New FujiFilm user... need help with focus settings

RivkiLocker · Jan 1, 2018

I’m a recent FujiFilm convert and need some advice for shooting moving subjects. I shoot mostly landscapes and portraits and have gotten very adept at back button focus as well as focus recompose. The way I have my camera set is as follows: focus set to manual, but AF button set to lock focus (which gives me auto focus). I use a single focal point, dead center, lock focus there using back button and then I recompose the shot. I get amazing sharp focus almost every time. But that doesn’t work for me with rapidly moving subjects. A running squirrel, a magician shuffling cards, etc. What settings should I be using for those situations? (I shoot with an xe3.) Thanks for any guidance! Here’s a recent photo so you can see my struggle. FWIW I love the shot but it’s not focused where I wanted it.

Vic Chapman · Jan 1, 2018

Manual pre-focus with enough DoF to cover the necessary? I'm not sure that AF will acquire and maintain focus on card edges moving fast.

For kids/squirrels etc choose a zone AFC 2 mode and continuous focus - CL/CH as desired. Assign focus to the shutter button for AFC - you don't want to lock focus on the first frame only.

Vic

--
The sky is full of holes that let the rain get in, the holes are very small - that's why the rain is thin.
Spike Milligan. Writer, comedian, poet, Goon. 1918 - 2002

stevo23 · Jan 1, 2018

RivkiLocker said:
I’m a recent FujiFilm convert and need some advice for shooting moving subjects. I shoot mostly landscapes and portraits and have gotten very adept at back button focus as well as focus recompose. The way I have my camera set is as follows: focus set to manual, but AF button set to lock focus (which gives me auto focus). I use a single focal point, dead center, lock focus there using back button and then I recompose the shot. I get amazing sharp focus almost every time. But that doesn’t work for me with rapidly moving subjects. A running squirrel, a magician shuffling cards, etc. What settings should I be using for those situations? (I shoot with an xe3.) Thanks for any guidance! Here’s a recent photo so you can see my struggle. FWIW I love the shot but it’s not focused where I wanted it.

In this case, the kid's face has the sharp focus and looks appropriate. What did you want to be in focus?

Further, doing this shot at 1.2 and expecting much sharpness is futile. So if it was the cards you wanted in focus, you needed to use a smaller aperture. That would have helped. But also, in this case, you almost needed to pre-focus for the card zone. Or at least focus on the fingers of his right hand.

Bobo Hodls · Jan 1, 2018

RivkiLocker said:
I’m a recent FujiFilm convert and need some advice for shooting moving subjects. I shoot mostly landscapes and portraits and have gotten very adept at back button focus as well as focus recompose. The way I have my camera set is as follows: focus set to manual, but AF button set to lock focus (which gives me auto focus). I use a single focal point, dead center, lock focus there using back button and then I recompose the shot. I get amazing sharp focus almost every time. But that doesn’t work for me with rapidly moving subjects. A running squirrel, a magician shuffling cards, etc. What settings should I be using for those situations? (I shoot with an xe3.) Thanks for any guidance! Here’s a recent photo so you can see my struggle. FWIW I love the shot but it’s not focused where I wanted it.

AFC is more for subjects moving towards or away from the camera.

AF can often pick up on the thing in front of or in back of the AF point (whatever has the strongest contrast, in general). Setting a smaller AF point might help in such cases.

In this case, I'd expect the percentage of getting the cards in focus to be iffy. So I'd set manual focus or ask for a momentary pause before the action begins to set focus on one of his hands (which are in the same focal plane as the cards). The card will likely be blurred for movement, his face not in focus, but the hands in focus will matter.

--
...Bob, NYC
.
"Well, sometimes the magic works. . . Sometimes, it doesn't." - Chief Dan George, Little Big Man
.

Bobo Hodls

Explore Bobo Hodls’s 5,812 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

http://www.bobtullis.com

.

RivkiLocker · Jan 1, 2018

Vic Chapman said:
Manual pre-focus with enough DoF to cover the necessary? I'm not sure that AF will acquire and maintain focus on card edges moving fast.

For kids/squirrels etc choose a zone AFC 2 mode and continuous focus - CL/CH as desired. Assign focus to the shutter button for AFC - you don't want to lock focus on the first frame only.

How do I do that (assign focus to shutter button for AFC)?

