Split window focus

Fuji's new gadget.  Digital split screen focus using phase detect.

I played the little video over and over again and failed to see why it might be quicker or more effective when used to manual focus than contrast detect focus peaking.  Maybe auto-focus phase detect might be lightning fast but any manual focus relies on humans twiddling a lens to focus it. Furthermore I am supposing it only works on the centre of the screen - you have to point the camera directly at he object you wish to focus.  Contrast detect focus peaking shows points in focus over the entire screen area and also can show the dof actually in focus if the photographer pays attention.

So contrast detect or phase detect hardly matters if you are doing manual focus anyway.

Handy if you have a choice I suppose.

Somewhere in my memory banks I seem to recollect that phase detect was lightning quick but not so accurate as the slower contrast detect auto-focus method.  Therefore most developed camera systems used a hybrid version: phase detect to get close and contrast detect to finesse the focus with the least amount of lens churning = good.

So if a Fuji user uses phase detect focus in his split window does this mean that his focusing is not as accurate or does the Fuji switch to contrast detect once he gets "close"?

Not bashing Fuji Ratty, just curious.

It seems that Fuji are making great cameras at the moment but they simply cannot resist adding some "new technology" just because they can offer some new wonderment whether it is really practical or not.  Now phase detect on the chip backed up by contrast detect finessing must be very useful for auto-focus considerations.

Wouldn't it be simpler just to flick on a light or light up focus squares as many dslr cameras already do when focus is achieved manually?

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Tom Caldwell