Mju I (Stylus Infinity) ability to nail focus in portrait orientation.

[John Bragg]

I have the Stylus Infinity (MJU I) and I've only had one focus problem and that was 20 years ago (or more). I was in a fog forest in Costa Rica and fog 'fooled' the AF system. So watch fog. Generally, my Infinity has been great: AF dead on, and fill flash the same:

From my first roll of TMY-about 1997-8 by John Carter, on Flickr

Hi John. Glad you looked in on this thread. How do you hold yours for portrait mode ?

 

[charjohncarter]

Hi John. Glad you looked in on this thread. How do you hold yours for portrait mode ?

I forget, I'll have to try it, and get back to you.

EDIT:
The tips of my fingers of both hands hold the camera, I use my right hand index finger to press the shutter release.

 

[John Bragg]

I forget, I'll have to try it, and get back to you.

EDIT:
The tips of my fingers of both hands hold the camera, I use my right hand index finger to press the shutter release.

Thanks John.

 

[charjohncarter]

Thanks John.

You are right though and I will check tomorrow. On all my other cameras with AF I use the spot AF and then half close the shutter to freeze the AF point. Then I can move where ever for composition. That may not be a possibility with the MJU 1, but I'll get back to you. I really don't like AF but now that I have to have glasses to read my thermostat I'm forced to use them. If it is a composed static subject I love a slit screen focus or better yet a true rangefinder. But sometimes you have to rely on AF if you are on the run.

 

[John Bragg]

You are right though and I will check tomorrow. On all my other cameras with AF I use the spot AF and then half close the shutter to freeze the AF point. Then I can move where ever for composition. That may not be a possibility with the MJU 1, but I'll get back to you. I really don't like AF but now that I have to have glasses to read my thermostat I'm forced to use them. If it is a composed static subject I love a slit screen focus or better yet a true rangefinder. But sometimes you have to rely on AF if you are on the run.

Mju I allows focus lock and exposure lock. Just looking at my last film on light box, and there is only one failure to focus, and that is in landscape mode. I seem to recall it was shot in haste so af didn't have a chance to lock on. Also got 38 exposures on that roll of HP5+ so net gain +1 frame ��

Here is a link to manual in pdf form

https://mega.nz/file/xFlFnARb#RMQsDfVZNg_Pf_yGh8vX-Tb2bln1NQ0W-NCrHaVYRQ4

 

[Jeremy Z]

Good morning Michael. I prefer the ergonomics of the Mju I but this has been a niggle for a while. (compared to mju II)

The mju I was the last design that Yoshihisa Maitani was on. It's another masterpiece design, in my opinion. Despite being so small, it is still ergonomic. (not really the case with the XA, in my opinion) The mju II was designed after Maitani had retired.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshihisa_Maitani

This may actually be the problem the author of this thread is facing. I've found a number of manuals that do not recommend holding the camera overhand for portrait mode, some stating the metering/AF systems won't work properly.

Underhand is the way to go.

Worth noting is that underhand is the way to go, but one has to be careful not to push the clamshell due to gravity, as it will shut off the camera and you mightn't notice until you press the button and nothing happens, missing the moment. It's a two-handed operation to avoid this. Once you get used to it, it's fine.

I like the overhand method with manual focus cameras. Also worth noting (but doesn't apply to the mju) is that most P&S cameras have the flash on the left side, so if it is shot overhand, the flash will be on the bottom, resulting in bad shadows for flash shots. P&S should almost ALL be shot underhand vertical for this reason. Just develop the habit.

Interestingly enough, one of the camera manuals that specifically say to not hold overhand is the Fuji GA645 series. Quoting the manual for the reasoning:

"Hold the camera with the grip to the bottom.
lf you hold the camera with the grip to the top, a shadow of the lens
hood is cast on part of the AF light sensor under top-light or partial
against-the-light conditions. This can result in range-finding errors"

So sometimes it's less to do with wandering hands and more to do with casting shadows on focusing components.

Interesting!

 

[John Bragg]

The mju I was the last design that Yoshihisa Maitani was on. It's another masterpiece design, in my opinion. Despite being so small, it is still ergonomic. (not really the case with the XA, in my opinion) The mju II was designed after Maitani had retired.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshihisa_Maitani



Worth noting is that underhand is the way to go, but one has to be careful not to push the clamshell due to gravity, as it will shut off the camera and you mightn't notice until you press the button and nothing happens, missing the moment. It's a two-handed operation to avoid this. Once you get used to it, it's fine.

I like the overhand method with manual focus cameras. Also worth noting (but doesn't apply to the mju) is that most P&S cameras have the flash on the left side, so if it is shot overhand, the flash will be on the bottom, resulting in bad shadows for flash shots. P&S should almost ALL be shot underhand vertical for this reason. Just develop the habit.



Interesting!

Great and insightful reply. Thanks Jeremy.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

I tried a Stylus Epic (mju2) but it died in short order.
I gave away the replacement, which later I learned suffered a light leak from new.

OTOH I have two well-used original model Stylus (mju) cameras, both of which are still going strong.

Chris