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X100: reasons for missed focus

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Jeff Charles

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I'd never claim that the X100 has a world-class AF system, but I think it is better than it is often described, so I thought it would be useful to list some causes of X100 mis-focusing.

The information below, which is mostly applicable to AF-S, is based on my own experience and on postings at x100forum.com, including the post http://www.x100forum.com/index.php?/topic/1713-focus-101/ .

Camera will not focus, i.e., the focus frame does not turn green.

Reason 1: There is insufficient contrast. Solutions:
  • Move the focus point to something with more contrast at the same distance as the subject.
  • Rotate the camera. The X100 prefers vertical lines (in landscape mode), so sometimes this technique will help if the texture of the subject is mostly horizontal. (I do not believe that this is a common occurrence, because most subjects have both horizontal and vertical components.)
Reason 2: The subject is too close. At very close distances, macro mode works better, although firmware 1.1 has improved close focusing in non-macro mode. Solutions:
  • Use macro mode
  • Use manual focus with the AFL AEL button, which will focus closer than AF-S.
Camera focuses, i.e., the focus frame turns green, but the subject is not in focus.

Reason 1: When using the OVF, parallax error has caused the actual focus point to be down and to the right of the focus frame. This only occurs at short distances. Solutions:
  • Pay attention to parallax error. The firmware 1.1 moving parallax correction AF frame is very useful in determining where the camera actually focused.
  • Switch to the EVF.
Reason 2: The focus frame extended beyond the subject and the camera focused on a higher contrast object in the background. Solutions:
  • Make sure that the focus frame covers only the intended subject.
  • It that's not possible with the OVF, switch to the EVF and use the smallest focus frame.
Mis-focusing can also happen if you take the shot before the camera has acquired focus, i.e., before the focus frame turns green. The X100 does not have a focus-priority mode, so it will shoot even if focus has not been acquired. In good light, not waiting for the green focus frame can sometimes work, as the camera may have focused, but you cannot count on it.

If I missed any possible mis-focusing causes or solutions, please add them.

One more thing: My intent with this post is not to defend or criticize the X100. I want the "focus" to be on how to use the camera more effectively.
--
Jeff

My cat, who likes to sprawl on my keyboard, gets the credit for anything I write that makes sense.
 
Jeff this is a very concise rehash of most everything that's already been discussed or recommended on this forum to try and remedy a well documented failure of the x100 to focus properly in lowlight, closeup ( macro) lowlight and low contrast lighting situations. I think you forgot the maglight suggestion as a focus assist light. But frankly most of what you suggested doesn't really work and the X is inherently a flawed camera in those described lighting situations. I think it does a disservice to potential buyers to think the focusing problem is something that can be easily remedied by using tricks like moving focusing point to a better contrast spot or tilting the camera and then reorienting it to shoot. these are absurd solutions to shooting anything other then a tortise.

The day I lost interest in the X was at a restaurant when I tried to make a photo of a friend sitting across from me at about three feet. No flash, flash, EVF, macro, non macro. Nothing seemed to work. It was as if the focus was inactive. It was very frustrating and embarrassing and at that point I decided I would sell the camera. I miss it.I made some amazing images with in in ideal light but when the light was low the camera is terrible. There are no solutions to taking a photo with it in less then ideal situations and one shouldn't lead people into believing there is. Many on the forum including myself have reluctantly sold them and I don't think at this point that comes as a surprise to anyone.
 
One thing that has been discussed over at the X100forum-site the last week is that AF-C works a lot better than AF-S in low light situations. So my suggestion would be to try AF-C!

I realize it's to late for you, but it might help others.
 
The superior AF of AF-C over AF-S in low light and on low contrast subjects is definitely worth a mention (I see it did get raised in the later stages of the discussion on http://www.x100forum.com/index.php?/topic/1713-focus-101/ ).

Also maybe worth a mention is that if all you need to do is to squeeze a little under the minimum normal focus distance (80cm) you can just use the EVF. Your summary notes that macro mode is better at those distances, which it is. The manual notes that the EVF or LCD can be used to focus closer than 80cm, but says "the time needed to focus increases". I don't think that is noticeably true. The real disadvantage of using just the EVF (without macro) is that you cannot focus to the limit of the lens's close focusing ability, 10cm, (unless perhaps you have light many times brighter than direct sunlight), and your actual limit is variable with the amount of light, and the contrast of the subject. With a printed subject in clear direct sunlight I have focused as close as 15.5 cm, but in low light with a low contrast subject I sometimes get only a marginal advantage over the stated normal focus limit of 80cm.