Vic Chapman said:
Vic

--
The sky is full of holes that let the rain get in, the holes are very small - that's why the rain is thin.
Spike Milligan. Writer, comedian, poet, Goon. 1918 - 2002

RivkiLocker · Jan 1, 2018

Bob Tullis said:
RivkiLocker said:

I’m a recent FujiFilm convert and need some advice for shooting moving subjects. I shoot mostly landscapes and portraits and have gotten very adept at back button focus as well as focus recompose. The way I have my camera set is as follows: focus set to manual, but AF button set to lock focus (which gives me auto focus). I use a single focal point, dead center, lock focus there using back button and then I recompose the shot. I get amazing sharp focus almost every time. But that doesn’t work for me with rapidly moving subjects. A running squirrel, a magician shuffling cards, etc. What settings should I be using for those situations? (I shoot with an xe3.) Thanks for any guidance! Here’s a recent photo so you can see my struggle. FWIW I love the shot but it’s not focused where I wanted it.

Click to expand...

AFC is more for subjects moving towards or away from the camera.

AF can often pick up on the thing in front of or in back of the AF point (whatever has the strongest contrast, in general). Setting a smaller AF point might help in such cases.

In this case, I'd expect the percentage of getting the cards in focus to be iffy. So I'd set manual focus or ask for a momentary pause before the action begins to set focus on one of his hands (which are in the same focal plane as the cards). The card will likely be blurred for movement, his face not in focus, but the hands in focus will matter.

i wanted the cards in focus but had no idea how to make that happen so I focused on his face instead... I should have said that I realize there were a lot of issues with this photo x dim lighting, aperture too open, to name two. I was sharing it to show the type of shot I’m struggling with

So what settings specifically would you use in this situation? I’m woefully i exerienced with anything other than the setup I described in my post: set to manual focus and using the AF Lock to auto focus on one single point, then recompose

Thanks for your help

Bobo Hodls said:
--
...Bob, NYC
.
"Well, sometimes the magic works. . . Sometimes, it doesn't." - Chief Dan George, Little Big Man
.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobtullis/
http://www.bobtullis.com
.

RivkiLocker · Jan 1, 2018

stevo23 said:
RivkiLocker said:

I’m a recent FujiFilm convert and need some advice for shooting moving subjects. I shoot mostly landscapes and portraits and have gotten very adept at back button focus as well as focus recompose. The way I have my camera set is as follows: focus set to manual, but AF button set to lock focus (which gives me auto focus). I use a single focal point, dead center, lock focus there using back button and then I recompose the shot. I get amazing sharp focus almost every time. But that doesn’t work for me with rapidly moving subjects. A running squirrel, a magician shuffling cards, etc. What settings should I be using for those situations? (I shoot with an xe3.) Thanks for any guidance! Here’s a recent photo so you can see my struggle. FWIW I love the shot but it’s not focused where I wanted it.

Click to expand...

In this case, the kid's face has the sharp focus and looks appropriate. What did you want to be in focus?

Further, doing this shot at 1.2 and expecting much sharpness is futile. So if it was the cards you wanted in focus, you needed to use a smaller aperture. That would have helped. But also, in this case, you almost needed to pre-focus for the card zone. Or at least focus on the fingers of his right hand.

i wanted the cards in focus but had no idea how to make that happen so I focused on his face instead... I should have said that I realize there were a lot of issues with this photo x dim lighting, aperture too open, to name two. I was sharing it to show the type of shot I’m struggling with

So what settings specifically would you use in this situation? I’m woefully i exerienced with anything other than the setup I described in my post: set to manual focus and using the AF Lock to auto focus on one single point, then recompose. Thanks so much

Vic Chapman · Jan 1, 2018

RivkiLocker said:
Vic Chapman said:

Manual pre-focus with enough DoF to cover the necessary? I'm not sure that AF will acquire and maintain focus on card edges moving fast.

For kids/squirrels etc choose a zone AFC 2 mode and continuous focus - CL/CH as desired. Assign focus to the shutter button for AFC - you don't want to lock focus on the first frame only.

Click to expand...

How do I do that (assign focus to shutter button for AFC)?

RivkiLocker said:

Vic

Click to expand...

Vic Chapman · Jan 1, 2018

RivkiLocker said:
Bob Tullis said:

RivkiLocker said:

I’m a recent FujiFilm convert and need some advice for shooting moving subjects. I shoot mostly landscapes and portraits and have gotten very adept at back button focus as well as focus recompose. The way I have my camera set is as follows: focus set to manual, but AF button set to lock focus (which gives me auto focus). I use a single focal point, dead center, lock focus there using back button and then I recompose the shot. I get amazing sharp focus almost every time. But that doesn’t work for me with rapidly moving subjects. A running squirrel, a magician shuffling cards, etc. What settings should I be using for those situations? (I shoot with an xe3.) Thanks for any guidance! Here’s a recent photo so you can see my struggle. FWIW I love the shot but it’s not focused where I wanted it.

Click to expand...

AFC is more for subjects moving towards or away from the camera.

AF can often pick up on the thing in front of or in back of the AF point (whatever has the strongest contrast, in general). Setting a smaller AF point might help in such cases.

