Hexar sharpness/ focus

[sanmich]

The Hexar AF is as sharp as anything else I know for anything that it's meant to do.
You might see subliminal differences with the best lenses around if you put it on a heavy tripod and shoot lith film of resolution target, but really, who cares.
A bit more seriously, any unsharp picture on the AF should be a sign of a problem, either user or camera related.
I would first check focus calibration (the good old 45 degree ruler)

 

[bensyverson]

all I wanted to know is if you guys could see by the examples I shared if expired film can make your images soft... if thats the case in my example.

When film expires, it doesn't get softer. It usually just loses sensitivity and develops color shifts.

Your examples look plenty sharp to me. What exactly are you expecting?

 

[ferider]

Jamie, this is what the camera should do, wide open, 1/15 or lower:

Roland.

 

[Pherdinand]

obviously the focus was on the part of the image that is...censored. So the rest is unsharp. 😛

 

[ampguy]

It's hard to tell if that photo is in focus, when the point of focus is redacted like that ...

Here's how sharp it should be:

 

[jaimiepeeters]

Jamie, this is what the camera should do, wide open, 1/15 or lower:

Roland.

did you check this example, cus most seem to comment on the first example I posted.

 

[ferider]

I did, Jamie, but assume the DOF on your 2nd photo covers any errors. Shot at least at f5.6 or so, correct ?

Joke aside, the focus in your first shot just might be underneath the black rectangle.

 

[Dante_Stella]

1. Check your understanding of the true focus point at close range. You can use a open doorway to do this. As you move across the wall to the opening, the indicator will jump. Do it from both directions, and you can see where the center is. It is not the center of the crosshairs at 1m or less. If you turned off the corrected AF framelines on your X100, you'd experience a similar problem.

2. Don't make suppositions based on shifting camera position. Depth of field is thin, and you can blow it just by pivoting the camera.

3. If your shutter release needs to be rebuilt, and you pivot off the focusing target, the camera will refocus on whatever is under the crosshairs when you push it all the way down.

The very last thing I would blame is the lens, which wide open performs like a Summicron 35 ASPH - the AF system also automatically compensates for the selected aperture to compensate for focus shift.

The easiest way to get the best results (if you don't want to invest any time in 1-3) is to make sure that the crosshairs are completely subtended by your subject.

Dante

 

[jaimiepeeters]

It looks wrong Jamie.

Do some tests. The AF focusing can be adjusted by the user if you know the un-documented commands to do so. Maybe somebody messed it up. On the other hand, it can be fixed easily.

Resolution-wise the Hexar lens is better in the center than a pre-asph Summicron. But it has some barrel distortion.

Roland.

could you direct me to a tutorial or manual how to do it?

 

[ampguy]

probably more likely in your country

probably more likely in your country

If it's true that smoking weed grows man boobs, then you're probably going to have better luck with your volunteer in your own country 😉

^^ Any nice-looking volunteers here, so I can test if Ron is right?

😀

 

[jaimiepeeters]

1. Check your understanding of the true focus point at close range. You can use a open doorway to do this. As you move across the wall to the opening, the indicator will jump. Do it from both directions, and you can see where the center is. It is not the center of the crosshairs at 1m or less. If you turned off the corrected AF framelines on your X100, you'd experience a similar problem.

2. Don't make suppositions based on shifting camera position. Depth of field is thin, and you can blow it just by pivoting the camera.

3. If your shutter release needs to be rebuilt, and you pivot off the focusing target, the camera will refocus on whatever is under the crosshairs when you push it all the way down.

The very last thing I would blame is the lens, which wide open performs like a Summicron 35 ASPH - the AF system also automatically compensates for the selected aperture to compensate for focus shift.

The easiest way to get the best results (if you don't want to invest any time in 1-3) is to make sure that the crosshairs are completely subtended by your subject.

Dante

I'm REALLY trying to understand what you are explaining here, but I have trouble managing that.

 

[jaimiepeeters]

1. Check your understanding of the true focus point at close range. You can use a open doorway to do this. As you move across the wall to the opening, the indicator will jump. Do it from both directions, and you can see where the center is. It is not the center of the crosshairs at 1m or less. If you turned off the corrected AF framelines on your X100, you'd experience a similar problem.compensates for the selected aperture to compensate for focus shift.

