GH2 & Zuiko 35-100 AF speed and accuracy?

[Ziggie]

I posted this on the DPR forums also but got no reply. Maybe someone here can comment:

"While the G1 did not auto focus at all with the legacy 4/3 Zuiko lenses (except maybe a handful of late model contrast detection focus enabled ones) it seems the GH2 fares better in this matter.
I may get the GH2 in the near future but am concerned about its ability to focus reasonably speedily and accurately with the Zuiko 14-35, 35-100 and 150 lenses. Can anyone with actual experience with any of these camera/lens combos comment on the AF speed and accuracy? Thanks."

 

[Godfrey]

Panasonic's lens compatibility listings are here:
http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/connect/index.html

The ZD 150mm f/2 is not supported for AF, the other two are but don't expect them to focus as quickly as they would on, say, an E-5. I have no experience with these lenses on the GH2 model, but when I tested my FourThirds SLR lenses on the G2, auto-focusing was accurate but not particularly fast. Fast enough for my purposes, but I prefer to manual focus on the Panasonic Lumix G1/GH1/G2/GH2 most of the time anyway.

 

[Ziggie]

Thanks for the reply Godfrey. I had seen the compatibility list but the following phrase had me concerned (*7):
"Though AFS Mode is available, it may be lacking in sharpness in the image or taking longer than usual focusing time."
Good to hear that focus was accurate in your experience with the G2.

Ziggie

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks for the reply Godfrey. I had seen the compatibility list but the following phrase had me concerned (*7):
"Though AFS Mode is available, it may be lacking in sharpness in the image or taking longer than usual focusing time."
Good to hear that focus was accurate in your experience with the G2.

That's mostly Panasonic covering its corporate behind, I suspect. I think Olympus says something similar in their own compatibility charts.

I have seen no evidence of inaccurate focusing with any of the FourThirds SLR lenses on CDAF systems, either in the Pen or Lumix G cameras or in the DSLRs which support CDAF for Live View. The lenses are simply not optimized for CDAF focusing and do not focus as quickly as they do with standard PDAF systems they were designed for. When they cannot focus, it's pretty obvious that the CDAF system was simply unable to get a lock in that particular circumstance, it's not just "slightly off the mark".

AF is, of course, just a convenience to speed up making photographs when conditions permit its operation. ... ;-)

 

[jonoslack]

That's mostly Panasonic covering its corporate behind, I suspect. I think Olympus says something similar in their own compatibility charts.

I have seen no evidence of inaccurate focusing with any of the FourThirds SLR lenses on CDAF systems, either in the Pen or Lumix G cameras or in the DSLRs which support CDAF for Live View. The lenses are simply not optimized for CDAF focusing and do not focus as quickly as they do with standard PDAF systems they were designed for. When they cannot focus, it's pretty obvious that the CDAF system was simply unable to get a lock in that particular circumstance, it's not just "slightly off the mark".

My experience bears Godfrey out completely (although I didn't have the 35-100 to try).

AF is, of course, just a convenience to speed up making photographs when conditions permit its operation. ... ;-)

. . . . or slow it down

 

[Ziggie]

I wonder if the GH2 improved focusing speed (as opposed to the G1,GH1,G2 etc.) has an effect on these older 4/3 lenses as well. I hope.

Ziggie

 

[Godfrey]

I wonder if the GH2 improved focusing speed (as opposed to the G1,GH1,G2 etc.) has an effect on these older 4/3 lenses as well. I hope.

Since the G1/GH1/GF1 didn't autofocus most of the FourThirds SLR lenses at all, I expect the GH2 is an improvement on AF speed there ... ;-)

 

[Ziggie]

Since the G1/GH1/GF1 didn't autofocus most of the FourThirds SLR lenses at all, I expect the GH2 is an improvement on AF speed there ... ;-)

I think you may be on to something there.