traded it in along with a few other things for the Sony A7 last year.

That said, the 1600-3200 ISO is far from grainy.

This is ISO 3200 on the Coolpix A


Cheers,
Dave
 
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