Lets talk about AF speed
Posted 18/02/2010 - 12:52
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I'm using IE8 too - hence I'm seeing the same as bforbes. Never mind - no such problems with page 2
Joining the Q
Posted 18/02/2010 - 13:49
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Using IE 8 it helps to click the Compatibility button (next to the address field...)
Best regards
Terry
K20D, Optio I10, DA 18-55 1:3.5-5.6 AL II, A 1:1.7/50, D FA 1:2.8/100 Macro, Sigma 70-300 1:4-5.6 APO DG Macro, Pentax AF 360FGZ
Terry
K20D, Optio I10, DA 18-55 1:3.5-5.6 AL II, A 1:1.7/50, D FA 1:2.8/100 Macro, Sigma 70-300 1:4-5.6 APO DG Macro, Pentax AF 360FGZ
Posted 18/02/2010 - 14:01
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nathanever82 wrote:
So many threads about this... and how lame Pentax is...
K7-DA*200mm - ISO100 - f4.5 - 1/320
In flight, panning, then composed 3 shots. The middle one is fractionally less sharp then the other 2, but in general, at this distance, and in difficult light (shooting against the sun), the K7 tracked the bird amazingly i think.
[IMG]http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u332/nathanever82/Inflight.jpg[/IMG]
Strange for me showing a picture and declaring that a camera/system is slow/fast, good/bad, small/big…etc. Pentax’s AF itself is not slow or fast, if it fits to your requirement it is good for you, and that’s all. Of course you can comapare it to X or Y and you will realize which one is faster or slower. (Btw these kind of shots does not need fast AF. If the bird flies towards to you, that needs fast AF.)
So many threads about this... and how lame Pentax is...
K7-DA*200mm - ISO100 - f4.5 - 1/320
In flight, panning, then composed 3 shots. The middle one is fractionally less sharp then the other 2, but in general, at this distance, and in difficult light (shooting against the sun), the K7 tracked the bird amazingly i think.
[IMG]http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u332/nathanever82/Inflight.jpg[/IMG]
Posted 18/02/2010 - 14:25
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I did a local marathon a while back and took the K10D and DA* 60-250mm and have to say the AF was absolutely terrible. The K10D just could not focus on any of the runners coming towards me. On the other hand I get a reasonable amount of keepers on anything going past but I normally use the Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 for that sort of thing because the 60-250mm is positivly glacial in its AF speed. I took the same camera and DA* 50-135mm to my sons at the weekend to photograph their new Husky pup .. again the AF was unuseable (light was rubbish) and I ended up using manual focus.
Such lovely lenses but so hampered by the speed of their AF motor (as are all of the DA* lenses that I own).
It's such a shame to me because I think the actual Pentax image quality is a notch above the crop Canon and Nikon cameras.
Such lovely lenses but so hampered by the speed of their AF motor (as are all of the DA* lenses that I own).
It's such a shame to me because I think the actual Pentax image quality is a notch above the crop Canon and Nikon cameras.
Posted 18/02/2010 - 16:04
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Mike-P:
"It's such a shame to me because I think the actual Pentax image quality is a notch above the crop Canon and Nikon cameras."
Exactly.
"It's such a shame to me because I think the actual Pentax image quality is a notch above the crop Canon and Nikon cameras."
Exactly.
Posted 18/02/2010 - 19:10
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aminstar wrote:
You don't mention how long ago you saw those examples Pete, but there have been quite a few advances in technology recently and I have seen some stunning shots captured of extremely fast subjects running towards the camera and also in very difficult conditions. Mike-P has mentioned one for example, of the dog running towards the camera which I would assume is faster than the boy running towards the camera.
There is a persistence in misunderstanding the real issue when we debate about fast AF, and the moment the subject is touched its immediately covered under a general blanket that a)we are talking down Pentax, and b)people are saying other brands are better. This is not the case exactly. All we are saying is that why are SDM (DA*60-250 a very good example) so sluggish on the Pentax bodies to the point of being so annoying. I have handled the DA*300 also and it was slow too. Fantastic piece of glass but painstakingly slow. Some of the arguments put forward such as its to increase reliability of focusing because speed would ruin it simply doesn't hold water.
Nathan, great shots by the way
I cannot recall the specific models involved or even the magazine title for that matter which is why i did`nt include it. (I`m pretty sure that the Nikon was the D2 so that may help date it.The magazine was either the BJP or Professional Photographer) The point that i was trying to make was that there are so many variables involved as to make a definitive comparison extremely difficult. It is only since buying the K7 that i have used AF at all even then i use it with caution! I prefer "catch in focus" for moving subjects which cuts out the need for focusing speed altogether.PeteL wrote:
I recall a comparison in a pro camera mag between a full frame Canon and Nikon, the subject was a boy running towards the Camera. They took 100 shots with each Camera, The Canon had 18 perfectly pin sharp images the Nikon none!
