Why not enable "catch-in" for every lens?

[SRT201]

Catch-in focus seems like such a great feature yet while I have it on my K-x and K-5 I have never had a lens that would allow me to use it. :-(

Why wouldn't Pentax just enable the feature for use in manual focus mode?

Then simply putting the camera into manual focus and enabling catch-in would allow any lens to benefit from this unique feature.

I understand it's main purpose is to provide a pseudo-AF for manual focus lenses, but it would be a great feature for any lens IMO.

Am I missing something here?

--

Any government that has the power to correct any injustice and level any inequality also has the power to do ANYTHING it wants.

 

[Gerry Winterbourne]

Catch-in focus seems like such a great feature yet while I have it on my K-x and K-5 I have never had a lens that would allow me to use it. :-(
Why wouldn't Pentax just enable the feature for use in manual focus mode?

They do.

Am I missing something here?

Yes. Catch in focus works in AF-S from MF lenses. Manual p134, custom menu C4 item 25.

--
---

Gerry


First camera 1953, first Pentax 1985, first DSLR 2006
http://www.pbase.com/gerrywinterbourne

 

[SRT201]

I understand the feature works with manual focus lenses, but it seems it could be useful for any lens in manual focus mode. Set your focus distance and wait until something gets there. Why limit that to only certain lenses?

In any case... I just picked up an SMC Pentax-M f/1.7 50mm on the Bay to see what all this catch-in stuff is about.

--

Any government that has the power to correct any injustice and level any inequality also has the power to do ANYTHING it wants.

 

[JohnBee]

There is a need some of the pins on the camera mount to be shorted in order for CIF to work. Many people using M42 lenses with adapters will find CIF not working due to this. There are ways around it, but the simplest method would likely be to use a flange style adapter(stainless) rather than the classic M42 collar type. Which would in turn, short the pins and enable CIF in the process. The downside(of course) is that you loose infinity focus in the process. I shoot quite a bit with manual lenses and find myself using CIF quite often as a result of that. And since I use it mostly with snapshots and candid type stuff, I rarely need infinity focus and so its rarely an issue in such cases for me.

PS. don't forget to set your camera on AF-S as Gerry mentioned. Alot of people overlook that little setting and find CIF isn't working as it should.

Hope this helps.

 

[SRT201]

Thanks for the tips john. I will give it a try when the 50M 1.7 arrives.

I STILL say it's such a cool feature Pentax should just enable it for all lenses including modern AF lenses.

--

Any government that has the power to correct any injustice and level any inequality also has the power to do ANYTHING it wants.

 

[brandrx]

You can use catch-in-focus (focus trap) with any manual focus lens or with any Pentax lens that has an AF/MF switch on the lens. Also, can be used with some non-Pentax lenses that have the AF/MF switch on the lens.

Aluminum foil:

• (1) Some T-mount lenses will require that you remove the black paint from the rear of the T-mount adapter, else just short the data pin with a peice of aluminum folil. The data pin is the very bottom pin as you look into the camera.

• (2) Some M42 lens are not big enough in daimeter to short the data pin and will require the use of aluminum foil to short the data pin.

• (3) You also need to short the data pin if you use lenses, as in (1) and (2) above, with the Pentax-F 1.7X AF Adapter.

You can also use any autofocusing lens, that doesn't have the AF/MF switch on the lens, to do CIF by shorting the data pin with aluminum foil. You will also need to press the lens lco button when using these autofocusing lenses in order to be able to manual focus when in the AF-S setting.

There are times that you might want to be able to take the shot when the center focusing point of the frame is out of focus, or all of the frame is out of focus. If CIF was set for the MF setting (not MF mode) of the camera then this wouldn't be possible.

Cheers.

Ron

--
Ron - 'We don't have time to go take pics this afternoon Carl.'
Carl - 'What do you mean? It will only take 1/1000s.'

'Keep your eyes looking forward. However, glance back now and then to see where you've come from. It will put a smile on your face.' ~ brandrx

 

[math guy]

Am I missing something here?

CiF uses the camera's auto-focus trigger (shutter release and/or AF button). The only way the camera knows to use CiF is when the auto-focus trigger is activated with a lens in MF mode (or simply a MF lens). A lens in AF mode will (naturally) auto-focus in that situation.

In theory it is possible to do what you ask, but the camera would need to have a different way to signal the use of CiF.

EDIT:

On second thought, it seems like the camera could have been designed so that turning on CiF would deactivate the natural use of the AF trigger regardless of the lens. So if CiF is set to "on", then there is no auto-focusing possible; and to get it back, just turn CiF to "off."

