G1 Manual Focusing- First Impressions
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This is pretty weird, I can't seem to duplicate this, with similar light level. Focus is easy. Am I missing something?
gdi
Veteran
So when you turn on Focus Assist, you see no dimming of the image? Or are you saying you can focus fine without needing to use Assist?
If its the later, I can focus the lens, but using the RF is a lot easier...
OK I re-read your post and followed each step. I have duplicated what you are talking about.
I think this is a case of the focus assist (in effect a digital zoom) showing only a very small subset of the entire frame, without much light to work with; the EVF has no more ability to 'gain up.' At 45mm, the kit lens is very slow, f/5.6.
To confirm my suspicions, I put on a 45/2.8 adapted lens and repeated the test; with the adapted lens at f/5.6, the focus assist image was exactly the same level of brightness (darkness) as the kit lens.
I turned the aperture to f/2.8, and it brightened right up (2 stops is 4x brighter of course), easy to focus even at maximum focus assist magnification.
Do the same test, turn on maximum focus assist magnification, and zoom out to 14mm, the lens opens up to f/3.5 and is quite a bit brighter.
I think this is a case of the focus assist (in effect a digital zoom) showing only a very small subset of the entire frame, without much light to work with; the EVF has no more ability to 'gain up.' At 45mm, the kit lens is very slow, f/5.6.
To confirm my suspicions, I put on a 45/2.8 adapted lens and repeated the test; with the adapted lens at f/5.6, the focus assist image was exactly the same level of brightness (darkness) as the kit lens.
I turned the aperture to f/2.8, and it brightened right up (2 stops is 4x brighter of course), easy to focus even at maximum focus assist magnification.
Do the same test, turn on maximum focus assist magnification, and zoom out to 14mm, the lens opens up to f/3.5 and is quite a bit brighter.
I then put on a 50/1.4 adapted lens. The metered scene was ISO 200, f/1.4 at 1/8 (which equates exactly to f/1.0 at 1/15.)
What's really cool, is I look at the scene by eye, and then look thru the EVF, and it's FAR brighter thru the viewfinder than it is looking directly! I have to stop down the lens to f/4 for the EVF to match the real-world brightness.
There is no possible way any optical viewfinder can 'brighten' the view greater than the ambient light level.
Not many Leica lenses are f/5.6. 🙂 Try the G1 with a fast adapted lens and you'll see exactly how good the G1 is with low-light focusing.
What's really cool, is I look at the scene by eye, and then look thru the EVF, and it's FAR brighter thru the viewfinder than it is looking directly! I have to stop down the lens to f/4 for the EVF to match the real-world brightness.
There is no possible way any optical viewfinder can 'brighten' the view greater than the ambient light level.
Not many Leica lenses are f/5.6. 🙂 Try the G1 with a fast adapted lens and you'll see exactly how good the G1 is with low-light focusing.
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gdi
Veteran
That helps Robert, thanks. Of course I won't be shooting at 5.6 in that light.
I think it is just a limitation of the EVF Assist that it loses a significant amount of light during the zooming. It may be perfectly acceptable to use with fast lenses, though - I guess I'll find out when I get a adapter. In general though I think I will skip Assist wherever possible.
I see you point about the brightness versus the optical finder - at some point a greater aperture and EVF should bypass the brightness of the M finder. It will be interesting to see where that point is, and how much noise complicates focusing.
I think it is just a limitation of the EVF Assist that it loses a significant amount of light during the zooming. It may be perfectly acceptable to use with fast lenses, though - I guess I'll find out when I get a adapter. In general though I think I will skip Assist wherever possible.
I see you point about the brightness versus the optical finder - at some point a greater aperture and EVF should bypass the brightness of the M finder. It will be interesting to see where that point is, and how much noise complicates focusing.
dng88
Dennis
It seems vintage has said the same thing as I have said but in a better way and you can understand it.
Still, for this thread sake, I think one must also take care of the issue that the EVF in low light has two more issues in low light: what you see is too bright and the real picture is not that bright and because the histogram/exposure indicator does not give you any hint, you have to guess. We do guess (or visualization) using film camera but because you actually see it before and after, it is very distraction to your mind and hence I would stay away low light not because of your raised issue but because of other issues. Also, the jigging of the picture (like a bad video record for beginner DV camera user) is another distraction.
Anyway, probably need vintage to re-state these if he is interested but if not, just left this as my statement. In brief, you can use it with limitation with M/LTM lens in low light.
Still, for this thread sake, I think one must also take care of the issue that the EVF in low light has two more issues in low light: what you see is too bright and the real picture is not that bright and because the histogram/exposure indicator does not give you any hint, you have to guess. We do guess (or visualization) using film camera but because you actually see it before and after, it is very distraction to your mind and hence I would stay away low light not because of your raised issue but because of other issues. Also, the jigging of the picture (like a bad video record for beginner DV camera user) is another distraction.
Anyway, probably need vintage to re-state these if he is interested but if not, just left this as my statement. In brief, you can use it with limitation with M/LTM lens in low light.
Yes, it's not only perfectly acceptable, it's is preferable. 🙂 It must be said that with light that low (ISO 200, f/1.0 and f/15) shooting with the kit lens would require a tripod (or flash.)
Using the G1, the viewfinder in effect gives your eye a larger aperture, brightening the image considerably. In my test, it was 8 times brighter.
The viewfinder is the viewfinder, it's not an exposure previewer. Use the metering as a guide as well as the histogram, and look at the shot before you take it, use your eye. Look at the shot after. Experience will be your guide. 😉
Using the G1, the viewfinder in effect gives your eye a larger aperture, brightening the image considerably. In my test, it was 8 times brighter.
The viewfinder is the viewfinder, it's not an exposure previewer. Use the metering as a guide as well as the histogram, and look at the shot before you take it, use your eye. Look at the shot after. Experience will be your guide. 😉
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