14-140mm II … Lowlight refusal to trigger shutter

I have a 14-140mm f3.5-5.6 and GX8. I had a similar problem with a GX7.

In moderate light, sometimes the lens will focus (green focus box), but when I try taking the shot, the focus box turns red and the camera will NOT allow me to take the shot. In low light, forget it.

It’s incredibly frustrating and I’ve not been able to find a workaround or a way to trick the camera into complying. My “workaround” has been to change lenses. Irritating!

Usually I’m using M mode, but it does the same in iAuto.

is anyone having similar issues and figured out a way to get the shot?

stateit wrote:

I've recently got rid of my Panasonic camera, so can't check where in the menu it is, but there is a "take image when shutter button pressed even if focus not confirmed" option.

Somewhere.

Custom menu, page 3, Focus/Release Priority.

jeffharris wrote:

I have a 14-140mm f3.5-5.6 and GX8. I had a similar problem with a GX7.

In moderate light, sometimes the lens will focus (green focus box), but when I try taking the shot, the focus box turns red and the camera will NOT allow me to take the shot. In low light, forget it.

It’s incredibly frustrating and I’ve not been able to find a workaround or a way to trick the camera into complying. My “workaround” has been to change lenses. Irritating!

Usually I’m using M mode, but it does the same in iAuto.

is anyone having similar issues and figured out a way to get the shot?

I took my GX8 & 14-140 into my windowless bathroom and left the door open six inches. AF aid light off, shutter 1/2 second, f3.5, ISO 12800. It focused and shot. Gotta love Panasonic's low-light S-AF.

Closed the door down to two inches, 1 second, f4, ISO 12800. Got the red AF box, but it sill shot.

I have Focus/Release Prioty (Custom menu, page 3) set to "release".

Switch off silent mode / e-shutter?

Jacques Cornell wrote:

stateit wrote:

I've recently got rid of my Panasonic camera, so can't check where in the menu it is, but there is a "take image when shutter button pressed even if focus not confirmed" option.

Somewhere.

Custom menu, page 3, Focus/Release Priority.

Thanks, guys. Excellent! I’ll dig in and activate it.

I wondered if using manual focus would trick it, too. I’ll give that a try as well.

jeffharris wrote:

Jacques Cornell wrote:

stateit wrote:

I've recently got rid of my Panasonic camera, so can't check where in the menu it is, but there is a "take image when shutter button pressed even if focus not confirmed" option.

Somewhere.

Custom menu, page 3, Focus/Release Priority.

Thanks, guys. Excellent! I’ll dig in and activate it.

I wondered if using manual focus would trick it, too. I’ll give that a try as well.

Using an EM-1 I, but at a certain low light level the camera cannot obtain focus and will not shoot. But, if I use MF, it is very hard to see well enough to focus and focus peaking is barely discernible. If the shot is near enough infinity where you are sure of DOF, simply focus somewhere brighter holding down the shutter, then recompose and release the shutter. That may require a few shots to dial exposure with the EV.

Hi

I have the Mk 1 version of the lens on my G85.   I have the setting mentioned to Focus (as opposed to release).   I have no problem in either P or M mode focusing in very low light and triggering the shutter.

I don't use back button focus but I'm wondering if you are using it if that could be doing something not the way you expect.

Mark

Gary from Seattle wrote:

jeffharris wrote:

Jacques Cornell wrote:

stateit wrote:

I've recently got rid of my Panasonic camera, so can't check where in the menu it is, but there is a "take image when shutter button pressed even if focus not confirmed" option.

Somewhere.

Custom menu, page 3, Focus/Release Priority.

Thanks, guys. Excellent! I’ll dig in and activate it.

I wondered if using manual focus would trick it, too. I’ll give that a try as well.

Using an EM-1 I, but at a certain low light level the camera cannot obtain focus and will not shoot. But, if I use MF, it is very hard to see well enough to focus and focus peaking is barely discernible. If the shot is near enough infinity where you are sure of DOF, simply focus somewhere brighter holding down the shutter, then recompose and release the shutter. That may require a few shots to dial exposure with the EV.

