[M-focus mode] Any interest in a half-press shutter release option for use with manual focus lenses

Hi fellow manual lens users,

The meaning is that, with the option set, half-pressing the shutter button combines the actions of both half-press and shutter release.

The motivation is to minimize camera shake if one needs to quickly activate the shutter release while manually updating the focus on a mobile target. The option is needed only if one uses the focus aids, magnification and peaking, otherwise there wouldn't be a need for this option.

The AF-S mode in combination with AF+MF already provides that functionality for Fuji system lenses and the option I propose here is not needed in either AF-S nor AF-C modes. As a reminder one needs to half-press the shutter button to activate the AF+MF mode and then the shutter becomes single action.

The option would not be needed if Fuji updated the M-focus mode to work like the AF-S mode does with the AF+MF option. That is if Fuji didn't deactivate the focus aids (magnification and peaking) when the shutter trigger button is half-pressed in M-mode.

THE PROBLEM AND THE PROPOSED SOLUTION

In the context where one wishes to activate the shutter release as soon as the focus is achieved while using the focus aids one has to fully press the shutter release in a single stroke.

The problem is that I need to fully press the shutter quickly and with a good amount of force to take the picture and that is a source of camera shake and it forces the use of higher shutter speeds than I would normally use.

I don't find it possible to apply "sharp-shooter" techniques with a double action trigger like the one on the XT3. I have worked at it for a couple of days now and I conclude that it would be much simpler if the XT3 had this option.

WHY NOW?

Quite simply because I just updated from the XE1 to the XT3. Fully pressing the shutter release in one stroke was not really an option on the XE1 in that particular scenario because the shutter lag was either 250 or 500ms on the XE1 (Yes, I measured it, and I felt it!). Fortunately the lags are gone (or at least I didn't feel the need to measure them) on the XT3. But the camera shake is there.

On the XE1 I managed to focus without the help of the focusing aids and with the finger half-pressing the shutter release ("sharp-shooter" style).

I believe this option would be a welcome addition to the XT3 given the small shutter lag of the camera.

OTHERS ALREADY HAVE IT

It looks like Micro four thirds already have the Half-press shutter release option.

"Half Press Shutter Release Setting"

"Half press shutter release?"

FOR THE CURIOUS

People who just use auto-focus lenses might think this is not really a problem and that there are workarounds. I will describe a couple of scenarios where the problem occurs.

1. Doing close-ups (say flowers with a bit of wind) with the camera handheld. Then either the camera moves back and forth or the flowers move slowly. Of course one wants to activate the trigger as soon as the focus is set.

2. Tracking a slowly moving subject with a long lens. The shutter speed is already high and one does not need an additional source of camera shake. The depth of field is small and again one needs to activate the shutter release quickly and as smoothly as possible.

Fuji has already fine tuned the AF-S and AF-C modes to do that with the auto-focus lenses. The finishing touch would be for Fuji to extend what has already been achieved in S mode to the M-focus mode for use with adapted lenses.