Pseudo-one-push manual focus assist for G1

[Ranger 9]

This YouTube video shows a sort of sleight-of-hand trick for bringing up the G1's "manual focus assist" feature with one finger action.

Okay, it's kind of trivial, and yes, probably a lot of people have already figured it out on their own, and no, it's not as good as the one-button firmware update we're all hoping for. But it does work! I tried it, and after a few minutes of practice I can do it every time. I used it at a concert shoot last night and it really does make focus assist more accessible.

 

[Diane B]

That's pretty slick. No, I hadn't tried that but have been doing what someone else suggested--clicking on the left button and the center as I bring the camera to my eye so its ready to MF when I am. Both help, but I may practice this one more--still, it would be nice to have that one button, wouldn't it?

Diane

 

[scho]

Thanks Ranger9. Good tip and works quite well.

 

[Brian Mosley]

I'm guessing he's only just started this technique... as there's still some paint on his cursor buttons.

I'll give our Panasonic contact a call this week for any progress on the requested fast MF assist mod.

Kind Regards

Brian

 

[Y.B.Hudson III]

What about a fix for the shutter delay when pressing the shutter button while in MF assist mode?

 

[ekso]

This YouTube video shows a sort of sleight-of-hand trick for bringing up the G1's "manual focus assist" feature with one finger action.

Okay, it's kind of trivial, and yes, probably a lot of people have already figured it out on their own, and no, it's not as good as the one-button firmware update we're all hoping for. But it does work! I tried it, and after a few minutes of practice I can do it every time. I used it at a concert shoot last night and it really does make focus assist more accessible.

thanks mate. This is a good tip.

 

[monza]

Shutter delay fix? Explain

 

[Brian Mosley]

Really, it is a good tip - but I wouldn't use your thumbnail, unless you want to scratch off the decals on the buttons.

You can roll your thumb from left to right and it works just as well.

Kind Regards

Brian

 

[Y.B.Hudson III]

MONZA...Re...shutter delay scenario

1. Shoot with out lens
2. Aperature priority
3. MF setting
4. MF assist zone activated
5. Zone scrolled to desired position
6. MF zone magnification activated.
7. Lens focused
8. Shutter button fully depressed for the eXposure
9. Unacceptable shutter lag...

for example... the violinist was in profile and the focus point, and the green praying mantis
was facing camera...when the shudder button was depressed...but this wuz t' resuLt...

not fre@Kin acceptable result!

It would be nice to have a fix for this problem...

 

[Michiel Schierbeek]

MONZA...Re...shutter delay scenario

You are right to many actions to perform before pressing the button with action/moving subjects.
Must be a firmware solution for it, but as someone from Panasonic said before; I don't read the forums.
We need friends in high places! Brian?

 

[monza]

I don't perceive any difference in the time between pressing the button and the shutter firing with focus assist (i.e., with a magnified view) or without focus assist (i.e., an unmagnified view.)

 

[Y.B.Hudson III]

Monza...follow my scenario...scroll the focus area to desired position, magnify the area...then cLicK...there is no delay if the focus area remains in the defalt position...

 

[monza]

OK...since my desired position is always centered, there isn't a delay.

There is far, far more delay moving the box around, that's when the shot is lost, which is why I don't move the box except if I'm shooting on a tripod.

 

[Jonas]

I get the delay all the time when having zoomed in the are I want to focus precisely, it doesn't matter if I have moved around it or not. It's the fraction of a second it takes for the camera to go back to the normal unmagnified view before taking the image that is disturbing.

A fix that let go of the shutter immediately would be fine.

But... when in magnified view the camera goes to normal view with a halfpress of the shutter. I wish it didn't do that. Normally to get the image, free from camera shake and at the right moment, I halfpress and then take the image.

When in magnified view this doesn't work. To get the image quickest possible I have to go from no press to to full press in one movement (not good) and to that get the mentioned delay.

There are a number of other ways this could be handled.

I wonder if there is anythin gin my setup making for the delay. I'll have to dig into the wonderful and logic menu system and see if I can find anything related.

regards, /Jonas

 

[monza]

I don't see any fraction of a second delay in my testing...only if the box is moved. But I rarely if ever move the box, anyway. This is almost a guarantee of missing the moment, unless it's a still life subject.

Manual focus assist does need some perfecting, I hope Panasonic gets around to it soon.

 

[Vivek]

Ranger, It is a great post.

Just to add some extra fingers.. (sorry no video, I hope I can convey it in words):

Mine is a 3 finger operation.

The thumb as Ranger demonstrated very well.

The index finger staying atop the shutter trigger.

The middle finger on the "thumb wheel" (located in the front).

The thumb does the magnification, the middle finger either enlarges it or one push (yes, you can) takes it back to the non-magnified version.

The index finger does the deed.

The discrepancy experience on delay with the half pressing of the shutter comes only from that soft, hesitated half press.

Push the "thumb wheel" and the shutter- no delay.

Yes, one can train themselves to do this quickly.

It works well for me since I use only the LCD (or TFT) for framing/focusing and my other hand is actually cradling the camera in addition to the focusing part.


Ranger, Nice demo. Oddly (not sure if I had ever met you at all), your voice sounds familiar!

 

[Jonas]

I don't see any fraction of a second delay in my testing...only if the box is moved. (...)

I get a short delay, tried it again. It doesn't mater though if I moved the box or not.
Camera is set MF, single shot mode.

(...)
The discrepancy experience on delay with the half pressing of the shutter comes only from that soft, hesitated half press.

Hesitated? I never hesitate. By a quick and firm press all the way down I didn't stop half way thinking click or not click... I just pressed.
I even trained ckicking and after three or four times I learned how to quickly press the trigger all the way down and let go of it without getting any image at all. The camera hesitates...

I still wonder if it is a thing with the settings.

In real life this odean't matter a lot. I adopt by setting the focus and wait for the moment with the screen in normal view. The G1 is pretty slow anyway making me work slight different compared to the Canon SLR.

regards, /Jonas

 

[monza]

I have never been in magnified focus assist mode and directly fired the shutter; my process is to focus, half-press, recompose, fire. Since the magnification results in no view of the rest of the frame, I find a half-press to revert to the standard magnification works best for me, to verify the rest of the frame before shooting. (Even so, I can't seem to perceive any delay if I do directly fire the shutter without doing the half-press.)

Perhaps the change in the subject in this image was due to not seeing the subject move because it was outside the magnified area?

When the G1 is on a tripod, I've moved the focus assist box around. Sometimes the box moves briskly around the screen, sometimes it's sluggish. Haven't figured that one out yet.

 

[Jonas]

I have never been in magnified focus assist mode and directly fired the shutter; my process is to focus, half-press, recompose, fire. (...)

Well, that explains the differing experiences. If you never tried it you didn't suffer from it...

Your way of working is pretty much the same as mine then. At short distances and large aperture openings I don't refocus of course. No problems. The delay is there when trying to trig the shutter directly when in magnified mode.

 

[monza]

As I mentioned though, even when I tried it (without moving the box) I didn't perceive a delay. After moving the box, I perceived the tiniest of delays.

Moving the box is what really takes time, so much so that the moment is easily lost.