Pentax K-5 Autofocus System

Smeggypants wrote:
Glad I clicked that link


I've been thinking about rigging up something where I can quickly switch a lens between two ( or more ) preset focal distances.

I've been getting into 'Drive By Shooting' by putting the camera on an in car mount and shooting with a remote button. It's difficult in most lights to get enough DOF to cover all likely subjects as I need a fast shutter speed while driving to avoid motion blur, os in order to keep apertures reasonably small and ISOs less than 2048000000, it would be good to tweak focus.

My plan was to rig something up like a collar with a stick clamped the focus barrel on the lens and then have tow end stops ( screw threa adjsutable )

This means I could twist the lens without looking at it while driving and would be no less safe than changing gear.

Those gear collars on the site look like they could be modified ...

http://store.redrockmicro.com/Catalog/DSLR-microFollowFocus/microLensGearSizeA







Unless someone knows of a device purpose built for my needs?

gartmore wrote:
Would it not be a lot easier, and a great deal safer, to have someone else do the driving?

Algernon wrote:
Some Kiron Zooms have a Zoomlock and stops to limit the focus
between two points.

Smeggypants wrote:
Well a car has many controls and pressing a remote shutter button or moving a lever isn't going to be any less safe than changing gear, using indicators, switching wipers/heating, etc,etc

awaldram wrote:
I think the courts would see it differently if you killed someone whilst adjusting a camera.
I would imagine " causing death by dangerous driving (upto 14 years) " at a mimimum and more likley "motor manslaughter (upto life) " charges would be coming your way.

The test for dangerous is "did the driving fall far below the standard of the competent and careful driver" you'd have a hard time convincing anyone that adjusting a camera was carefull driving.

Sean282 wrote:
Would have to say though smeggy as a fairly new photographer (can I call myself that ) I have found myself very easily distracted at times (sunrise sunset snow etc) now I'm looking at the world with a photographers eye. I've had to catch myself on a few times when I checked myself.
I would think it impossible to maintain primary focus on the job at hand (i.e driving carefully) and try to shoot photographs at the same time.

The only safe solution is to win the lottery and get yourself a chauffeur.....sell a few of those lens for bad money and start buying those tickets

cardiff_gareth wrote:
Just seen this thread. As a fully qualified driving instructor I can tell you that if you use the above and you are caught it will be a straight £60 fine and 3 points on the licence. No matter what it is, if it causes a distraction and makes you move your hands away from the steering wheel or make you change your line of sight away from the road then it'll be a fine and points and no judge or jury will be in your favour. You can argue that controls on the car mean moving your line of sight or hands but ancillary controls are for making you safer for yourself and other road users and normally are attached to the car near the steering coloum as to minimise hand movement.
Its against the law in this country whilst driving to use a phone, eat, drink, read paper/map, use that contraption above!
Eating and drinking and playing with the radio is down to the police discression.

Now, if you were to use a wireless remote that was attached to the steering wheel and didn't touch the camera/lens/above thing then that would be ok.

cardiff_gareth wrote:
Just seen this thread. As a fully qualified driving instructor I can tell you that if you use the above and you are caught it will be a straight £60 fine and 3 points on the licence. No matter what it is, if it causes a distraction and makes you move your hands away from the steering wheel or make you change your line of sight away from the road then it'll be a fine and points and no judge or jury will be in your favour. You can argue that controls on the car mean moving your line of sight or hands but ancillary controls are for making you safer for yourself and other road users and normally are attached to the car near the steering coloum as to minimise hand movement.
Its against the law in this country whilst driving to use a phone, eat, drink, read paper/map, use that contraption above!
Eating and drinking and playing with the radio is down to the police discression.

Now, if you were to use a wireless remote that was attached to the steering wheel and didn't touch the camera/lens/above thing then that would be ok.

cardiff_gareth wrote:
What about if you selected a small aperture, manual focus at preset range and hyper focus? Use, is it the TaV mode? You set a fast shutter speed to get rid of any blur, a small aperture to maximise DOF and just let the camera set the ISO to match? At least with the K5 if it selects a uber high ISO you know its gonna be fine.

As Don says, by attaching the wireless remote to the steering wheel it means your thumb presses the remote, both hands remain on the wheel, eyes remain focused on the road ahead/any potential developing hazards and its legal then

I'm waiting for someone to say 'I don't have a wireless remote so tried it with a wired remote and it all came unstuck as I tried steering around a corner.....'
Not only is that dangerous and illegal but highly stupid albiet funny

Don wrote:
not as funny or dangerous as mounting it to the centre of the steering wheel, which would put it over the airbag... I can just see the confusion it would cause to the Ambulance attendants... "He seems to have a foreign object embedded deep inside his chest cavity.... every time we do a cpr chest compression, the flash on his camera goes off!"