Tip: AF in manual focus mode - Panasonic video

_vlad wrote:

Thanks Rick for a tip. I never ever noticed the icon with my GH4 - until GX80. Fine to know that in video camera focuses much faster - however fast refocus is not always optimal as Vesku wrote. But for sure it might be highly desirable sometimes.

There is one drawback though. Tapping the screen will place your focus point wherever you want to have it - followed by refocusing. Tapping the icon will just initiate refocusing - using the focus point previously selected. It means you have turn your camera to new object/direction and then tap the icon.

I am not sure if I explained it clearly. Imagine having camera on a tripod. Without moving the camera you can refocus to different objects without moving the camera-just tapping them monitor. This cannot be done with your method - you have to move the camera - point it to object you wish to be focused and then tap icon.

Thanks, and yes, I agree with your points and Vesku's too. Panasonic have actually said that focus changing is slowed in video deliberately because too fast a focus change can look bad. Unfortunately, a lot of the time with this system even a slow change can look quite bad too. In my case, when I shoot video it is usually at some event where we are using two and sometimes three cameras for different angles. Sometimes one camera is "roving", usually supported on a shoulder rig. I am thinking of using my new GX80 with its good stabilization for this function - maybe handheld even. In that case, this could come in handy for me. Sometimes I need the focus changes to be fast rather than "look nice". While editing I will only use certain shots from the roving camera and will obviously not use those not so nice-looking moves. So I'm glad that Panasonic have provided this option.

Same thing goes for the focus point. When hand holding I can easily reuse the current focus point and tap the AF icon with my thumb when needed. I think of this more as an addition to the armory than an answer to everything. As you say - "highly desirable sometimes".

Thanks again for your response.