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x100s disapointing low light focus

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zenpmd

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Is anyone else disapointed with the low light focus abilities of this camera? it doesn't have to even be that dark for it to fail, which is disapointing since an obvious strength of the sensor is its low light performance.

Also, the focus peaking, which I thought would help in such situations, is nowhere near as good as in the NEX. I am considering getting rid of the camera
 
Not a problem for me although I'm not wild about Focus Peaking or to the Split Screen when it comes to MF.
 
the OMD nails low light focus everytime, I wish it was like that. In today's iphone age a "proper" camera has to be very quick for candid shots of friends.
 
Are you disappointed by low light AF when working in OVF or in EVF mode? If the former, try switching to EVF for low light, in my opinion it works much better in that circumstances.
 
I am not disappointed at all.

Since to are, it's time to cut your losses. Just sell the camera and buy what works better in your hands.
 
1. Try holding your camera vertically (on the same spot you want to focus on) to lock focus

2. Keep in mind that X100s does not have face recognition. So YOU need to select the focus point for the camera or reduce the focus area

Hope this helps.
 
Member said:
wchutt wrote:

I am not disappointed at all.

Since to are, it's time to cut your losses. Just sell the camera and buy what works better in your hands.
Click to expand...


Agree 101%. I'm having no issues. I couldn't be happier with the X100S I sold off my MFT gear when it wasn't what I wanted and am in the process of selling off my Nikon FF gear because I'm so pleased with the X100S and X Pro. It's easier just to move on to what you like instead of worrying about what doesn't work for you.
 
Kindly refer to THIS article that explains this nicely.

One more article given HERE also talks about CHOOSING focus points. Kindly look in the paragraph titled 'In-Hand -- Shooting with the X100s'

Ravindra.
 
zenpmd said:
zenpmd wrote:

Is anyone else disapointed with the low light focus abilities of this camera? it doesn't have to even be that dark for it to fail, which is disapointing since an obvious strength of the sensor is its low light performance.

Also, the focus peaking, which I thought would help in such situations, is nowhere near as good as in the NEX. I am considering getting rid of the camera
Click to expand...
I ran some tests with my x100s and Ricoh GR, the GR nailed focus every time in low light where as the x100s failed around 80% of the time, thankfully I don't really use either in low light.
 
I'm finding the opposite. X100S is nailing the low light (even almost dark). Try the EVF and also try the Continuous AF setting when shooting in low light conditions. If you want a camera that really is bad in low light and can't even come close to the X100s, try the Sony RX1. The RX1 is a great camera, but the AF is really terrible compared to X100S (based on side by side personal testing).
 
zenpmd said:
zenpmd wrote:

Is anyone else disapointed with the low light focus abilities of this camera? it doesn't have to even be that dark for it to fail, which is disapointing since an obvious strength of the sensor is its low light performance.

Also, the focus peaking, which I thought would help in such situations, is nowhere near as good as in the NEX. I am considering getting rid of the camera
Click to expand...
I don't own one, but I tried out a friend's and a had a similar experience. However, I do own a NEX-F3K and that is also pretty awful focusing in low light also. Anyway, the focus issues put me off on buying the X100S. I know it's vastly improved over the X100, but not as a much so as I had hoped.
 
i think i know what you mean, i also have an x100s, and sometimes when I am in daylight, taking pictures in shadowed low contrast areas, it is sometimes difficult/and or inconsistent in finding focus. i wish it were a little more consistent, more robust. anyhow, the AF system seems to appreciate well contrasted areas, with good vertical lines. you can try turning the camera diagonal if there are no such good lines
 
Just switch off AF assist light! My X100S focuses better in low light without it.

Cheers,

Luego
 
zenpmd said:
zenpmd wrote:

the OMD nails low light focus everytime, I wish it was like that. In today's iphone age a "proper" camera has to be very quick for candid shots of friends.
Click to expand...
It would be great if every camera would autofocus instantly and accurately in total darkness. Since they do not, you have to pick which method of bridging the gap you are willing to put up with; be it user control (M mode, preset focus and exposure) or computer control as in the om-d and most other advanced af equipped cameras.

For years, the camera I used most for my fun stuff was a leica iiic and an old summitar that was everso dodgy. It takes amazing photos and I've always preferred film. Within the last year or so, that's all changed. I find I have to agree with your belief that all cameras should work like iphones. Idiot proof, easy to pull out at a moments notice and did I say idiot proof already?

If the om-d gives you the speed you need, than go for it. Unfortunately for me, the om-d requires a tradeoff for me that isn't worth the price so I'm stuck using larger sensor, easier to handle cameras that necessitate that I do all the focus work on my own.

I realize this post could be read as snarky but that isn't my intention just fyi.
 
I can feel your pain. I too am having problems getting used to the focus systems of the fuji camera's (I have the x-e1). I was expecting difficulty with fast moving subjects but I'm missing focus on stationary subjects in what I consider good light.

Anyway what point 1 in that blog means is that the orientation of the contrasting line is important. If you think of focusing on someones eyes, the contrasty line (where the eyelashes are) run horizontally. The fuji camera's don't focus well in this situation. The contrast lines need to be vertical(ish). To focus on the eye, tilt the camera slightly so the focus square is at an angle and this *should* help to get focus, then tilt the camera back and take the shot. I found this to be hit and miss (at least on my camera). Last week I tried everything and the camera kept giving me the dredded red square. Today, the camera nailed focus every time under exactly the same light conditions using exacty the same technique. Anyway, I need to practice a lot more to try and work it out. Good luck
 
Most DSLRs use phase detection based AF while most mirrorless cameras use contrast detection methods. As the amount of light decreases, understanding the differences becomes more important. Smaller sensors with slower lenses are less susceptible to AF inaccuracies than larger sensors with faster lenses.

With the Fujis in some situations a vertical line can provide enough contrast to increase the likelihood for focus lock. This is helpful, but it is not a universal solution.

The fact is Fuji's hybrid X cameras require different AF techniques for different circumstances and scenes. This is true to some extent for all cameras. It is fair to say happy Fuji X hybrid owners are willing adopt focusing techniques best are best suited to their cameras. With every new Fuji body and every new firmware release, the need to think about how to use becomes becomes less important. But similar cameras from other brands could require less user involvement than the Fujis. This is a reasoon to buy those cameras instead of the Fujis. It is entirely valid to decide AF should be as automatic as possible and changing conditions should not require different approaches.

I would point out every Nikon DSLR I owned had numerous AF menu parameters. The AF performance always improved by learning how to set up the AF to deal with different circumstances. By contrast,, highly automated cameras with small sensors rarely require any thought about how to get the most from the AF.
 
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