Fujinon 35mm f/1.4 with X-T3

colombiano wrote:

Makingtrax wrote:

ediblestarfish wrote:

Makingtrax wrote:

Can you share your settings. I’ve been struggling to get much in focus with 3yr old, unless they’re standing still.

If I use eye recognition with AFC, I find it too slow to get focus, and if I use wide tracking I find often the eyes aren’t in focus when I pixel peep.

Any help much appreciated.

This is my experience too. Even with the f2 and its smaller maximum aperture giving more DoF and naturally having an AF speed advantage, my keeper rate is quite low unless I generate more DoF by stepping back or stopping down more.

The 35mm f1.4 is much slower at closer distances, as the maximum AF speed seems a bit more limited, and the distance % changes are higher, giving the AF a real workout.

Also at f1.4, the eye-af frequently hits the eyelashes instead of the pupil.

Still, the best sharp images are when I shoot low speed bursts when my 3 year old is occupied with something and slows down. Standing still helps of course, but I sometimes get the odd mis-focus.

In any case, the one-eye in focus thing isn't really my style, and I tend to shoot f4 normally (also you get a crazy resolution boost). So the f1.4 isn't really missed for my style of shooting. You can see my results here, though most are with the 23mm f2 @ f4.

https://sunflowerinthesky.smugmug.com

Thanks for that. I enjoyed looking at your photos.

Coming from 5DIi and 70-200f2.8 I found that combo very good for toddler photos. The focus was quick and I wasn’t in their faces. The keeper rate was excellent.

But I switched to Fuji xT3 to go mirrorless, lighter and have eye recognition. I also bought the 35mm 1.4, 56mm 1,2, and 16mm 1.4. But so far I’ve been a bit disappointed. I like shallow DOF shots and when the subject is fairly still I get good results, but as soon as the subject is moving about I’m struggling to get anything sharp wide open, even at decent shutter speeds. I’m hoping it’s my technique and will keep practising to find one that works but eye recognition is not fast enough with these lenses.

For best results for action you would have to buy some other lenses - 90F2 or 50-140 F2.8. Those are the ones with quickest autofocus.

I have 90 and am very satisfied with it for action shots - but you need to have the space, so it's mostly lens for outside kids' action.

That’s what I feared. Thanks.