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Focussing using Focus Mask on IQ180

Is it realistic to use the Focus Mask in Live View on the IQ180 as a stand-alone focussing system. That is, is it good enough so that other systems can be done away with?
 

gazwas

Active member
Live View is not working on the IQ backs yet and owners are awaiting a FW update that was supposed to be in June.

Word on the street is that live view will be about 3fps, pretty slow refresh for focusing IMO and in bright lighting the use of a variable density ND filter will need to be used over the lens.

Its all just rumour and speculation at the moment but if your buying an IQ back primarily for the live view/tech camera functionality I would wait for Phase to issue its FW release.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
But, I use focus mask to confirm focus in the field, and it is working sublimely well for me -- I rarely go to 100% view unless my main subject focus point is super critical. IOW, the existing technology WITHOUT liveview is working for me.
 

vjbelle

Well-known member
But, I use focus mask to confirm focus in the field, and it is working sublimely well for me -- I rarely go to 100% view unless my main subject focus point is super critical. IOW, the existing technology WITHOUT liveview is working for me.
Even though I use a MF loupe as an extra aid I agree with Jack..... focus mask is extremely useful and accurate almost always/most of the time. It can be fooled on occasion but then there is always, for me, the loupe. I can't imagine not using it!

Victor
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I may actually start carrying my 4x loupe for reviewing the LCD critically at 100%. So far I have not needed it, but kind of like the Leica Disto I just ordered --- not sure it's necessary, but at least it's cool!
 

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
Still waiting for a tech camera to use it on but I am lasering everything in sight with my Disto.
-bob
 

jlm

Workshop Member
i was watching lance demo focus mask on his arca/180 yesterday and it looked very cool, however i did notice it picked up a contrary point to be in focus. the shot was looking down a building lined street and the focus was set to 600 ft or so. Parts of buildings at that distance, (the buildings parallel to the street, not perpendicular to the lens axis), showed to be in focus as they should have been. But so did a similar building part on 40 ft away, but only in one well illuminated area
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
John, it's important to set the IQ FM setting to an appropriate value for your lens and back. Generally speaking, sharper lenses and/or lower resolution backs need a higher setting. For example, Guy's IQ160 needs a higher setting than my IQ180 with the 110 LS lens, and my 110 LS needs a higher setting than my 35 over my IQ180.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
In that case you bring your focus mask number up a little higher. It will go by contrast so this can happen in this case.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Jack and I posted at the same time but he is right my 160 takes a higher number and we are thinking I have less pixels and also just a shade less DR so my back I need to raise the number to get the same focus points than the 180. We still need to get together and confirm that but I noticed it immediately when I got my back over using the 180 for awhile there.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Exactly. If the mask is showing too much in-focus, then you need a higher number. It's pretty intuitive to set once you start using it, and only takes a second to do.
 

vjbelle

Well-known member
I may actually start carrying my 4x loupe for reviewing the LCD critically at 100%. So far I have not needed it, but kind of like the Leica Disto I just ordered --- not sure it's necessary, but at least it's cool!
I also just ordered a Disto...... A D5. I'm adding a 150mm to my Alpa arsenal and a Disto is a must along with an iPhone holder.

Victor
 
There are two other really great things about the disto

1. It has a standard photographic thread near the rear. A straight adapter from any pro lighting shop and the disto can be mounted directly on an Alpa body (So I guess other cameras too) pretty close to the film plane and it is then parallel to the back.

2. Measure tilt. You can use it to level the camera/tripod. If you're not able to shift enough and need to tilt the camera upwards for building shots, you can measure the angle of tilt of the camera. I'm experimenting with translating back tilt directly into keystone adjustments in C1. The tilt measurement is absolute and does not care if the tripod is not level (unlike a graduated head/movement which is relative to the tripod).

I believe it will also be very useful should I get a tilt adapter as it can do some of the trig calcs as described by Merklinger.

The main drawback is it's something else in your bag to carry/worry about/put batteries in.
 

Tim Ernst

New member
I've been using my Disto D5 to measure the height of waterfalls when I'm not able to get to the top and use a tape measure (I've got a new waterfall guidebook coming out with more than 200 waterfalls in it and folks love to know the exact height of the waterfalls). I bought the Disto for my Alpa last fall but found that I never used it so was getting ready to list it here for sale. When I was looking through the owners manual as I packed it up I noticed that it could measure the height of something as well as the distance, plus a lot of other stuff. So I tried it out a few times and the measurements were right on. I'll only be using it for another couple of weeks and then the guidebook will be done and the minty Disto will be up for sale here...
 
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