Focus peaking v. magnification

I just added the E-M10 to the E-PM2 and am exploring the additional features the M10 has, figuring out what buttons to assign to what function, etc.

With manual focus, I am finding magnification more useful than focus peaking as a focusing aid.  On the other hand, I've never used focus peaking before and maybe I'm just not using it in the right way.  I would like to hear your views on the benefits of focus peaking over magnification -- or any tips you might have on how to put it to its best use.

Thanks.

I've never used focus peaking because my E-M5 doesn't have it, but magnification is a great tool for MF.  I set the function 2 button with it on and it works great.

Thanks for your replies.

It sounds like it may come down to a matter of choice and taste.  So far my experience has been more like jeffharris' but I'll keep playing around with the focus peaking and see if I improve with practice.  In the meantime, my fn button is set at magnification as that has been producing really good results.

jeffharris wrote:

When I first got my GX7 I tried using peaking alone and was surprised by the number of shots where what peaking had indicated as my area of focus wasn't in focus at all.

Yes, that's what I've been finding too.  I haven't tried using them together yet but I'll experiment with that.

Thanks.

My GH3 doesn't have focus peaking, and I don't know how it's implemented on any of the other M43 cameras, either.   But on the cameras I own that do have it I've learned not to trust it.   See this short Youtube video to see why.

Focus peaking AFAIK is really a video function when there's no time to use the magnify function. For critical focus, I always use magnification and a tripod.

jeffharris wrote:

mimritty wrote:

With manual focus, I am finding magnification more useful than focus peaking as a focusing aid. On the other hand, I've never used focus peaking before and maybe I'm just not using it in the right way. I would like to hear your views on the benefits of focus peaking over magnification -- or any tips you might have on how to put it to its best use.

Focus peaking I see and use more as a rough guide than for critical focus. Magnified focus assist is best for nailing focus. Using them together works well, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd take magnification. I prefer manual focus lenses to autofocus lenses.

When I first got my GX7 I tried using peaking alone and was surprised by the number of shots where what peaking had indicated as my area of focus wasn't in focus at all.

Yes, the two work best together for me.

Peaking to get there quickly and magnification to fine tune.

neil holmes wrote:

Peaking to get there quickly and magnification to fine tune.

That makes eminent sense.   One thing I hate is turning the focus ring and getting a completely blurry magnified view which I can't even be sure is the subject and then struggling to keep it centered as I crank the focus ring 180 degrees or more in order to see what the heck I'm focusing on.  Using peaking for coarse focusing would eliminate that, as long as you have an easy way to pop the magnified view up when you need it.

mimritty wrote:

I just added the E-M10 to the E-PM2 and am exploring the additional features the M10 has, figuring out what buttons to assign to what function, etc.

With manual focus, I am finding magnification more useful than focus peaking as a focusing aid. On the other hand, I've never used focus peaking before and maybe I'm just not using it in the right way. I would like to hear your views on the benefits of focus peaking over magnification -- or any tips you might have on how to put it to its best use.

Thanks.

Well you can use both and when the peaking is happening you know your eyes are not lying. When you cannot see it then you know your eyes are wrong or you simply have not switched focus peaking on, or the lever on top is not set to MF (at least on the GM1 this is so).

So it is hard to see why magnification alone could actually be better than magnified with focus peaking.  Or is it a case where we are comparing non-magnified focus peaked screen with a magnified non-focus peaked screen?  In whihc case perhaps the comparison should be unmagnified with or without focus peaking assist? Another ball game entiely.

Focus peaking is more accurate by definition when the areas in contrast are magnified.

One of the problems witht the Sony version is that their unmagnified focus peaked screen (especially with wides) focus peaks all over the place into an ink-blot look and so makes it very hard to find the precise point of focus among "the trees".  I would agree with your assumption in that case.

mimritty wrote:

Thanks for your replies.

It sounds like it may come down to a matter of choice and taste. So far my experience has been more like jeffharris' but I'll keep playing around with the focus peaking and see if I improve with practice. In the meantime, my fn button is set at magnification as that has been producing really good results.

Way to go,  I think if focus peaking is not working for you then you have not yet learned how to read it properly.  It uses the same contrast detect information that AF lenses might use and we don't get complaints much that AF lenses are not getting correct focus.  Of course AF on lenses is directed at certain points in the screen whilst focus peaking checks and highlights the whole area in focus to the point of actual depth of field.