I use manual lenses in low light regularly and never had a problem focusing. I don’t find peaking particularly accurate or very useful. Magnified view is the way to manual focus.

on various bodies, the GF3, GX1, GX7 and now GX85. When AF been locked by half press and hold the shutter, the focus distance usually never change. We use the focus and recompose style so if your finding happens To me, 99% of my photo would be OOF.

I am now out and when back home, shall take a test on how low light AF 14~140 mk-II can do on GX7/85. Shall report to you later.

alcelc wrote:

on various bodies, the GF3, GX1, GX7 and now GX85. When AF been locked by half press and hold the shutter, the focus distance usually never change. We use the focus and recompose style so if your finding happens To me, 99% of my photo would be OOF.

I use the modern method and shift the focus point.

I use half-press for focus, too.

I am now out and when back home, shall take a test on how low light AF 14~140 mk-II can do on GX7/85. Shall report to you later.

I was just playing around and it was working when setting the camera to MF (with the dedicated switch). I activated Focus/Release Priority to Release and it worked.

So, it looks like the problem is solved, at least for now.

Jacques Cornell wrote:

I have Focus/Release Priority (Custom menu, page 3) set to "release".

Me too. Perhaps I've missed focus on some shots by using the release priority setting, but missing shots entirely because the camera refuses to fire strikes me as worse ("Why is this damn thing not taking the photo?"). The G9 has a "balanced" setting, and I think I  selected that when setting mine up, with no subsequent problems.

jeffharris wrote:

alcelc wrote:

on various bodies, the GF3, GX1, GX7 and now GX85. When AF been locked by half press and hold the shutter, the focus distance usually never change. We use the focus and recompose style so if your finding happens To me, 99% of my photo would be OOF.

I use the modern method and shift the focus point.

I use half-press for focus, too.

I am now out and when back home, shall take a test on how low light AF 14~140 mk-II can do on GX7/85. Shall report to you later.

I was just playing around and it was working when setting the camera to MF (with the dedicated switch). I activated Focus/Release Priority to Release and it worked.

So, it looks like the problem is solved, at least for now.

Glad to know you have your concerned solved.

But I think there must some misunderstanding there from various replies which pointed you to use Shutter Release Priority instead of Focus Priority.

Yes, Release Priority might work because the camera will fire no matter has any focus been locked. So a risk of mis focusing or totally blur image having nothing in focus. Under Focus Priority the camera will only fired when a focus been locked (the intended focus or not) so totally blur image could be avoided. It is under the condition that the camera must has locked a focus (the green spot and beep sound AF confirmation) when we half press the shutter and keep it until firing.

If you are in AFS (single shot), once the focus been locked and that locking was held (keep shutter half pressed), the camera will never attempt to check on the focus again when we fully release the shutter. That is the basic of "focus and recompose" style of shooting. All of the Panny cameras I used, starting from the first Panny digital camera LC5, a few bridges and the MILCs from G1 to GX85 all have the same behaviour.

I suppose what it could be happened only under AFC or AFF that the camera will ignore the initial focus locking and keep on adjusting the focus for whatsoever falling inside the focus box at the point you fire. A reason I rarely use these modes because I want 100% control on my focus point. Other than that, I think I need to look at all of the settings you used for further investigation.

Basically under AFS, single focus point, focus has been locked and be kept until firing, it should not be possible to have the sort of your problem as described.

As said, a test was just done in my darkest room (bathroom with a small shaded window and today is over casting). According to the light meter App of my phone, it was darker than 0ev (lowest the app of my phone can measure), 14-140 mk-II on GX85 can lock focus as always (AFS, Single Focus point in its smallest size at the center):

Focus locked on the soldier, recompose such that the focus box falled on the camera when shot. Lighting condition around 3ev (with a light on)

Same as above, focus locked on the soldier, focus box on the camera when shot. Lighting condition <0ev according to my Phone App. On the parameters used should be 0ev ~ -1ev.

If you need something darker, I can do it again in the evening.