Focus settings X100F

michaelwj

michaelwj

----------------
Local time
2:11 AM
Joined
Feb 24, 2013
Messages
2,116
Hi All,

This is my first digital camera since an old Nikon D40 which I let go a long time ago, and honestly this fan dangled autofocus has me stumped.

I have the camera set up in manual focus, with back button AF (I set the rear dial to AF on because the button is too far away). That part is simple, I get basic autofocus and manual control in the OVF with the little screen in the corner and it works well, but I feel I'm limiting myself.

More complicated AF settings have me stumped though, and I'd like to be able to make use of them.

How do you have your X100F set up for autofocus? Do you change AF modes?

More generally, what do you get the customisable buttons to?

Thanks for the input.
 
Mine stays on single-focus autofocus using a single central A/F point. I've yet to find a situation where manual focus is worth the effort.

Button-wise, ISO is finally on a dial where it belongs; so my function buttons now control white balance, film simulation, face-tracking, flash function, and N/D filter.
 
Thanks ruby monkey.
In what way does the face-tracking work as a bottom? Turning it on and off? Or changing modes?
 
While I use a X-Pro 2, the AF system is similar to the X100-F's.

Learning all the AF functions with dual-finder FUJIFILM bodies is daunting since the EVF and OVF methods can be slightly different. Also, some of the AF modes are intended for video (which I never do). Here is a guide FUJIFILM wrote about the X-Pro 2 AF system. Most, if not all of this information is relevant to the X-100F.

I use the OVF ~90% of the time. Whenever possible, I focus the camera as I focused optical RF film cameras (focus and recompose). I mostly use the M AF mode and invoke focusing manually with the AFL button. The fly-by-wire lens collar focusing is now a practical option. I also use the Electronic Rangefinder window to conform focus. I prefer the red focus highlighting to the split-screen simulation.

Occasionally I use AFS mode with a shutter half-press. I never use AFC because it wastes battery life. I never use PRE-AF for the same reason. Both modes continually adjust AF no matter what you do.

Face detection works well and can be useful when one person is in the frame or when multiple people are within the intended plane of focus. It is quick and focus is easy to confirm using the ERF. For posed portraits, the Face Detection Eye mode is worth a try. Note, face detection does not use any of the phase-detection focus points which could affect focus performance.

Always use the mechanical shutter. In ES mode the camera can not focus in between shots.

Always use High Performance Mode: ON. (Power Management Settings). Otherwise AF performance will be compromised.

Make sure the Zone AF box is large enough to covers all the phase detection pixels. With single point AF make sure AF-box is set to maximum.
 
A week (and many photos) later I've settled on MF with the rear command dial to AEL/AFL as it falls easier under my thumb (I configured the AEL/AFL button to flash settings). I set the focus area to the second smallest size, as it doesn't appear to change in the OVF no matter what you set it to, and this size seems to match OVF and EVF well (I figure at this setting the OVF is showing the best approximation to the actual focus area).

When I hand the camera to someone else, I flick it to AF-S, set up with a zone area and face detect (mostly I hand the camera to someone else to take a photo that includes people - mostly me, and is relatively posed and static, so face detect makes sense).

Other settings I've settled on (for now):
  • View mode: VF only (keeps me from menu diving and a bit more focused on shooting)
  • Front button (in the OVF-EVF switch): Film simulation - switch between Classic Chrome and Arcos
  • Front dial: Nothing. It's too sensitive to have set to ISO, and I use the exposure compensation dial for exposure compensation.
  • Fn button: ISO Auto settings. I use Auto ISO (the manual dial is too hard in practice - it would be more convenient to me if it only had full stops rather than thirds, with thirds it takes more than one movement to make and meaningful change (more than a stop). The shutter only has full stops.
  • AEL/AFL: Flash. I use the rear command dial for AEL/AFL.
  • Four way pad: The three customisable buttons are set to ND filter, self timer, and AE mode (photometry). The forth fixed to drive mode. I use these the least out of this list, and lock the buttons to avoid constantly entering the Q menu (I wish I could disable the Q button). I can still access the other buttons custom buttons when the lock is activated.
  • Focus ring in AF: Nothing (MF after autofocus acquisition)

Anyway, I'll see if things change as I use the camera more and more.

Thanks again William, a great jumping off point.
 
Michael,

My pleasure.

By the way. I had to remove the ND filter from all FN buttons. My thick, clumsy fingers kept turning it on by accident.
 
With single point AF make sure AF-box is set to maximum.
Click to expand...


Two questions: (1) Why maximum? (2) Can you clear this up: even though it's called "single point," with the box, it's really a group of points. Is that right?
 
roc856 said:
Two questions: (1) Why maximum? (2) Can you clear this up: even though it's called "single point," with the box, it's really a group of points. Is that right?
Click to expand...

I over generalized when I used the word "always". The AF system has many modes and many options to optimize the AF algorithms for the task at hand.

In general the largest focus region in single-point mode increases the odds the AF algorithms will succeed.

A large focus region increases the odds simply because there is more information. The AF algorithms choose the single point closest to the camera to avoid focusing on an unintended region behind the intended region.

However for critical focus in cases where very shallow DOF is desired carefully adjusting the scene position of a smaller focus region could be useful. In this case we don't need more information we just need the most important information (focus object selection) to be accurate.

It turns out eye detection is automated. So, for portraits a small focus region does not necessarily offer an advantage.

As far as I can tell single point means the AF algorithms choose a single AF point from a group of points in the focus region to set focus.

From the X100F manual:

SINGLE POINT

"The camera focuses on the subject in the selected focus point. Use for pin-point focus on a selected subject. The number of focus points available can be selected using AF/MF SETTING > NUMBER OF THE FOCUS POINTS. Use for pin-point focus on a selected subject."

"Choose the number of focus points available for focus-point selection in manual focus mode or when SINGLE POINT is selected for AF MODE.

91 POINTS (7×13)
Choose from 91 focus points arranged in a 7- by 13-point grid.

325 POINTS (13×25)
Choose from 325 focus points arranged in a 13- by 25-point grid."

Note these are the maximum number of point, not the points in the user selected focus region.


In single-point mode one can increase the size of the focus frame

"AF-S + Single Point

For capturing subjects using a specific AF point

A basic AF mode. Set focus using one of the focusing points*1 - ideal for focusing precisely on a subject in a fixed location. The focus area can be one of five different sizes and the location of the focus area can also be changed."

"The Focus Area selection screen displays all points in the Single Point mode or 77 points in the Zone and Wide/Tracking modes. In the 77-point view, Intelligent Hybrid AF using the high-speed phase detection AF system is activated for the zones at the center larger rectangles, where the phase detection pixels are embedded. The position of the focus area, the size of the AF frame and the starting point of focus tracking in AF-C can be adjusted in applicable AF modes."

"The Single Point AF area is divided into smaller sections to accurately determine the distance to the subject for even greater focusing precision. When the selected section contains both subject and background, the AF system focuses on the subject nearer the camera, to prevent accidentally focusing on the background."


"AF-S + Single Point (focus area selected)

Choose any one of focus areas[1], and change to the best one for the subject's position. The focus area can be changed to one of five different sizes, according to the size of the subject."


Spot-focusing on subjects moving backwards and forwards in a straight line
This spot-focus AF-C mode is capable of focusing on a specific area, enabling you to choose both location and size of the point within the focus area

1. The types of scenes where this mode may be used is limited, but it is ideal when pin-point focusing is required."

and

For manual focus mode (M switch on the camera body is selected) -"Focus-area selection can also be used to choose the focus point for manual focus and focus zoom."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom