Disappointment with a G1 and 90mm lens

[Evan Bedford]

I really, really wanted to like this camera, but the first roll I sent through indicates that it was somehow focusing a couple of inches behind where the focusing patch was pointed at. Luckily, it came with 14 day money back guarantee, so I'll pack it up and likely get either a Hexar RF or a Zeiss Ikon ZM instead.

The attached image shows a comparison with a Nikon F3. Same scanner, same software. I wish there was some easy fix, but I think that was my last autofocus film camera (had a similar experience with a Fuji GA645zi).

 

[Evan Bedford]

Here's a better comparison (same photos, same bookshelf)

 

[Evan Bedford]

And yet some shots -- though a very definite minority -- came out just fine. 100% crop attached.

 

[Fixcinater]

Where were you pointing the AF sensor in those first crops of the books?

Dark room with potentially very little contrast to focus on, that would be taxing for almost any AF system.

My results with AF improved after I learned that it needs an edge to focus on. Pointing it at blank sky or a low contrast plain wall would be worst case.

 

[Evan Bedford]

Where were you pointing the AF sensor in those first crops of the books?

Dark room with potentially very little contrast to focus on, that would be taxing for almost any AF system.

My results with AF improved after I learned that it needs an edge to focus on. Pointing it at blank sky or a low contrast plain wall would be worst case.

I had the AF pointed at the middle of an 6' wide shelf of books from a distance of about 20' away. Both of the crops were close to the middle of the shelf. The room was decently lit, and I generally use about a 1 second exposure at f8 and ISO 100.

What seems to be a constant though, is the actual focus is significantly behind where the AF is pointed at. The attached (crop) image shows this: I had the AF pointed at about Volume 10, but the actual area of sharp focus is on the This England book (this was an oblique shot of the book shelf).

 

[Evan Bedford]

What a shame. I nearly cried as I packed up the camera for shipping back to Japan. I don't think I've ever seen such a fine piece of craftsmanship (makes an Xpan look like a Holga). But it'll be the last autofocus film camera I ever buy. I suspect that it might've got jolted a bit on the way here, since the seller didn't put a heck of a lot of padding in with it.

 

[Highway 61]

This is a major drawback of this camera which was discovered a few months after its commercial release in 1994 and which had its career sink in spite of Kyocera's quick marketing of the "green label" version of the G1 (which wasn't really better, because the problem is due to a design error).

 

[rogue_designer]

Great cameras for normal and wide angle lenses - since those give you a bit more DoF to play with. But I wouldn't use it with a 90, for sure. That statement is true for me with any rangefinder though.

That said - there is a way to adjust the focus. It's a bit complicated, and you need the service manual to get the hexadecimel codes needed. But no tools required, just time and effort.

 

[Steve M.]

There is no design error. That is a great lens, BUT you have to figure out how to shoot it. There is a lot of info on the web about this, but in a nutshell, whatever you are focusing on has to be exactly in the center of those little marks in the viewfinder. I mean dead in the middle. Once you figure it out it becomes second nature.

The drill is to measure something say 3-4 feet away w/ a ruler, then practice focusing and refocusing, and looking at the distance the camera records in the viewfinder. It will vary all over the place until you learn to put the focus squarely within those marks, and then you will see that the distance reading in the camera will match exactly what you measured. Once you achieve focus, lock it w/ a half press of the shutter button and recompose your shot. Just google or duckduckgo the problem and you will quickly see the fix for it. Enjoy it, it is truly a wonderful piece of glass. Those are just very, very quirky cameras, and focusing that 90 requires a different technique than the shorter lenses. The G cameras are strange to focus in any manner, and make all sorts of strange noises when they're doing it, but again, once you get it, it works. Always ck the measurement readout w/ that lens to make sure it's right before you snap the pic. Make sure the focus is set to S, not continuous.

 

[KoNickon]

I had this problem -- sent it to the service center in New Jersey and they fixed it. I believe the problem was with the lens in my case; it was a known issue.

 

[Evan Bedford]

The drill is to measure something say 3-4 feet away w/ a ruler, then practice focusing and refocusing, and looking at the distance the camera records in the viewfinder.

Does the G2 give a precise distance measurement in the viewfinder? I'm pretty sure the G1 didn't.

 

[Huss]

I think the AF on the G2 is better.

This is why I stayed away from af RF cameras, there is no way to tell if u got the focus right until u get ur film back. With af SLRs you can see if the focus is correct as u are taking the image, as the screen comes into focus. And with mf RF cameras, you are controlling the focus patch directly.

I prefer to missfocus due to user error, not camera error!

 

[Evan Bedford]

I think the AF on the G2 is better.

This is why I stayed away from af RF cameras, there is no way to tell if u got the focus right until u get ur film back. With af SLRs you can see if the focus is correct as u are taking the image, as the screen comes into focus. And with mf RF cameras, you are controlling the focus patch directly.

I prefer to missfocus due to user error, not camera error!

I totally agree. I may have to get a Fuji TX-1 simply in order to fulfill my titanium fetish, while still being able to manually focus.

 

[sepiareverb]

G2 and 90, stopped down a bit tho. Blisteringly sharp across the whole frame, I have prints of this at 16x20 that are crisp at every twist in the chain link.

 

[raid]

I may have been fortunate to have gotten sharp images with the G1 (green label) and the 90mm Sonnar.

 

[raid]

The photos were taken from the tenth floor of a friend's condo, shooting downwards.

 

[Mjd-djm]

I have owned 3 silver label g1s. Each of them had back focus problems. I finally bought a green label version and focus was spot on with 28mm, 45mm and 90mm lenses. I now don't have to worry about left bracket or right bracket etc. It just works spot on every time. I now get very few shots out of focus at all. I guess I hit the jackpot with the camera but I'm glad that I did. Such a shame that it has to be so hit and miss in getting a good copy.

 

[Mjd-djm]

I think the AF on the G2 is better.

This is why I stayed away from af RF cameras, there is no way to tell if u got the focus right until u get ur film back. With af SLRs you can see if the focus is correct as u are taking the image, as the screen comes into focus. And with mf RF cameras, you are controlling the focus patch directly.

I prefer to missfocus due to user error, not camera error!

Unfortunately film SLRs have the same problem. If the mirror is out of alignment then the focus will not be accurate. In my opinion the only system that allows you to manual focus lenses with guarantees accuracy are digital cameras with live view because you are seeing what the sensor is seeing. Any camera that has different mechanisms for focusing and taking the picture are by there very nature prone to problems over time.

 

[raid]

The only reports on missed focus seems to be on the 90mm Sonnar and the G1. The other G lenses seem to work well with G1 or G2.

 

[reodds]

Raid, those are beautiful photos! very sharp and the contrast of the lens is clearly appreciated.