EVF Focus

I have read several threads here, and on other forums about people not getting sharp focus with the D7/Ax cameras, while others don't seem to have any problems, and have begun to wonder if some people are not using the diopter adjustment to focus the EVf before using the camera. Being a lifetime wearer of glasses, it is second nature to me to check these things, but do others pay much attention to this? One of the major reasons I bought my camera was the ability to adjust the EVF to -5 diopters, which closely matches my prescription. Composing a picture with glasses on puts my eye farther back, and allows extraneous light to interfere. Focusing the EVF and using my naked eye give excellent results.

Has anyone found their EVF out of focus when new, or do you even check it? Just curious.

BL

Had to adjust my original D7's evf when new. I wear contacts, but being near sighted, the camera settings, dials, etc. are extremely blurry with my contacts in, so I usually shoot without wearing them. Thus, I have to readjust the EVF based on with or without contacts.

When I got my Z3, the setting was perfect for no contacts. Of course, the newer more advanced EVF is a blessing for my old eyes...haha.

I've had some out of focus images with the D7 regardless of EVF setting when using auto focus. The Z3 is too new to make any comments yet on out of focus images. Chances are though, I may at times have not had the best of settings on the D7 (e.g. using shutter speeds slower than 1/focal length).

--
Mark Pernal, FPSA
Lk Mary, FL
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/view?id=21985

border lord said:

I have read several threads here, and on other forums about people
not getting sharp focus with the D7/Ax cameras, while others don't
seem to have any problems, and have begun to wonder if some people
are not using the diopter adjustment to focus the EVf before using
the camera. Being a lifetime wearer of glasses, it is second nature
to me to check these things, but do others pay much attention to
this? One of the major reasons I bought my camera was the ability
to adjust the EVF to -5 diopters, which closely matches my
prescription. Composing a picture with glasses on puts my eye
farther back, and allows extraneous light to interfere. Focusing
the EVF and using my naked eye give excellent results.
Has anyone found their EVF out of focus when new, or do you even
check it? Just curious.

BL

Click to expand...

--
Rick

I constantly check and recheck both the focus and my view of the scene. I'm a relatively new eye glass wearer and don't trust what I'm seeing anymore. I beginning to pay more attention to the diopter adjustment but haven't decided if I can stick to the EVF or the LCD screen. I tend to go back and forth between them setting up my shots. Because of my fussiness I've only had an occasional, unexpected out of focus shots.

border lord said:

I have read several threads here, and on other forums about people
not getting sharp focus with the D7/Ax cameras, while others don't
seem to have any problems, and have begun to wonder if some people
are not using the diopter adjustment to focus the EVf before using
the camera. Being a lifetime wearer of glasses, it is second nature
to me to check these things, but do others pay much attention to
this? One of the major reasons I bought my camera was the ability
to adjust the EVF to -5 diopters, which closely matches my
prescription. Composing a picture with glasses on puts my eye
farther back, and allows extraneous light to interfere. Focusing
the EVF and using my naked eye give excellent results.
Has anyone found their EVF out of focus when new, or do you even
check it? Just curious.

BL

Click to expand...

It is sometimes difficult to judge focus in the EVF even if your eyes are quite good - which mine are not. A tip that I picked up from others is to watch as the manual focus ring is turned ,first check the distance readout, but watch for changes in the image especially on diagonal edges - when the image develops jaggies the image is coming into focus.

This requires some practice but once you have recognized the signs it becomes easier.

Keith-C

border lord said:

I have read several threads here, and on other forums about people
not getting sharp focus with the D7/Ax cameras, while others don't
seem to have any problems, and have begun to wonder if some people
are not using the diopter adjustment to focus the EVf before using
the camera. Being a lifetime wearer of glasses, it is second nature
to me to check these things, but do others pay much attention to
this? One of the major reasons I bought my camera was the ability
to adjust the EVF to -5 diopters, which closely matches my
prescription. Composing a picture with glasses on puts my eye
farther back, and allows extraneous light to interfere. Focusing
the EVF and using my naked eye give excellent results.
Has anyone found their EVF out of focus when new, or do you even
check it? Just curious.

