Re: auto focus Hy6 and Sinar-M
I am using both systems and as I was told by Sinar people in Switzerland the Hy6 's AF is based on the proven solutions first introduced on the M-System. I find their behavior pretty similar in the interpretation of the contrast and brightness situations. The Hy6 and the Sinar-M AF has relative difficulty to auto-focus when the motif lacks contrast.
The Hy6 behaves the same in the low contrast situation than my Sinar-M. Sometime I have to put a bright yellow ruler on a painting I copy to let the AF sensor see the plane of the surface I am trying to focus on. It never happens in bright environment, only when I use polarizers on my lights and the lens. The red illumination light helps and definitely my Hy6 focuses better than the "M" when the light is bad. In my amateur experience the red light helps only on the distances between 2-5 meters, in close up and dim situations IMO one shall rely on the manual focus more, at the same time both systems perform auto-focusing very easily when the AF extension tubes are used and the motif fills the bigger part of the image.
As you all the pros on this forum know than NO current MF cameras utilize AF systems on par with a Canon/Nikon's and your expectations should be low. I cannot talk about new Hasselblads, but I have access to Mamiyas and Contaxes and a Rollei 6008 AF with different backs and tested auto focus with all of them. No one is perfect. And I need this AF thing because I have very bad case of astigmatism on both eyes.
I think than ether your expectations were a bit unrealistic or the camera was faulty. I live in the part of the world where the dealer support in very rudimentary, we cannot send the cameras for check ups every week and we all, who use the MFD, tend to get used to the camera first, spend several weeks with it to learn it, to know its limitations and only than jump to the conclusions.
I see a lot of excitement on this forum, people see the quality of the MFD and do not want to hear about limitations and quirks and accept them.
Kind regards
Yevgeny