PhaseOne SF vibration mode, AF fine tune, battery

[Wayne Fox]

Things are gradually returning to normal (or should I say settling into my new normal with the major life changes I’ve just gone through), and so my new XF/380/40-80mm just arrived. Been fun. I must say the camera controls seem well thought out and a dream to use compared to anything I’ve used before including various dSLR’s.

As far as vibration mode, not sure if I understand how this is setup. I assumed from the documentation that once I enable vibration mode, the camera automatically uses the internal seismic data to trigger the shutter if possible before the count down timer. But the only way I can get this to work is to view the live seismographic display, and then wait until it flat lines. It always seems to take a few seconds to flat line, but as soon as it has flat lined then bumping the camera settles back to flat line very quickly. But if I set it to an 8 second delay, no matter how long I wait the camera always triggers after 8 seconds, unless I’ve first viewed the seismographic display and I’ve seen it flat line.

Also curious if anyone has found it worth while to fine tune AF, especially where it’s a single setting for all lenses.

Anyone tried the hyperfocal thing? Sounds cool. It’s unfortunate they put a special focus bracketing mode into the camera for setting up hyperfocal focusing, but not include a focus bracketing for every day use. Maybe a firmware update ...

Any thoughts as to whether to switch the body battery to the back when it depletes and starts using the body battery and put the fresh one in the body, or just change each out when they need it. I thought they would sort of draw down together, but the back must just switch to the body battery when it’s own battery gets too low.

 

[GrahamWelland]

In my limited week using the XF and IQ350 I found that the back battery seems to be the most sensitive to operation as they deplete. I had some experiences where the back battery ran flat and even though the body had power the camera would lock. When the body battery was low and the back had more power everything seemed to work fine.

I ended up swapping out the back battery as it got low and worried less about the battery in the XF body.

 

[Bill Caulfeild-Browne]

Here's a few answers for you, Wayne. I too find the Vibration mode generally runs the full length of the delay unless the camera is sitting on a stone wall or a slab of concrete!

I have found the fine-tuning (focus trim) very well worth while. The camera remembers which lens you tuned - it's not a single setting for all lenses like the DF+. I found all my lenses need some trim - a couple were front focussing and a couple were rear focussing. The only lens that needed no trim was the standard 80 mm LS.

I find the battery in the back runs down about twice as fast as the one in the body - but the camera goes on functioning just fine when the back is exhausted until the body one dies too. However, given that Li-Ion batteries don't like to be exhausted, I tend to change both when the "end is near".

The hyperfocal setting is fabulous. Read the manual carefully. I've only set up my 35 LS so far but will get to the others when I have time (after the holidays!).

 

[Wayne Fox]

Here's a few answers for you, Wayne. I too find the Vibration mode generally runs the full length of the delay unless the camera is sitting on a stone wall or a slab of concrete!

Interestingly enough, as long as I slide the display over so I can see the seismograph, and wait until it flat lines, it works great until I change settings or power the camera off. On a good tripod it triggers within a couple of seconds even if I use the camera’s shutter release, if I trigger with capture pilot it’s almost instantaneous.

I’m not sure why I have to be reviewing the seismograph screen and wait until it flat lines matters, if I don’t do that it never works but takes the full 8 seconds even if on tripod and waiting for a long time and using capture pilot to trigger. Doesn’t seem to be working as documented.

Would be curious if anyone else can duplicate this behavior.

 

[Bill Caulfeild-Browne]

OK, Wayne, I just tried mine and it's precisely the same as yours. I tend to use the release on the 380 back as a very light touch suffices, and exposure is almost immediate. In future I'll do the same as you and have the seismograph displaying a flat line before triggering.

 

[Paul2660]

IQ260 and XF. My experiences

Vibration detect set to auto and vibration delay set to 8 seconds. With camera on tripod with press of shutter or fired from camera controls the shutter will fire long before the full 8 seconds. Usually within 2 or 1 sec. If I depress the shutter and then move the camera I will see the count down start from 8 seconds and as soon as I let go within 1 sec I fires. I do not see the seismograph screen when this is happening. I think that's the way it's supposed to work as it fires as soon as it detects all motion stops.