BL

Click to expand...

I really miss the split-circle focus aid on my old X-700. It got to be second nature to find a vertical line in the composition and check to make sure it lined up on both sides of the circle. No doubt there's a solid technical reason why that can't be done in a digicam but it makes manual focus pretty iffy.

KEITH-C said:

It is sometimes difficult to judge focus in the EVF even if your
eyes are quite good - which mine are not. A tip that I picked up
from others is to watch as the manual focus ring is turned ,first
check the distance readout, but watch for changes in the image
especially on diagonal edges - when the image develops jaggies the
image is coming into focus.

This requires some practice but once you have recognized the signs
it becomes easier.

Keith-C

Click to expand...

It really takes some getting used to, but I agree with the above method. I have an A200 and though it lacks (in a BIG way) the detailed EVF of the A2, I've already taught myself to look for the small changes that indicate when an image is in focus. It's a combination of reading the distance and just getting familiar with the EVF itself. And just as my 2 cents, I don't think the A200 viewfinder is nearly as awful as some make it seem. It's not a glass prism or anything like that, but once you're used to it, it still does the job - plus it helps to give back that old SLR feel.

My procedure is to use the focus mag setting. At 4x, focus becomes quite easy to judge. Using the AE toggle setting also lets me manually shift exposure and the DMF gets me a razor focus. Since most of my stuff is landscapes, I'm not usually in much of a hurry to get the shot, I just want to get it right.

BL

KEITH-C said:

It is sometimes difficult to judge focus in the EVF even if your
eyes are quite good - which mine are not. A tip that I picked up
from others is to watch as the manual focus ring is turned ,first
check the distance readout, but watch for changes in the image
especially on diagonal edges - when the image develops jaggies the
image is coming into focus.

This requires some practice but once you have recognized the signs
it becomes easier.

Keith-C

Click to expand...

border lord said:

My procedure is to use the focus mag setting. At 4x, focus becomes
quite easy to judge. Using the AE toggle setting also lets me
manually shift exposure and the DMF gets me a razor focus. Since
most of my stuff is landscapes, I'm not usually in much of a hurry
to get the shot, I just want to get it right.

BL

Click to expand...

I do the same, but it is difficult to hold the shutter half way down and press the Mag button. I much prefer the method used by another camera that I was considering buying (can't remember which one now). It would automatically enable the magnification whenever the focus was manually adjusted. What an idea! On top of that, this other camera would just magnify about the center third of the display so that one could still frame the shot.

Sparky2

Hi Sparky2;

If you use the AE toggle setting in the menu, you don't have to hold the shutter button half-way. Just use the spotmeter button, which will set and lock the exposure and focus. (menu setting has to be selected first) This holds the camera settings until you press the button again. You can now use the focus mag, and adjust focus and shift exposure settings (if you elected to do so in the menu), then switch back to non-mag to check framing without losing you settings. This is also helpful for panorama shots where you want to take several exposures at the same camera settings.

The number of ways these cameras can be used is amazing, and I don't know if I will ever use them all. I have done some experimenting to get the results I want, though.

BL

Sparky2 said:

border lord said:

My procedure is to use the focus mag setting. At 4x, focus becomes
quite easy to judge. Using the AE toggle setting also lets me
manually shift exposure and the DMF gets me a razor focus. Since
most of my stuff is landscapes, I'm not usually in much of a hurry
to get the shot, I just want to get it right.

BL

Click to expand...

I do the same, but it is difficult to hold the shutter half way
down and press the Mag button. I much prefer the method used by
another camera that I was considering buying (can't remember which
one now). It would automatically enable the magnification whenever
the focus was manually adjusted. What an idea! On top of that,
this other camera would just magnify about the center third of the
display so that one could still frame the shot.

Sparky2

Click to expand...