--
-- Joe S.

"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." ~ Sir Winston Churchill

http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/josephschmitt

 

[brandrx]

Here are some links that might be of interest to some folks.

Pentax K7, IR Remote, Catch-in-focus

• http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=36076983

Catch-in-focusing using Remote Control F - (Catch-in focus (focus trapping) using Remote Control F on the Pentax K-m, Pentax K2000, and Pentax K-x.)

• http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=35204466

Using Sig 500/4.5 to catch-in-focus HB's.

• http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=38049654

Cheers.

Ron

--
Ron - 'We don't have time to go take pics this afternoon Carl.'
Carl - 'What do you mean? It will only take 1/1000s.'

'Keep your eyes looking forward. However, glance back now and then to see where you've come from. It will put a smile on your face.' ~ brandrx

 

[SRT201]

Thanks for the extra info.

--

Any government that has the power to correct any injustice and level any inequality also has the power to do ANYTHING it wants.

 

[SRT201]

Yeah okay, I realize that the AF-S setting is the limiting factor as things are currently designed. You can't exactly use an AF lens for manual focus when the AF switch is in AF-S (unless it's one of those nice one's with a switch on the lens).



--

Any government that has the power to correct any injustice and level any inequality also has the power to do ANYTHING it wants.

 

[snake_b]

Ahh, so that's why it didn't work when I tried to MF my FA35.

Catch-in focus seems like such a great feature yet while I have it on my K-x and K-5 I have never had a lens that would allow me to use it. :-(

Why wouldn't Pentax just enable the feature for use in manual focus mode?

Then simply putting the camera into manual focus and enabling catch-in would allow any lens to benefit from this unique feature.

I understand it's main purpose is to provide a pseudo-AF for manual focus lenses, but it would be a great feature for any lens IMO.

Am I missing something here?

--

Any government that has the power to correct any injustice and level any inequality also has the power to do ANYTHING it wants.

 

[xmeda]

YOU CAN USE IT WITH ANY LENS. JUST SET AF-S, THEN USE YOUR FINGER TO PUSH DOWN THE LENS-RELEASE BUTTON AND.. YEEEAH! THE FEATURE IS HERE!

Ok, camera motor rotates wildly, but you just use your hand do focus. When camera detects focused image, it starts shooting.

SIMPLE.

And on K-5 remember to set AF priority to LOCKED focus otherwise it takes pictures even without being focused.

--

 

[SRT201]

Sounds a little iffy... No danger of damage?
--

Any government that has the power to correct any injustice and level any inequality also has the power to do ANYTHING it wants.

 

[snake_b]

I guess I figured out the sort of focus peaking. Since I'm new to my K-5, please tell me if I'm doing it wrong or the hard way-

Lens (an FA35) set to MF on the body. Catch In Focus is set to "ON". I half-press the shutter button and hold while turning the focus ring until the center point lights, then I full press the shutter.

I thought the catch in would take over and shoot on its own.

Regardless, I figured out this focus peaking and it is stunningly accurate, enough to make me consider a 70-90 fast prime that's MF.

 

[SRT201]

As an "expert" who has spent a few hours messing around with catch-in since yesterday...

... you are doing it wrong. The secret is set the camera for AF-S. The helpful guys here made that clear before I had to ask.

Then put the lens out of focus, hold the shutter release fully down, and slowly turn the focus ring toward focus. The shutter will fire automatically when focus is achieved.

--

Any government that has the power to correct any injustice and level any inequality also has the power to do ANYTHING it wants.

 

[brandrx]

As an "expert" who has spent a few hours messing around with catch-in since yesterday...

... you are doing it wrong. The secret is set the camera for AF-S. The helpful guys here made that clear before I had to ask.

Then put the lens out of focus, hold the shutter release fully down, and slowly turn the focus ring toward focus. The shutter will fire automatically when focus is achieved.

It will only work with MF lenses or Pentax autofocusing lenses that have an AF/MF switch on the lens and set to MF. The camera is set to AF-S.

Note: It will also work with some non-Pentax autofocusing lenses that have an AF/MF switch on the lens and set to MF. For instance it will work with the Sigma 50-500mm APO HSM OS but it will not work with the older model screwdrive Sigma 50-500mm lens.

Ron

--
Ron - 'We don't have time to go take pics this afternoon Carl.'
Carl - 'What do you mean? It will only take 1/1000s.'

'Keep your eyes looking forward. However, glance back now and then to see where you've come from. It will put a smile on your face.' ~ brandrx