XF firmware update #4: Focus and recompose with the XF, finally!

[DrakeJ]

I'm in heaven (figuratively...), this is what I've been waiting for:

"Autofocus and Recompose - The Autofocus and Recompose mode enables the photographer to focus on a subject and recompose the frame while retaining the desired focus point.

Zoom to Focus - In connection with the new Autofocus and Recompose mode, Zoom to Focus allows photographers to verify the focus by providing a dynamic image preview option in the IQ Digital Back, automatically enlarging captured images to the point of focus."

Can't find any details, but fstoppers has published the information: https://fstoppers.com/gear/phase-on...-digital-back-xf-system-feature-update-195772

 

[gerald.d]

Videos are up on the Phase One YouTube channel.

 

[Paul2660]

With autofocus recompose I am confused.

In essence you can do that now can't you? Use the single AF point to focus on part of the subject then move the camera to re compose the scene? I do this all the time with the XF.

How does this new feature improve on this?

Paul Caldwell

 

[Christopher]

With autofocus recompose I am confused.

In essence you can do that now can't you? Use the single AF point to focus on part of the subject then move the camera to re compose the scene? I do this all the time with the XF.

How does this new feature improve on this?

Paul Caldwell

It moves the focus similar to HB truefocus.

 

[Paul2660]

I guess I will have to see if it helps in the field.

It seems more applicable to a studio.

Currently on 3 BL lenses work with it. 80mm 110mm and new 150 f2.8.

No wides or the 40-80 or 75-150.

Also no mention if non blue ring versions of the 75-150 will work.

Paul Caldwell

 

[Mgreer316]

Paul,

With shallow DoF I find it extremely difficult to nail focus when focusing and recomposing. So I am overjoyed with this announcement. I think. Is it really lens specific? If so, that sucks and just another example of Phase One milking it's customer base to upgrade to get functionality that should already be in such an expensive system.

 

[ejpeiker]

With autofocus recompose I am confused.

In essence you can do that now can't you? Use the single AF point to focus on part of the subject then move the camera to re compose the scene? I do this all the time with the XF.

How does this new feature improve on this?

Paul Caldwell

That's not the same thing. When you focus and recompose, especially in narrow DOF situations, just the movement in the camera when you recompose can cause you to miss focus slightly in front or slightly in back of what you focused on before you recomposed. This attempts to automatically compensate for that.

 

[DrakeJ]

That's not the same thing. When you focus and recompose, especially in narrow DOF situations, just the movement in the camera when you recompose can cause you to miss focus slightly in front or slightly in back of what you focused on before you recomposed. This attempts to automatically compensate for that.

And it's especially important when using wider angle lenses, which is why I'm wondering why they choose to support 80, 110 and 150mm lenses. The 80mm I can understand, but why not the 55mm and wider?

I hope they fully use the 6 axis gyro so they not only compensate for up/down/left/right but forward and backward as well. How awesome wouldn't that be? Focus and move around as you please. Perhaps that's asking too much

 

[Paul2660]

That's not the same thing. When you focus and recompose, especially in narrow DOF situations, just the movement in the camera when you recompose can cause you to miss focus slightly in front or slightly in back of what you focused on before you recomposed. This attempts to automatically compensate for that.

Thanks.

I watched the CI info on it. I can see it working great for portrait work. But not in my type of work. But this will obviously be a big improvement for many.

Paul Caldwell

 

[ejpeiker]

And it's especially important when using wider angle lenses, which is why I'm wondering why they choose to support 80, 110 and 150mm lenses. The 80mm I can understand, but why not the 55mm and wider?

I hope they fully use the 6 axis gyro so they not only compensate for up/down/left/right but forward and backward as well. How awesome wouldn't that be? Focus and move around as you please. Perhaps that's asking too much

Lets face it, P1 caters to the fashion and portrait market first and above all others Hopefully they will catch up to the rest of us with this upgrade in the future

 

[jvpictures]

seems to be similar or the same as Hasselblad's TrueFocus, which I use all the time for shalllow depth of field portraiture work with the H6D-100c, when dof is only a few centimeters (ca. 7 cm) as with a 100mm lens on f/2.2 at a subject distance of 2 meters. I thought this is a patented technology of H, but hey, happy for Phase One users to have access to same feature...
Will have to see how well it works in practice, because TrueFocus from H is not free of disadvantages as well, e.g. speed of acquiring focus especially in dim lighting is slowed down considerably...

