Music Theater AC160A

[kwkeirstead]

Here is an AC160A clip done last night from a music theater production recorded in low lighting (720/30p, 57 feet from the stage, Filmic Scene, Gain 6db, Zoom 14, F2.4)

Everything was on manual so no chance to test new auto-focus features.

I may try auto tonight at the 2nd to last performance of this production.

http://youtu.be/hJ6W7b33R4Y

[Nate Haustein]

Yes, please let us know how the autofocus behaves, especially concerning the "hunting." One recommendation I might make is to keep the zoom on servo for shows like this - the manual ring gets a bit herky-jerky and distracting for me.

[kwkeirstead]

The autofocus was tested twice on an upgraded AC160 to AC160A.

1) object at 30 ft, church at 1.5 miles http://youtu.be/5r_QPIA4tsY
2) subject at 30 ft. trees 80 feet. http://youtu.be/Vi7Pcyw3NlE

The findings have not yet been confirmed by experts but I was able in test #1 to get the camera to quickly lock in one way and take a long time to lock in another way. The conclusion was you have to look for intermediate contrast in moving from one object to another.

Push Auto seemed with the AC160A to be instantaneous.

[Bassman2003]

Thanks for posting. That is some slow focus in the first video! Not to impressive from the Panasonic camp.

[kwkeirstead]

Yes, but it seems to be dependent on how you move from close to far.

When you set the center of the focus to a low contrast area it's slow.

Later on in that clip, you can see clearly that when we set the center of the focus either to a high contrast area OR if we transition from close to far via some intermediate object, the lock in is fast.

BTW, I went back to the same location last weekend and repeated the same test. It was cloudy and I was unable to get a slow lock in no matter how I approached the far object.

It may be there are other variables at play. Always hard during any experiment to test one thing and have other things remain unchanged.

I need to go back yet a 3rd time and see if I can figure out what is going on.