In this case, I'd expect the percentage of getting the cards in focus to be iffy. So I'd set manual focus or ask for a momentary pause before the action begins to set focus on one of his hands (which are in the same focal plane as the cards). The card will likely be blurred for movement, his face not in focus, but the hands in focus will matter.

Click to expand...

i wanted the cards in focus but had no idea how to make that happen so I focused on his face instead... I should have said that I realize there were a lot of issues with this photo x dim lighting, aperture too open, to name two. I was sharing it to show the type of shot I’m struggling with

So what settings specifically would you use in this situation? I’m woefully i exerienced with anything other than the setup I described in my post: set to manual focus and using the AF Lock to auto focus on one single point, then recompose

Thanks for your help

RivkiLocker said:

--
...Bob, NYC
.
"Well, sometimes the magic works. . . Sometimes, it doesn't." - Chief Dan George, Little Big Man
.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobtullis/
http://www.bobtullis.com
.

Click to expand...

Try focus on the hand/s aperture f1.8/f2 - if you want the face sharp also then f2.8.

With that lens wide open you should not focus recompose because the DoF is so very narrow.

Vic

--
The sky is full of holes that let the rain get in, the holes are very small - that's why the rain is thin.
Spike Milligan. Writer, comedian, poet, Goon. 1918 - 2002

RivkiLocker · Jan 1, 2018

Vic Chapman said:
RivkiLocker said:

Vic Chapman said:

Manual pre-focus with enough DoF to cover the necessary? I'm not sure that AF will acquire and maintain focus on card edges moving fast.

For kids/squirrels etc choose a zone AFC 2 mode and continuous focus - CL/CH as desired. Assign focus to the shutter button for AFC - you don't want to lock focus on the first frame only.

Click to expand...

How do I do that (assign focus to shutter button for AFC)?

Vic Chapman said:

Vic

--
The sky is full of holes that let the rain get in, the holes are very small - that's why the rain is thin.
Spike Milligan. Writer, comedian, poet, Goon. 1918 - 2002

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

On my XT2 =

Button/Dial setting - Shutter AF - AFC to ON. You might want to do the same with Shutter AE depending on your setup. Also check shutter/release priority - again to your preference.

Thank you so much! This is exactly what I was doing wrong. When I tried continuous focus, it was simply not focusing. It was because I had the focus to shutter button off for AFC. I think with this option corrected they can use focus should work very well for me fr fast moving subjects. Thank you again

Vic Chapman said:
AFS remains set to back button.

Vic

--
The sky is full of holes that let the rain get in, the holes are very small - that's why the rain is thin.
Spike Milligan. Writer, comedian, poet, Goon. 1918 - 2002

stevo23 · Jan 1, 2018

RivkiLocker said:
stevo23 said:

RivkiLocker said:

I’m a recent FujiFilm convert and need some advice for shooting moving subjects. I shoot mostly landscapes and portraits and have gotten very adept at back button focus as well as focus recompose. The way I have my camera set is as follows: focus set to manual, but AF button set to lock focus (which gives me auto focus). I use a single focal point, dead center, lock focus there using back button and then I recompose the shot. I get amazing sharp focus almost every time. But that doesn’t work for me with rapidly moving subjects. A running squirrel, a magician shuffling cards, etc. What settings should I be using for those situations? (I shoot with an xe3.) Thanks for any guidance! Here’s a recent photo so you can see my struggle. FWIW I love the shot but it’s not focused where I wanted it.

Click to expand...

In this case, the kid's face has the sharp focus and looks appropriate. What did you want to be in focus?

Further, doing this shot at 1.2 and expecting much sharpness is futile. So if it was the cards you wanted in focus, you needed to use a smaller aperture. That would have helped. But also, in this case, you almost needed to pre-focus for the card zone. Or at least focus on the fingers of his right hand.

Click to expand...

i wanted the cards in focus but had no idea how to make that happen so I focused on his face instead... I should have said that I realize there were a lot of issues with this photo x dim lighting, aperture too open, to name two. I was sharing it to show the type of shot I’m struggling with

So what settings specifically would you use in this situation? I’m woefully i exerienced with anything other than the setup I described in my post: set to manual focus and using the AF Lock to auto focus on one single point, then recompose. Thanks so much

I think I would tend to get a lock on the zone of the cards, if that's the goal, and either do it through AF, AFC or even achieving it via manual (my typical choice here).

Manual focus is very useful for moving objects, especially if their movement is somewhat predictable.

But in this case - you could probably get a good result by using the wide/tracking setting. Once it decides on the hand or the cards, it will try to stick to that.

