Some issues with the GFX100 II

[cunim]

I am very pleased with my new GFX II but there are a few things that remind me this is a kinda cranky little computer, as well as a camera. Quick summary, the GFX II does not tether as well as my IQ4, either in terms of stability or speed. This might matter to you if you are planning to do a lot of tethered shooting with the camera.

1. This is not a tether issue but if I am already whining...... I shoot with focus assist either off, or set to red peaking. A number of times now, my camera has suddenly reset itself to microprism assist (bad naughty camera) and I have to go back into the focus assist menu to fix this. It happens while I am shooting, without touching the menus, and for no reason I can see.
2. For tethering with C1, I must use static IP "Fixed" mode. Dynamic IP doesn't work at all, indicating an imperfect com protocol.
3. With static IP, tethering works OK (a bit clunky) on a new Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (W11) using the built in USB C ports. It works very badly (slow LV update with any zoom, all sorts of display and control glitches) using a USB A to USB C cable running from my 3 year old W10 desktop. Same with a one year old Surface Pro Studio, when connected via its factory USB C hub/power supply. Don't know if the problem is in the camera, the OS driver, or C1, but it is definitely there.
4. If you are using the fixed tethering mode, you need to be very careful to go back to "Universal" communication mode BEFORE you turn the camera off. If you do not, two things happen: a) When you turn on the camera again you are still in tether mode. Images will not be saved to card and there is no obvious indication this is happening. b) The battery drains (completely) while the camera is off.

Nothing too critical here, unless you are planning to tether on a USB C port that is not a native part of your motherboard, but point 4 has bitten me a number of times.

 

[Rand47]

Re #1 above, when you have any of the focus assist "types" enabled you can cycle through them by pressing the rear command dial "in" as a button. I'll bet you've inadvertently done that. When it happens again, just press the rear command dial to cycle back to your preferred red. I have the GFX 100 II, and am very familiar w/ the camera / menus, as I also still own and use the GFX 100. I've not experienced un-commanded changes in manual focus assist, and I use it probably 90% of the time. But the inadvertent pressing of the rear command dial sometimes still bites!

Rand

 

[Knorp]

As I'm not in tethering so I can't comment on your findings, but I do experience that apparently at random resetting of the focus assist function. Not often but it does happen occasionally.

 

[Knorp]

Hi Rand, well - if you say so I believe you as I couldn't detect a source of this behaviour myself yet.

 

[Rand47]

Hi Rand, well - if you say so I believe you as I couldn't detect a source of this behaviour myself yet.

Hi . . . I could, of course, be dead wrong and there might be something squirrely with your camera. But if I had to guess . . . (only because I can remember back when I first got my GFX 100 wondering what the heck was going on).

Rand

 

[cunim]

@Rand47 is quite correct. It is a feature. If you press the zoom command dial briefly it zooms. If you use a longer press, it cycles through the focus assist menu. Not documented, it seems. I can see how some people would find this useful but it drives me nuts. I wish we could either turn it off, or double the time needed for the dial press. Now it is about 1 sec and I inadvertently move through the list instead of zooming up or down.

 

[vjbelle]

Rand was/is dead on the money. I have encountered this anomaly and also discovered that longer pressing the rear command dial would cycle me through the focus assist menu. Not well documented but we all now can breath a litter easier by the posts.

Still really like the camera.....

Victor B.

 

[Knorp]

I found this in the manual ... but how to change or disable it ?

 

[Knorp]

I found this in the manual ... but how to change or disable it ?

View attachment 208757

Mmm, problem seems to be 'Focus Check' is assigned to the Rear Dial.
I'm afraid it's a feature we've got to accept and live with.