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Is Panasonic 12-35mm II parfocal?

Started Feb 25, 2018 | Discussions thread
SystemAgnostic Contributing Member • Posts: 867
My GH5 does not apply focus correction

Paul De Bra wrote:

I don't know about the 12-35 per se but it would be exceptional for it to be parfocal.

However, many newer camera-lens combinations are able to apply focus correction as you zoom, giving you the (false) impression that the lens is parfocal whereas instead of the focus not changing as you zoom it deliberately changes to compensate for the lens not being parfocal.

You can hear this actually: half-press to achieve focus. Then let go of the shutter button (so as to not refocus deliberately), zoom in and out and listen carefully to the lens. When you hear something moving (as in driven by a motor) it is the focus mechanism changing focus so as to keep actual focus constant. So for all practical purposes it is as if the better modern zoom lenses are parfocal: you can change the zoom to some extent and more or less retain focus.

Can someone describe the settings under which they achieve this? My GH5 does not apply focus correction as I zoom. I've tried different settings with both my 35-100 2.8 I and 12-35 2.8 II. Settings I've tried:

Video continuous focus disabled. Switch is on AFC or AFS.  Achieve focus. Turn on video recording. Change zoom. Focus area moves.

Manual focus. Achieve focus. Turn on video recording. Then change zoom. Again, focus area moves.

If I turn on continuous autofocus, then indeed the camera will attempt to keep the focus subject in focus.  However it seems to me it is doing so re-actively based on looking at the scene, and not based on understanding the zoom and focus distance.  I say this because the camera is usually (always?) slightly behind being in focus, unless I zoom VERY slowly.

 SystemAgnostic's gear list:SystemAgnostic's gear list
Panasonic LX100 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 Panasonic GH5 Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-150mm F4-5.6 ASPH Mega OIS Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm F2.8 OIS +6 more
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