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GH6 focus peaking bug?

Started 4 months ago | Questions
jjdp Contributing Member • Posts: 606
GH6 focus peaking bug?

Just got one.

Settings: MOV 4k 10 bit 4:2:2 L. V-log. DR Boost on.

Below ISO 4000, focus peaking appears to highlight the noise. The noise itself isn't much, but the peaking color dancing all over the screen is distracting. (At 4000, while the noise itself doesn't change much, the peaking clears up a lot, gradually increasing peaking noise up from there.) With DR boost off, it mostly disappears at those lower ISO settings. But of course I want DR boost on for the most part. Also, with LUT view assist, focus peaking on the noise is a little more noticeable. And while manually focusing, in the zoomed-in window, the peaking noise is more prominent.

Lowering the peaking sensitivity helps overall, but doesn't entirely eliminate it.

EDIT: another observation, it's less noticeable in the viewfinder than the monitor, though still there. Maybe that has to do with the resolution difference between the 2?

It seems like focus peaking in general will highlight noise, but something extra happens with DR boost even if the noise is low. Any ideas?

Fwiw, my Sony a6500 doesn't do this. Peaking only shows what's in focus, it doesn't follow the noise, even in noisy settings like S-log3.

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Sony a6500
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John Koch Senior Member • Posts: 1,602
Re: GH6 focus peaking bug?
1

Good luck finding anyone who might help you solve this problem.

Unfortunately, if one searches mentions of "GH6" in this little sub-forum, any references are largely tangential or hypothetical. Various independent GH6 user forums exist, but often don't have much traffic, or people pose questions and no one answers. None of the "how to" sources I see, whether related to the GH6 or GH5, delve into your particular scenario and bug.

Steven Litton shoots video with a GH6 and he posted a video about manual focus controls. It does not address your particular issue. However, perhaps he can help, whether by replicating or diagnosing the problem, or by referral to other GH6 users who might know.

There is a 2019 discussion of Panasonic focus peaking problems at the EOSD forum , which may be of help, even if it is not particularly conclusive.

Contact with members of the Vimeo GH5-GH6 User Group is another potential path.

My dumb guess is that any use of a flat profile or DR boost will conflict with the focus peaking function. In low light, FP may not work at all. My dumb assumption is that focus peaking works well only in high contrast or sharp standard profile modes. If compelled to shoot in reduced contrast or DR boost modes, both AF and MF become a challenge. MF will depend on your own visual reconning. If the aperture is wide, there might be lots of trouble.

In other words, what you call a "bug" might instead be a "known issue," a fundamental constraint, that cannot be undone by a firmware fixed, but only avoided by work-around measures: either use settings where focus peaking works, or else find substitute means of achieving narrow DOF focus or deepening your focus.

Are sure that your Sony a6500 does not present a similar problem? Were you using identical settings under identical conditions? Were you using a low contrast LUT or a DR boost? The a6500 uses PDAF, but that would presumably not matter if you were using manual focus.

DiZu Forum Member • Posts: 52
Re: GH6 focus peaking bug?

Hi,

the noise pattern is only prominent in the V-Log profile (less to none in high contrast profiles). It gets worse with in body sharpening set to a higher level. You can only minimize it by using the internal noise reduction (set to 4-5 should do the trick) and sharpening all the way to 0.

Is it a bug ? I guess its just the way focus peaking works in low contrast aka V-Log.

The noise starts to show up at arround 2.3 stops underexposed and gets really bad at 4 stops underexposed.

Yeah its a bit distracting, but it shows you the underexposed areas

Dirk

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Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6
OP jjdp Contributing Member • Posts: 606
Re: GH6 focus peaking bug?

Thanks! And yeah, I later posted this in the m43 section after realizing. (I'm normally over here)

I'm leaning towards bug. Just chatted with Panasonic support and after a bunch of failed remedies they're escalating it to higher-up tech support. It seems restricted to V-log with DR boost on.

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