I think I did what you were talking about here. I focussed on the door and slightly focus inch by inch towards the opening of the door. As soon as the centre (crosshair?) was placed on the dooropening, the focussing jumped. So thats good news 🙂

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

obviously the focus was on the part of the image that is...censored. So the rest is unsharp. 😛

+1

I love how people can use one, isolated inconclusive piece of evidence to "prove" whatever they want!

🙂 Well firstly the "prove" wasn't presented by me, and once presented we are free to value it, but I guess you feel different
and secondly and most remarkable you didn't provide any "prove" to the contrary, the latter is at least what we could expect here rather than making remarks about the person that made a contribution

 

[jaimiepeeters]

I did, Jamie, but assume the DOF on your 2nd photo covers any errors. Shot at least at f5.6 or so, correct ?

Joke aside, the focus in your first shot just might be underneath the black rectangle.

the image of the girl leaning over a white chair was shot on P in daylight, but heavily burning sunlight through the window.. I have no idea what the settings were.

the image of the girl standing next to the vase was set to S 1/125 and F 11 using Elinchrom 400 Flash..

 

[Dante_Stella]

Pick a wall with a doorway, about 1m away. Point the crosshairs at the wall to the left of the doorway. Focus. You'll see the distance scale move to 1m. Let go of the button. Move a little closer to the door (i.e., move the crosshairs along the wall). Focus again. You'll see the same thing. Repeat. There will be a point at which doing this test, you will see the indicator jump a lot. That may be when the center of the crosshairs is on the wall or pointed into the open doorway. From that (and you have to repeat from the right of the door), you can divine where the left and right boundaries of the focusing zone are at very close range. It is parralax error.

To test the shutter release integrity, focus on the wall, move the crosshairs into the door opening (while holding the button in the "lock position", and then press down. If the indicator jumps closer to ∞ before the shot, then your shutter release is malfunctioning. It helps to try this in silent mode because the camera will retain the final focusing distance as long as you hold the release down.

Dante

I think I did what you were talking about here. I focussed on the door and slightly focus inch by inch towards the opening of the door. As soon as the centre (crosshair?) was placed on the dooropening, the focussing jumped. So thats good news 🙂

 

[jaimiepeeters]

Pick a wall with a doorway, about 1m away. Point the crosshairs at the wall to the left of the doorway. Focus. You'll see the distance scale move to 1m. Let go of the button. Move a little closer to the door (i.e., move the crosshairs along the wall). Focus again. You'll see the same thing. Repeat. There will be a point at which doing this test, you will see the indicator jump a lot. That may be when the center of the crosshairs is on the wall or pointed into the open doorway. From that (and you have to repeat from the right of the door), you can divine where the left and right boundaries of the focusing zone are at very close range. It is parralax error.

I notice by testing this that when I travel from right (wall) to left (dooropening) the crosshair has already gone into the 'dooropening area' and still it focussed on the wall for about 20% of the crosshair/midfield area.

When traveling from left (wall) to right (dooropening) it was tack sharp on the focus point. As soon as the crosshair reached the dooropening, it jumped.

edit:

tested the releasebutton and it's working fine. Nothing jumps after fully pressing the shutter release button.

 

[Paul T.]

+1


🙂 Well firstly the "prove" wasn't presented by me, and once presented we are free to value it, but I guess you feel different
and secondly and most remarkable you didn't provide any "prove" to the contrary, the latter is at least what we could expect here rather than making remarks about the person that made a contribution

I am not suggesting, say, the Hexar is sharper than the Summicon - it may not be, altho I find the Hexar easily sharp enough for me, perhaps more so than some of the Summicrons I own. But that link isn't proof. That's all.

to the OP, i doubt mis-focusing, as nothing in the frame is sharp, with the possible exception of the black fabric under her left arm.

It's definitely worth familarising yourself with the Hexar - watch the distance indicator, which although crude is very useful, it does help to verify the camera is focusing on what you think it is.

 

[jaimiepeeters]

It looks wrong Jamie.

Do some tests. The AF focusing can be adjusted by the user if you know the un-documented commands to do so. Maybe somebody messed it up. On the other hand, it can be fixed easily.

Resolution-wise the Hexar lens is better in the center than a pre-asph Summicron. But it has some barrel distortion.

Roland.

Perhaps you missed my request for explanation on how to do this?

 

[ferider]

Perhaps you missed my request for explanation on how to do this?

Here goes, Jamie: http://ferider.smugmug.com/Technical/Other-Technicalities/Hexar-AF-Collimation/7482995_XVRfGW

Best,

Roland.