EM1 continous AF and tracking

Chris R-UK wrote:

My impression using Sequential H is a little different to yours - I would say that the E-M1 is probably comparable to the 7D for maintaining focus but is sometimes slower at acquiring the initial focus.

The initisl focus can be slower to achieve, but I don't wait focus Lock before release as it slows down IMHE. I start bursts ND in 1-2 first frames can be out of focus if initial focus plane distance is either very close (like 1-3m and subject at 10-30m) or other way around that initial focus plane is at infinity or over and the subject is way closer. Just releasing burst the AF will quickly jump to subject and stay there.

All in all, after about 6 months and 3000 or so BIF shots with the E-M1, I am at the situation where I can shoot everything with the E-M1/EE-1 that I could shoot with the 7D and I probably get comparable keeper rates, but I don't yet have the confidence with the E-M1 that I had with the 7D that I can nail a shot when shooting the most difficult targets. If I was going out on a once in a lifetime wildlife opportunity I would prefer to have my 7D with me (if I still had it) rather than the E-M1, but not prefer it sufficiently to offset the disadvantage of carrying around heavy lenses like the 100-400mm that I used to shoot with.

Few months back I was again in one of those situations and I had E-M1 and 7D Mk2 and 7D failed far more often and in one crucial moment failed totally by unacceptable way by focusing further than the whole scene was.

It was easier to get keepers with E-M1 than with 7D Mk2. And I wasn't alone as others had as much trouble too, but can't be sure why as didn't ask when they had calibrated their focusing previously, as I calibrated on previous day to be sure.

I think that all this shows is that on-sensor PDAF is probably the way the mirrorless cameras are going to take over from DSLRs for C-AF. I hope that the next generation E-M1 has Liveview at higher fps rates, the option to choose between PDAF and hybrid AF and cross type PDAF focus points.

I thing that PDAF is just a phase and in future we use more software based focusing with CDAF as it is promising once we get global shutters and we get away from the shutter etc.

It is just question of the time when we get better algorithms and processing power to do it well.