BL,

I can not get this to work on my A2. I normally have AEL set for toggle mode.

I tried what you suggested (I think). I framed a scene, pressed the shutter release button half way down, waited for focus conformation, pressed the AEL button and then took my finger off the shutter. The exposure did lock, but the Mag button still does not work unless I have the shutter pressed half way.

What am I doing wrong?

Sparky2

border lord said:

BL

Sparky2 said:

border lord said:

My procedure is to use the focus mag setting. At 4x, focus becomes
quite easy to judge. Using the AE toggle setting also lets me
manually shift exposure and the DMF gets me a razor focus. Since
most of my stuff is landscapes, I'm not usually in much of a hurry
to get the shot, I just want to get it right.

BL

Click to expand...

I do the same, but it is difficult to hold the shutter half way
down and press the Mag button. I much prefer the method used by
another camera that I was considering buying (can't remember which
one now). It would automatically enable the magnification whenever
the focus was manually adjusted. What an idea! On top of that,
this other camera would just magnify about the center third of the
display so that one could still frame the shot.

Sparky2

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Sparky2 said:

I can not get this to work on my A2. I normally have AEL set for
toggle mode.

I tried what you suggested (I think). I framed a scene, pressed
the shutter release button half way down, waited for focus
conformation, pressed the AEL button and then took my finger off
the shutter. The exposure did lock, but the Mag button still does
not work unless I have the shutter pressed half way.

What am I doing wrong?

Sparky2

border lord said:

BL

Sparky2 said:

border lord said:

My procedure is to use the focus mag setting. At 4x, focus becomes
quite easy to judge. Using the AE toggle setting also lets me
manually shift exposure and the DMF gets me a razor focus. Since
most of my stuff is landscapes, I'm not usually in much of a hurry
to get the shot, I just want to get it right.

BL

Click to expand...

I do the same, but it is difficult to hold the shutter half way
down and press the Mag button. I much prefer the method used by
another camera that I was considering buying (can't remember which
one now). It would automatically enable the magnification whenever
the focus was manually adjusted. What an idea! On top of that,
this other camera would just magnify about the center third of the
display so that one could still frame the shot.

Sparky2

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
Rick

Mojo151 said:

Sparky2 said:

I can not get this to work on my A2. I normally have AEL set for
toggle mode.

I tried what you suggested (I think). I framed a scene, pressed
the shutter release button half way down, waited for focus
conformation, pressed the AEL button and then took my finger off
the shutter. The exposure did lock, but the Mag button still does
not work unless I have the shutter pressed half way.

What am I doing wrong?

Sparky2

border lord said:

BL

Sparky2 said:

border lord said:

My procedure is to use the focus mag setting. At 4x, focus becomes
quite easy to judge. Using the AE toggle setting also lets me
manually shift exposure and the DMF gets me a razor focus. Since
most of my stuff is landscapes, I'm not usually in much of a hurry
to get the shot, I just want to get it right.

BL

Click to expand...

I do the same, but it is difficult to hold the shutter half way
down and press the Mag button. I much prefer the method used by
another camera that I was considering buying (can't remember which
one now). It would automatically enable the magnification whenever
the focus was manually adjusted. What an idea! On top of that,
this other camera would just magnify about the center third of the
display so that one could still frame the shot.

Sparky2

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
Rick

Click to expand...

--
Bill T

Everything I learned about computers I learned because I never read the manuals. Does this hold true for my A2.

I am on this side of the pond so pardon my English

I have started using the digital zoom feature at my focusing tool on my A2. Press the mag button and you get 2X zoom. Focus. Press the mag button again to take the photo.

Taco said:

Mojo151 said:

Sparky2 said:

I can not get this to work on my A2. I normally have AEL set for
toggle mode.

I tried what you suggested (I think). I framed a scene, pressed
the shutter release button half way down, waited for focus
conformation, pressed the AEL button and then took my finger off
the shutter. The exposure did lock, but the Mag button still does
not work unless I have the shutter pressed half way.

