My experience has been mixed. Definitely not as good as others. Although I probably have tested more in video than some of the other users on this forum. Maybe that is why there is the discrepancy?
Just two days ago I was using continuous af in one-area mode shooting 4K 60p video. I was doing simple slow panning between two objects, one that was about two feet away and another that was about 12 feet away. The af was quite good when panning from the near object to the far object.
But when moving from the far object to the near object, the af would often take several seconds to change focus to the near object.
Now, af in video in aps-c mode and 60fps is supposed to be better than in 24 / 25 / 30fps, so that was pretty disappointing.
In short, I just don't feel I could trust continuous af for professional use. I might ATTEMPT to use it but I would definitely have peaking on and have my hand over the focus ring to override af with manual focus if I had to.
With respect.
I don’t do video so C-AF I can live without but common sense says to me that if Panasonic video was so bad for professional use then i would suggest that they should simply give up on their video enterprise - now!
One might wonder why video was such a big thing with Panasonic product line up.
Maybe their dedicated video camera types work better? But if so they still use CDAF.
Lots of people LOVE their Panasonic cameras for video, but they have either learned to live with manual focus or accept thee fact that they will have to do several takes if shooting in af-c. I would say that I fall in to that category.
A few weeks back on the Facebook group Panasonic Cameras for Video, I did a poll asking video shooters if they "trusted" the af on the S-Series cameras. It was about 15 no's to 2 yes's. These are all people who are committed to shooting video professionally or semi professionally.
I know that for Panasonic's Eva1 cinema camera, which is a super 35 / aps-c sensor, they used a Canon EF mount. I think the Eva1 has just af-s. (It might be manual focus only though.)
Traditionally, cinema cameras use manual focus (or a basic form of af-s), and lots of people shooting video on Panasonic S-Series cameras use aides such as follow focus wheels and HDMI monitors to help nail manual focus.
Also, if I understand correctly, the new Sony Venice 2, Sony's premiere cinema camera, they have eliminated Phase Detect auto focus so as to eliminate a particular type of image artifacts. I think it is called something like low band noise or something like that.
Thanks for that explanation. As someone who does not “do” video I wondered about the common sense aspect of just why are such a company so big in video persisting with a C-AF focus method that is “so bad”.
Your remarks have made it more clear that serious video users use MF and that this is not a disadvantage for those that are good at their game - there are specific tools and lenses to make that job easier and the product better. That great video is a truly expensive business and that Panasonic make dedicated video cameras with the “H” suffix that sit between the common or garden everyday models that “do” video and the serious professional stuff that costs real money. That even the professional stuff is mostly used with MF and PDAF sensors can cause artefacts in the images that show up in the video.
The end story is that Panasonic is not just being foolishly stubborn in persisting with CDAF, but doing so with good technical reason.
That perhaps those lusting for fast PDAF C-AF for high quality video might consider moving up a few notches and use more dedicated bodies, Cinema lenses and follow focus wheels.
Otherwise video on the cheap, by PDAF for C-AF and take artefact risks if manual focus is too hard, or put up with the C-AF flicker if they must use CDAF focusing gear with lower chance of artefacts. Seems that the professionals prefer MF anyway.
That is interesting. Of course, every field has its more specialized people and techniques.
Taking all these important information in mind, I tried manual focus in video on the nikon D7200 with all the lenses I have and some borrowed lenses. For me, and I think for most users, using manual focus on these lenses and bodies will turn the nice hobby into nightmare trying to focus on moving subjects. I know it needs a learning curve, but it also needs different lenses with different ring's sensitivities around the lens, may be bigger screen and focus peaking in video which can show you also the framing.
The Panasonic S5 is not intended for the most professional film makers. In addition, Panasonic does not have lines of full frame cameras which is intended more for video or more for stills. Having only CDAF which is less efficient than other systems harm them also as stills cameras for action shooting; and let customers who likes their other features suffering in shooting moving subjects (stills) and needs special lenses for video and to be professional video makers.
Just imagine if S5 has the AF system of the canon R6 or sony a7iii or iv, it would mostly close the only gap to be the best camera in class.
The grip, the menu, the touch screen implementation, the sensor shift for landscape, the button layout.... to build a camera like this and spoil the end product by sub-optimal AF is very strange. I do not know if the cost is one factor, but even the more costy S1 has the same system.