--
Apteryx
 
If you are struggling to achieve focus on a given scene and re-framing isn't an easy option, then simply push the command button to zoom in. This changes the area the AF algorithm is working on - it zooms in, and allows you to both achieve focus where you might not have been able to and also to check that you have in fact achieved focus.

--
Fuji X100 Fanboy #1
X100 blog -> http://peri.org.uk/wp/?tag=blog
 
Ah it finally becomes clear.

The X100 made you lose face.

Damaged ego => vendetta against Fuji.

At least we know now why you can't just accept it as a camera not suitable for some conditions or owners and move on. Do you think you will ever be ready to put that incident behind you? Do you think it's psychologically healthy to keep visiting forums of a camera you once owned making your point over and over and over?

You don't think the AF system is good enough. We get it. You feel very strongly about this. We get it (and now we know why).

We don't all feel that it makes the whole package worthless. I'm sure the friend hasn't written you off as a human being, and indeed hardly noticed the incident at all. Unless you perhaps had an equally disproportionate reaction at the time?

[Or maybe I've just been watching too many episodes of "In Treatment" :-) ]

--
Fuji X100 Fanboy #1
X100 blog -> http://peri.org.uk/wp/?tag=blog
 
Props to the OP, very good post outlining the focus issues of this camera and providing a solution, better than threads with excessive defense of the particular camera

Gava> you are too sensitive, that guy was just stating a situation where the camera did not work for him, this forum does not need any of the bruised ego like yours
 
fleur_macadam said:
Gava> you are too sensitive, that guy was just stating a situation where the camera did not work for him, this forum does not need any of the bruised ego like yours
Click to expand...
Maybe. But check back through his posting history. He's been bashing the X100 over the same issue for weeks now.

Never anything useful or constructive to say. He hasn't owned one for that entire period.

But of course I'll bow to your long history in this forum as being the expert on what it needs.

--
Fuji X100 Fanboy #1
X100 blog -> http://peri.org.uk/wp/?tag=blog
 
fleur_macadam said:
Props to the OP, very good post outlining the focus issues of this camera and providing a solution, better than threads with excessive defense of the particular camera
Click to expand...
Agreed.
fleur_macadam said:
Gava> you are too sensitive, that guy was just stating a situation where the camera
Click to expand...
You're mistaking frustration for sensitivity. Eastvillager has repeated that anecdote so frequently that even a casual reader should be able to recall his story from memory, word for word.
fleur_macadam said:
this forum does not need any of the bruised ego like yours
Click to expand...
And this forum doesn't need a half wit e-thug. The m4/3 forums are thataway------------->
 
eastvillager said:
Jeff this is a very concise rehash of most everything that's already been discussed or recommended on this forum to try and remedy a well documented failure of the x100 to focus properly in lowlight, closeup ( macro) lowlight and low contrast lighting situations. I think you forgot the maglight suggestion as a focus assist light. But frankly most of what you suggested doesn't really work and the X is inherently a flawed camera in those described lighting situations. I think it does a disservice to potential buyers to think the focusing problem is something that can be easily remedied by using tricks like moving focusing point to a better contrast spot or tilting the camera and then reorienting it to shoot. these are absurd solutions to shooting anything other then a tortise.

The day I lost interest in the X was at a restaurant when I tried to make a photo of a friend sitting across from me at about three feet. No flash, flash, EVF, macro, non macro. Nothing seemed to work. It was as if the focus was inactive. It was very frustrating and embarrassing and at that point I decided I would sell the camera. I miss it.I made some amazing images with in in ideal light but when the light was low the camera is terrible. There are no solutions to taking a photo with it in less then ideal situations and one shouldn't lead people into believing there is. Many on the forum including myself have reluctantly sold them and I don't think at this point that comes as a surprise to anyone.
Click to expand...
It is true that you and others have had problems with the camera's AF system, but it is also true that many of us are using it successfully. My post was an attempt to list, in one place, common causes and solutions for X100 AF problems. They are not "absurd solutions", as you describe them.

A number of serious and even well-known photographers are using the X100. Take Thom Hogan, for example. Despite a fairly critical review of the camera, he acknowledged that when you "use the camera at its simplest, it's a delight, and the X100 has become one of my two "silent" cameras." Would Hogan and others such as Zack Arias and Dan Bayer, to name a couple, be carrying the X100 if they could not get it to focus?