What am I doing wrong?

Sparky2

border lord said:

BL

Sparky2 said:

border lord said:

My procedure is to use the focus mag setting. At 4x, focus becomes
quite easy to judge. Using the AE toggle setting also lets me
manually shift exposure and the DMF gets me a razor focus. Since
most of my stuff is landscapes, I'm not usually in much of a hurry
to get the shot, I just want to get it right.

BL

Click to expand...

I do the same, but it is difficult to hold the shutter half way
down and press the Mag button. I much prefer the method used by
another camera that I was considering buying (can't remember which
one now). It would automatically enable the magnification whenever
the focus was manually adjusted. What an idea! On top of that,
this other camera would just magnify about the center third of the
display so that one could still frame the shot.

Sparky2

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
Rick

Click to expand...

--
Bill T

Everything I learned about computers I learned because I never read
the manuals. Does this hold true for my A2.

I am on this side of the pond so pardon my English

Click to expand...

--
JRW
A2, 7i, UZI, Epson 850z

Since I am using D7hi, the feature may not be the same as the A2, but with my camera, there is no need to press the shutter button except to take the pic. Menu must be set to AE/AF toggle - manual shift - DMF .

Pressing AEL/spot button starts autofucus and autoexposure and sets it. The viewfinder will have the SS and Aperture displayed, as well as DMF, until you move the focus ring, then it changes to range readout. This is when I use the mag button to check and adjust focus. Pressing button again puts me back to normal display for framing pic. Exposure and focus stay locked until I press AE/spot again. This is very handy when taking a series of shots or when waiting for just the right moment, as it eliminates the focus/exposure lag, and the cam takes the pic right now.

I had thought the A2 had the same feature, but may be mistaken. If so, I certainly apologize for misleading you.

BL

Sparky2 said:

I can not get this to work on my A2. I normally have AEL set for
toggle mode.

I tried what you suggested (I think). I framed a scene, pressed
the shutter release button half way down, waited for focus
conformation, pressed the AEL button and then took my finger off
the shutter. The exposure did lock, but the Mag button still does
not work unless I have the shutter pressed half way.

What am I doing wrong?

Sparky2

Click to expand...

border lord said:

Since I am using D7hi, the feature may not be the same as the A2,
but with my camera, there is no need to press the shutter button
except to take the pic. Menu must be set to AE/AF toggle - manual
shift - DMF .
Pressing AEL/spot button starts autofucus and autoexposure and sets
it. The viewfinder will have the SS and Aperture displayed, as well
as DMF, until you move the focus ring, then it changes to range
readout. This is when I use the mag button to check and adjust
focus. Pressing button again puts me back to normal display for
framing pic. Exposure and focus stay locked until I press AE/spot
again. This is very handy when taking a series of shots or when
waiting for just the right moment, as it eliminates the
focus/exposure lag, and the cam takes the pic right now.
I had thought the A2 had the same feature, but may be mistaken. If
so, I certainly apologize for misleading you.

BL

Click to expand...

No problem, BL. Thanks for the effort.

As someone mentioned, if the Magnification button is set to function for digital zoom it will function in a "toggle mode" at a value of of 2x and does not require the shutter to be pressed. If set to act as a Flex Digital Magnifier for a focus assist, the "zoom" is 3.3x. This last method is the way I have it programmed. It does not appear to to be operable unless the shutter is pressed half way.

All of my earlier testing was done in the Direct Manual Focus mode (programmed via the menu). I just tried the fully manual focus mode (with the slide switch under the Effects control) and it operated differently. In that mode the camera behaves as ane would want - pressing the Mag button causes magnification! It appears that the logic is that if the focus can change automatically, then it will not allow the Direct Manual Focus function to operate. The only way to prohibit the potential of auto focus is to be in fully manual focus mode or have the shutter button pressed half way. The AEL does not appear to affect the focus modes at all so it did not help.

Sparky2