Also by relying on contrast detect the focus peaking is maidservant to the contrast in the subject matter and also the resolving power of each lens.  AF contrast detect focus systems probably auto-compensate for this variable level of contrast to the point where it may even be lens specific.  But the focus peaking systems in a generic sense in camera do not.  This is more obvious in the Sony system which does not seem to be scaled at all.  In Sony parlance their system ranges from the ink-blot effect unmagnified with an almost always in focus wide to completely disappearing with a low-contrast telephot lens on magnified screen.  They throw in colors and various stength adjustments to try and allow their users to compensate (as does the Panasonic M4/3 version at least).  But in my opinion the Panasonic system makes a better fist of it than the Sony one.

Therefore if the lens does cover a significant depth of field the user has to be cautious and use the dof shown to figure out the true centre of focus (or magnify the screen) in the case of longer lenses then a magnified screen and some practical training and sensible thought process is very useful. Focus peaking will always show everything on the screen in focus to the point of the strength of the signal and the resolution capacity of the lens in use.  With some observation it can also give good judgement of the dof of the image in focus (hence indicating more than just the centre point of focus).  Focus peaking is just another very useful tool and used as it is meant to be used - with some experience and with intelligent thought.  Certainly not a fail safe cure all.  Practice improves judgement.

Tom Caldwell wrote:

mimritty wrote:

Thanks for your replies.

It sounds like it may come down to a matter of choice and taste. So far my experience has been more like jeffharris' but I'll keep playing around with the focus peaking and see if I improve with practice. In the meantime, my fn button is set at magnification as that has been producing really good results.

Way to go, I think if focus peaking is not working for you then you have not yet learned how to read it properly.

Yes, that's what I thought and that's why I posed the question.  Lots of interesting info in your post -- thank you.

I would like it if you could change the degree of magnification when using the focus assist. Sometimes, I think the 10 magnification is too much.

Sean Nelson wrote:

neil holmes wrote:

Peaking to get there quickly and magnification to fine tune.

That makes eminent sense. One thing I hate is turning the focus ring and getting a completely blurry magnified view which I can't even be sure is the subject and then struggling to keep it centered as I crank the focus ring 180 degrees or more in order to see what the heck I'm focusing on. Using peaking for coarse focusing would eliminate that, as long as you have an easy way to pop the magnified view up when you need it.

The magnification I'm using doesn't pop up automatically when I turn the focus ring -- I have to  press the button I've assigned to it, and then it magnifies within the focus box and in the amount I specify -- 5x and up.  The reason I'm finding it so useful is because it's controllable.

Thanks for posting the video, by the way -- it was very useful information and I'm going to try to replicate the demonstration.

iansmith wrote:

Tom Caldwell wrote:

Way to go, I think if focus peaking is not working for you then you have not yet learned how to read it properly. It uses the same contrast detect information that AF lenses might use and we don't get complaints much that AF lenses are not getting correct focus. Of course AF on lenses is directed at certain points in the screen whilst focus peaking checks and highlights the whole area in focus to the point of actual depth of field.

I've noticed the effect posted by Sean Nelson above, and focus peaking is very much NOT the same system as contrast detection.

It only is 100% accurate when you magnify the live image, otherwise it is just showing you contrast on the LCD display which is not accurate.

It's still a good tool, but you are right it needs to be used properly.

Focus peaking on low resolution screens does not work so well that is why many companies were slow to adopt it. The higher the resolution screen the better it gets.  On the Pentax Q it is only a very dotty twinkle but once you know what to expect and how to interpret it somehow magically becomes more accurate. But on the low-res Q screen 2x magnification is about as far as the screen resolution will take it.

mimritty wrote:

Tom Caldwell wrote:

mimritty wrote:

Thanks for your replies.

It sounds like it may come down to a matter of choice and taste. So far my experience has been more like jeffharris' but I'll keep playing around with the focus peaking and see if I improve with practice. In the meantime, my fn button is set at magnification as that has been producing really good results.

Way to go, I think if focus peaking is not working for you then you have not yet learned how to read it properly.

Yes, that's what I thought and that's why I posed the question. Lots of interesting info in your post -- thank you.

I cut my teeth on the two versions of focus peaking and MF only lenses on the Ricoh GXR with mount module and since then have used the Pentax Q, Sony NEX6 and now the GM1 versions.  Ricoh remains the best in the business, perfectly scaled to magnification right up to 8x and in their Mode2 version full screen always and useful at all magnifications.  But it looks crazy stuff and far different from their Mode1 which is much the same as is used by everyone else with various forms of a twist.