Vibration detect set to off and Vibration delay set to 8 sec or any of the selected times.
If I fire the camera from either the camera controls or the shutter the camera waits the full 8 seconds or for whatever delay I have set.

This seems to be the way it works in the Phase Videos. But I may have missed something.

Paul C

 

[MILESF]

Interestingly enough, as long as I slide the display over so I can see the seismograph, and wait until it flat lines, it works great until I change settings or power the camera off. On a good tripod it triggers within a couple of seconds even if I use the camera’s shutter release, if I trigger with capture pilot it’s almost instantaneous.

I’m not sure why I have to be reviewing the seismograph screen and wait until it flat lines matters, if I don’t do that it never works but takes the full 8 seconds even if on tripod and waiting for a long time and using capture pilot to trigger. Doesn’t seem to be working as documented.

Would be curious if anyone else can duplicate this behavior.

Wayne forgive me if you've done this but have you calibrated the seismograph ? Tools/Seismograph/Press and hold. I found mine took the full 8 seconds until I found that it needed to be calibrated. Now it seems to work well.

Also like the hyperfocal tool which I've done for the 35mm, 45mm amd 80mm. Still need to find time to set focus trim.

 

[Wayne Fox]

Wayne forgive me if you've done this but have you calibrated the seismograph ?

Had no clue it needed calibrated. I’ll try that tonight.

Tools/Seismograph/Press and hold.

I assume it waits until you’ve removed your hand after holding it for a period of time? hard to calibrate if you are touching it.

 

[Paul2660]

Miles good catch. I forgot that I had gone through the calibration process after watching one of the Phase videos.

Paul C

 

[Bill Caulfeild-Browne]

Paul, can you provide a link to the video? darned if I can find it!
Thanks,
Bill

 

[MILESF]

I assume it waits until you’ve removed your hand after holding it for a period of time? hard to calibrate if you are touching it.

Wayne I just set it up on the tripod and started the calibration. It takes s few moments to go through the process.

The only video I saw showed Lau tapping the body to show that it didn't fire and then showing it fire when he stopped. But I think he never mentioned calibration in the video that I saw and it's not obvious - just one of those things that Phase expects users to be able to figure out perhaps .
I think I found the answer in the (expanded) XF user manual on the Phase website.

 

[Wayne Fox]

Tools/Seismograph/Press and hold.

Not sure what I press and hold. If I go to tools, I can use the front dial to move up and down, and when on seismograph I can use the rear dial to enable the seismograph display. But there is nothing to press and hold. Press and hold on seismograph doesn't do anything.

It appears what is happening is after I enable vibration detection (including if I power the camera on), I have to "calibrate" the seismograph by accessing the display and waiting until it "flat lines", which I assume happens when it is "calibrated". However, turning off the camera or moving to another mode and back seems to lose this calibration, requiring me to go through the same process to enable it.

Not a real problem, pretty easy to work around. Just seems like I missing something.

 

[MILESF]

Wayne, I don't have my camera with me right now. I think I just had to get to the Seismograph screen and then push gently down on it and hold it until it asked if I wanted to calibrate it. There are quite a lot of XF functions that work this way. I'd suggest looking for the updated and (slightly) expanded manual on the Phase website. I'm sure the answer is there. Good luck.

 

[Wayne Fox]

Ok, some final thoughts on the seismograph issue.

First, the XF screen is touch sensitive, but not force sensitive, so pressing doesn’t do anything. Just touching is all that is required.

To calibrate the seismograph, I found I had to show the seismograph display, wait for it to flat line, then touch and hold the screen for a few seconds. It will then ask if you want to calibrate. If you reply yes, it does it’s thing. Once it has calibrated, the camera functions as I expected, selecting vibration delay works without having to view the seismograph display and wait for it to flat line.

Very cool feature, although it triggers so quick sometimes I’m nervous. I’ve always thought it took at least a second or two for the camera to settle after pressing the shutter release. I’ll have to do some testing,