I have used mine in very low light with good results, but I'd never say that the camera's AF is a good as it could be. However, I do not believe that it is as bad as you make it out to be.
--
Jeff

My cat, who likes to sprawl on my keyboard, gets the credit for anything I write that makes sense.
 
Tell this to the pros that use this technique with high end DSLRs all the time since cameras like the Canon 5D II have weak outer focus points. Focus and recompose is a very valid and well used technique. I'll bet the continuous focus setting would have saved your bacon or the simple technique described below.
eastvillager said:
I think it does a disservice to potential buyers to think the focusing problem is something that can be easily remedied by using tricks like moving focusing point to a better contrast spot or tilting the camera and then reorienting it to shoot. these are absurd solutions to shooting anything other then a tortise.
Click to expand...
 
eastvillager said:
The day I lost interest in the X was at a restaurant when I tried to make a photo of a friend sitting across from me at about three feet. Nothing seemed to work. It was as if the focus was inactive. It was very frustrating and embarrassing and at that point I decided I would sell the camera. When the light was low the camera is terrible.
Click to expand...
Why does Fuji give us an expensive low light f2.0 lens that is useless in low light? Why don't they release the X100 with a f4.5 if the cam can't focus (and therefor is wortless) in low light? Then they can sell it for $599 and sell more.
 
Not every new user or other users that don't frequent a certain camera forum looking for information on a particular camera will be sensitive enough to go check the biasness of a particular comment based on the poster's message history. I don't frequent these forums often enough and I don't think eastvillager sounded too biased within the context of THIS thread given how the OP has already outlined the focus problem of this camera. Don't always be too sensitive by investigating a poster's message history and thinking just because he gives a bad comment everytime that he is a troll or has an agenda against the camera, compare his comments with the facts outlined by reviews and then make judgement before tearing him apart because he insulted your mom (just a metaphor) in his previous posts. No offense, but from someone who is looking to gather a little information about this camera, I certainly don't think his comments were out of order unlike some REAL trolls who just makes claims like "oh, this camera is rubbish" when reviews from the main site and other sites easily refute their claims.
 
Davidgilmour said:
eastvillager said:
The day I lost interest in the X was at a restaurant when I tried to make a photo of a friend sitting across from me at about three feet. Nothing seemed to work. It was as if the focus was inactive. It was very frustrating and embarrassing and at that point I decided I would sell the camera. When the light was low the camera is terrible.
Click to expand...
Why does Fuji give us an expensive low light f2.0 lens that is useless in low light? Why don't they release the X100 with a f4.5 if the cam can't focus (and therefor is wortless) in low light? Then they can sell it for $599 and sell more.
Click to expand...
Seriously? You have never seen any low light shots coming from an X100? While the autofocus can be significantly improved, calling it useless shows how little you know.

Stick to guitar David, it's what you do best.

--

http://fujifilmimages.aminus3.com/
 
I have shot well over a 1000 images in very low light. Sometimes I had to work a little to get focus and other times I didn't. Could it be better yes but worthless; hardly! Even DSLRs struggle in low light. I would like to see faster AF in all conditions but having owned both a Leica M8 and other RF cameras, I can tell you it is a challenge with my eye sight to focus them manually in low light and I have gotten better and more consistent focus results from the Fuji in similar conditions.
--
John
Visit my web gallery at:
http://www.barjohn.com/My Photographs/index.html
Comments and critiques welcome.
 
Unfortunately this option isn't available in AF-S mode, only manual. (And I prefer AF-S because in Manual the histogram is not accurate, there is no green confirmation, and if you are close the AF button can be very off.)
gava said:
If you are struggling to achieve focus on a given scene and re-framing isn't an easy option, then simply push the command button to zoom in. This changes the area the AF algorithm is working on - it zooms in, and allows you to both achieve focus where you might not have been able to and also to check that you have in fact achieved focus.

--
Fuji X100 Fanboy #1
X100 blog -> http://peri.org.uk/wp/?tag=blog
Click to expand...
--
Bob Gates, Jamesville, NY USA
http://bobgatesphoto.com
 
eastvillager said:
http://kelbytv.com/thegrid/2011/08/04/the-grid-episode-18/

Gee I'm shocked. A bad review of the X.
Click to expand...
Sounds like your soul-mate. :)

Quite amusing in a cruel and long-winded way. Pretty slow though, repeating the same points and jokes. Really in serious need of editing.

As much as they ridicule the standard pro-X100 arguments, they equally caricature the anti arguments themselves. Just as predictable and risible.

--
Fuji X100 Fanboy #1
X100 blog -> http://peri.org.uk/wp/?tag=blog
 
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