Regards - Pete
What model Nikon and Canon were the cameras Pete?I recall a comparison in a pro camera mag between a full frame Canon and Nikon, the subject was a boy running towards the Camera. They took 100 shots with each Camera, The Canon had 18 perfectly pin sharp images the Nikon none!
Regards - Pete
You don't mention how long ago you saw those examples Pete, but there have been quite a few advances in technology recently and I have seen some stunning shots captured of extremely fast subjects running towards the camera and also in very difficult conditions. Mike-P has mentioned one for example, of the dog running towards the camera which I would assume is faster than the boy running towards the camera.
There is a persistence in misunderstanding the real issue when we debate about fast AF, and the moment the subject is touched its immediately covered under a general blanket that a)we are talking down Pentax, and b)people are saying other brands are better. This is not the case exactly. All we are saying is that why are SDM (DA*60-250 a very good example) so sluggish on the Pentax bodies to the point of being so annoying. I have handled the DA*300 also and it was slow too. Fantastic piece of glass but painstakingly slow. Some of the arguments put forward such as its to increase reliability of focusing because speed would ruin it simply doesn't hold water.
Nathan, great shots by the way
Regards - Pete
Posted 19/02/2010 - 09:07
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PeteL wrote:
It is only since buying the K7 that i have used AF at all even then i use it with caution! I prefer "catch in focus" for moving subjects which cuts out the need for focusing speed altogether.
Regards - Pete
Catch in focus sounds to be an excellent technique that perhaps I should develop. Haven't really spent any time practising it but most certainly I will.It is only since buying the K7 that i have used AF at all even then i use it with caution! I prefer "catch in focus" for moving subjects which cuts out the need for focusing speed altogether.
Regards - Pete
When it comes to tracking a subject I assume that catch in focus might not be that helpful. I am the official photographer for a local running club and I help train kids in the cross country and track fields and being able to use a fast AF and tracking facility of a camera is really essential. We capture movements of the runner at various stages while running and then analyse the strides, angles, landing of the foot etc from the photographs and help improve their running techniques. Its much more helpful than taking a video because images can be printed in high resolution and put in poster sizes in the club. There has been an amazing improvement since we started doing this.
Amin Photo Gallery
Posted 19/02/2010 - 09:16
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I learned focussing with manual lenses and manual cameras Didn't have a problem then, and don't have one now!
BUT, I set my dSLR like this (as I've often said before):
* Disable AF on half-press (this is essential IMHO)
* Centre focus point only
* To focus, I press the "AF" button on the back
This setup gives me the benefits of manual focus (i.e. I'm not hampered by hunting AF - which all cameras do - but possibly in different circumstances), with the advantages of AF (because my eyes aren't what they were!).
This approach gives me the ability to focus in almost pitch black gig & concert conditions - because I can point the camera at something that definitely has contrast, hit the AF button to focus, then fire away knowing the focus won't have changed that much.
Works like 'catch focus' as well - you AF on the spot you expect the subject to get to, then hit the shutter when they get there. There's no delay on the shutter because the camera isn't AF-hunting
That's all I've got to say on the subject
Matt
BUT, I set my dSLR like this (as I've often said before):
* Disable AF on half-press (this is essential IMHO)
* Centre focus point only
* To focus, I press the "AF" button on the back
This setup gives me the benefits of manual focus (i.e. I'm not hampered by hunting AF - which all cameras do - but possibly in different circumstances), with the advantages of AF (because my eyes aren't what they were!).
This approach gives me the ability to focus in almost pitch black gig & concert conditions - because I can point the camera at something that definitely has contrast, hit the AF button to focus, then fire away knowing the focus won't have changed that much.
Works like 'catch focus' as well - you AF on the spot you expect the subject to get to, then hit the shutter when they get there. There's no delay on the shutter because the camera isn't AF-hunting
That's all I've got to say on the subject
Matt
http://www.mattmatic.co.uk
(For gallery, tips and links)
(For gallery, tips and links)
Posted 19/02/2010 - 09:40
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terje-l wrote:
Using IE 8 it helps to click the Compatibility button (next to the address field...)
Never knew what that was for.Using IE 8 it helps to click the Compatibility button (next to the address field...)
Thanks for pointing that out Terry, page looks fine now.
If you can't say something nice about Pentax, you won't say anything at all.
Apparently.
Apparently.
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10412 posts
18 years
Dordrecht,
the Netherlands
What browser do you use?
Opera renders the site perfectly, don't know about the rest.
Safari and Opera have the best support for standards and also Firefox and Google Chrome work with all the current ones but might have some problems with the very new codes but you don't see those yet and by the time you see them more the support would be there.
Really though, you would do web builders a favor by not using IE
K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