 

[DrakeJ]

seems to be similar or the same as Hasselblad's TrueFocus, which I use all the time for shalllow depth of field portraiture work with the H6D-100c, when dof is only a few centimeters (ca. 7 cm) as with a 100mm lens on f/2.2 at a subject distance of 2 meters. I thought this is a patented technology of H, but hey, happy for Phase One users to have access to same feature...
Will have to see how well it works in practice, because TrueFocus from H is not free of disadvantages as well, e.g. speed of acquiring focus especially in dim lighting is slowed down considerably...

Yes, it will be interesting to see how it works in practice, they've added a component of "adapting" to the photographer to speed things up but I wonder how this works in practice. I've tried the Hassy TrueFocus and it works well I think. I sacrificed it going for a P1-system, with the hopes that it would be released on the XF as well considering the 6-axis gyro. It took a bit longer than I expected.

 

[kdphotography]

Combine the new HAP-2 AF sensor with XF update #4----yup, I'm happy. This is great news.

 

[aztwang]

Combine the new HAP-2 AF sensor with XF update #4----yup, I'm happy. This is great news.

I'm with you sir! I know the AFr currently supports 80,110&150BR lens's. Do you know if this feature only supports BR lens's or will they eventually include non-BR?

Cheers

Don

 

[DrakeJ]

I'm kind of weary to install this firmware update even though it's something I've wanted for a long long time. It took me a some time to calibrate my lenses and they specifically say all lenses must be recalibrated after the update. I only have one lens which will benefit from the focus-recompose feature, the 80mm. Has anyone done the update and tested it yet?

 

[GrahamWelland]

I'm kind of weary to install this firmware update even though it's something I've wanted for a long long time. It took me a some time to calibrate my lenses and they specifically say all lenses must be recalibrated after the update. I only have one lens which will benefit from the focus-recompose feature, the 80mm. Has anyone done the update and tested it yet?

Did you look at the new in camera auto focus calibration/trim feature? You can download the focus targets from Phase One and then recalibrate using their in-camera automated tool in the new camera firmware. No need for the tethered shooting approach - assuming that it is as good as it sounds.

I was similarly concerned after having all of my lenses calibrated by my dealer.

 

[DrakeJ]

Did you look at the new in camera auto focus calibration/trim feature? You can download the focus targets from Phase One and then recalibrate using their in-camera automated tool in the new camera firmware. No need for the tethered shooting approach - assuming that it is as good as it sounds.

I was similarly concerned after having all of my lenses calibrated by my dealer.

It's the "assuming that it is as good as it sounds" that I'm worried about. As I said, I've already spent some time calibrating my lenses. Would suck to go out on a portrait shoot only to find out the automatic calibration misses ever so slightly and that the new AFr (focus recompose) needs heavy refinement

 

[ejpeiker]

It's the "assuming that it is as good as it sounds" that I'm worried about. As I said, I've already spent some time calibrating my lenses. Would suck to go out on a portrait shoot only to find out the automatic calibration misses ever so slightly and that the new AFr (focus recompose) needs heavy refinement

According to CI, you are going to recalibrate those lenses regardless - from their blog post:
"Important: Updating to Feature Update #4 will require new Focus Trim values to be created"

 

[Mgreer316]

According to CI, you are going to recalibrate those lenses regardless - from their blog post:
"Important: Updating to Feature Update #4 will require new Focus Trim values to be created"

Not if he doesn't upgrade. That was his whole point. He's leary about upgrading because he doesn't want to recalibrate.

 

[Jamgolf]

I have not upgraded to the new firmware yet but AFr sounds like a welcome addition.