But had this been my shot, my first inclination would have been to capture his face as you did and use a lower shutter speed to get some motion blur from the cards.

giarc · Jan 1, 2018

Vic Chapman said:
On my XT2 =

Button/Dial setting - Shutter AF - AFC to ON. You might want to do the same with Shutter AE depending on your setup. Also check shutter/release priority - again to your preference.

Interesting. If the AFL button is used for focus ( back button focus), won't keeping it pressed while shooting re-focus between shots ? (or at least try to). I'm just starting to use my XT-2 for some action type shots, coming from Nikon.

Thanks,

--

Craig

RivkiLocker · Jan 1, 2018

giarc said:
Vic Chapman said:

On my XT2 =

Button/Dial setting - Shutter AF - AFC to ON. You might want to do the same with Shutter AE depending on your setup. Also check shutter/release priority - again to your preference.

Click to expand...

Interesting. If the AFL button is used for focus ( back button focus), won't keeping it pressed while shooting re-focus between shots ? (or at least try to). I'm just starting to use my XT-2 for some action type shots, coming from Nikon.

That might work, I'll try it, though I have now fixed my settings so the shutter actually triggers focus on AFC. That was not on, so when in AFC I actually wasn't focusing at all!!

giarc said:
Thanks,

--

Craig

Vic Chapman · Jan 1, 2018

RivkiLocker said:
giarc said:

Vic Chapman said:

On my XT2 =

Button/Dial setting - Shutter AF - AFC to ON. You might want to do the same with Shutter AE depending on your setup. Also check shutter/release priority - again to your preference.

Click to expand...

Interesting. If the AFL button is used for focus ( back button focus), won't keeping it pressed while shooting re-focus between shots ? (or at least try to). I'm just starting to use my XT-2 for some action type shots, coming from Nikon.

Click to expand...

That might work, I'll try it, though I have now fixed my settings so the shutter actually triggers focus on AFC. That was not on, so when in AFC I actually wasn't focusing at all!!

RivkiLocker said:

Thanks,

--

Craig

Click to expand...

It depends on what preferences you have set up. It does get confusing and we've had several discussions on how to setup the XT2 as near to Nikon style back button focus as possible. On Nikon it works just as you say but the Fujis are not so easy to setup. I now mainly shoot back button AFS with lock or shutter button AFC which is a quick and easy change to make with the front MSC switch. - or -

Another way which I also used with Nikon is to - select CL and AFC and just dab the shutter for single frames or keep pressed for continuous shooting.

Vic

Vaccam · Jan 1, 2018

Vic Chapman said:
On my XT2 =

Button/Dial setting - Shutter AF - AFC to ON. You might want to do the same with Shutter AE depending on your setup. Also check shutter/release priority - again to your preference.

AFS remains set to back button.

Vic

cprevost · Jan 1, 2018

If you haven't already go to the Fuji Autofocus site and read how it works on Fuji. It's a bit different.

http://fujifilm-x.com/af/en/

RivkiLocker · Jan 1, 2018

Vaccam said:
Vic Chapman said:

On my XT2 =

Button/Dial setting - Shutter AF - AFC to ON. You might want to do the same with Shutter AE depending on your setup. Also check shutter/release priority - again to your preference.

AFS remains set to back button.

Vic

--
The sky is full of holes that let the rain get in, the holes are very small - that's why the rain is thin.
Spike Milligan. Writer, comedian, poet, Goon. 1918 - 2002

Click to expand...

Vic,

I am a little confused with this statement. Could you please clarify? I use back button focus currently with both AFC and AFS, I have AF-ON tied to my back dial on my x-t20 and Shutter AF set to Off. The only two options I have in Button/Dial setting for Shutter AF is ON and Off and the setting seems to affect both AFC and AFS.

I have separate options for Shutter AFC and AFS on my XE3. Under Button/Dial setting - Shutter AF - I have both AFS and AFS. See photo below.

Vaccam said:
Am I missing something? Is the x-t2 different? What you wrote seems to suggest a different behavior for Shutter AF depending if AFS and AFC (MSC switch) is selected. I am probably just miss reading what you wrote.

Or, are you saying that with Shutter AF set to On you can still use Back Button focusing for AFS as long as you keep the back button pressed since AF is locked by the back button?

Thanks,

Michael

--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/vaccaphotography/

astrogrok · Jan 1, 2018

I thought the OP had back button focus to AF-lock rather than AF-on. They’re different.

myfujilife · Jan 1, 2018

For anything fast, go smallest zone

Vic Chapman · Jan 2, 2018

Vaccam said:
Vic Chapman said:

On my XT2 =

Button/Dial setting - Shutter AF - AFC to ON. You might want to do the same with Shutter AE depending on your setup. Also check shutter/release priority - again to your preference.

AFS remains set to back button.

Vic

Click to expand...

New FujiFilm user... need help with focus settings

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