Autofocus problem with GH1

N

Nicholas Natteau

Veteran
How do you prevent the camera from hunting automatically for focus, so that it only focuses when you press the shutter button half way?

My problem is that when filming, my GH1 seems to automatically hunt for focus even though my focus switch is set to AFS, not AFC (auto focus continuous).

Thanks in advance.
 
I seem to remember seeing something about video only using AFC not matter which you set it to.
 
tired said:
I seem to remember seeing something about video only using AFC not matter which you set it to.
Click to expand...

Nope... With the kit lens (or any other m4/3 lens with AF) you set the small dial to:
AFS: AF-Shutter. Push shutter 1/2 way to focus.
AFC - AF constant
MF - Manual

This works in video as well as photo mode.
 
I get the same thing so after I push the shutter halfway down to focus, I rotate the dial to manual, then I press the shutter all the way to record. It's kind of a pain, but it works.
 
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ATL Media Group said:
Nope... With the kit lens (or any other m4/3 lens with AF) you set the small dial to:
AFS: AF-Shutter. Push shutter 1/2 way to focus.
AFC - AF constant
MF - Manual
Click to expand...

In my case, with kit lens (14-140mm) I cannot use AFS. During taking the shot it is hunting (even though I selected AFS). So, the only solution is the same as Trucci's proposition. However, there might be some settings in MENU which can deactivate automatic AFC in movie mode?!? Will have to check!
 
ATL Media Group said:
Nope... With the kit lens (or any other m4/3 lens with AF) you set the small dial to:
AFS: AF-Shutter. Push shutter 1/2 way to focus.
AFC - AF constant
MF - Manual

This works in video as well as photo mode.
Click to expand...

really???????
then the manual must be wrong...

top of page 104
"when recording motion pictures, the focus is continuously adjusted for both [AFS] and [AFC]
 
tired said:
really???????
then the manual must be wrong...

top of page 104
"when recording motion pictures, the focus is continuously adjusted for both [AFS] and [AFC]
Click to expand...


It must be... I just shot some footage to test. In manual mode AFC is constant.. AFS only focuses when I press the shutter 1/2 way. It also shows the green focus boxes and it's obviously searching for focus when the shutter is 1/2 way.


(without grabbing the manual) is that for manual mode?
 
My experience is that with the 20mm lumix pancake lens, the autofocus will hunt whether in AFS or AFC mode.

On the 14-140 kit lens, AFS and AFC acted as you would expect. On AFS, green box corners would appear during a half-shutter button press and AF would engage during that time. It would not engage AF otherwise. This was only using the Manual movie mode on the top dial. iA goes on autopilot/hunting mode.

Nicholas, curious, what lens are you on during this problem?
 
There is that NICE LITTLE BUTTON "Ae/Af Lock" right next to the viewfinder. You can set its behavior in the custom menu.
It will lock focus/exposure and stop the "hunting".

It's all there in the manual.
 
similar question was posted a few days ago... answer is to select custom menu, select AF/AE Lock to AF, next, select AF/AE Lock Hold to ON then exit the menu.

Press AE/AF lock right before filming and it will no longer hunt for focus while filming.
 
That nice little button in the menu, the AE/AF lock is useless because once you start to tape, the buttom will not work.
On my GH1 the focus hunts continuously and can't be turned off. My GF1 works as ALT Media has said.
This is a pain in the butt and if I had realized that it is limited in this way I would have bought something else.
 
hey yall,
go into 'custom menu', and on the 3rd page set 'PRE AF' to 'off'.
then your camera will perform the way you expect.
 
There must be two versions running around. On both of my GH1 bodies I have the settings to pre-focus set to off. It still continually focuses in AFS as soon as you start the video rolling.

The AF/AE button is set to AF only ... and that locks the focus, sure, but as soon as you start taping and then someone moves and you need re-focusing and touch the AF/AE button it becomes imposible to lock focus again until you stop taping. Hadly worth the bother. It is much better to switch to afc and then to set it to manual focus as you are rolling. The problem is that even with pani's optional mic, you hear that click when you turn the dial.

Does anyone have different behavior? Have you guys who are giving these ideas actually testing or using them? I find it hard to think that different cams may work differently even though set up the same - but who knows?
 
And to add to the cosmic joke ... the GF1 works perfectly. Start the video rolling, camera in AFS and when you dab the shutter button the cam focuses but does not continually look for focus otherwise.

But ... no manual control. All these kludges !
 
can't speak for anyone else, but YES, i've tested my own advice and it was the only setting that accomplishes exactly what you're asking for.
you should double check your settings, i seriously doubt there are different versions of the gh1 that behave differently.

-------CORRECTION--------

after more careful scrutiny, i've figured out that it will NOT work while recording. it WILL work as long as you're not recording, but that doesn't really help at all. my bad. thought i had it figured out. =(
 
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Darn Averan ... I was hoping you were right and that I may have made a mistake with my settings. Oh well, I will use the manual focus on/off thing to do the best I can. Now if I could just use the GF1 in manual mode as a B cam, this could all work. :)
 
me too!
it's weird that it works perfectly right up until you hit 'record'. makes me wonder if it's possible to hack?
as it is now, i've settled on the face-tracking AF being the quickest and most accurate. sometimes i have to half press the shutter button to force it to focus on a new target in low light. this is the best setting for general ENG/doc work where you don't have time to followfocus (or don't have a FF on rails).

the next best is the targeted AF, as long as my subject or area of interest stays in the same part of the frame. then you just have to repo the target for each shot. if i was shooting in this mode i would also make the target persistent so that it only takes one button click to reposition.

manual focus is too awkward to do handheld without a proper FF. after lots of testing i am now understanding why people want to attach a loupe or wish that the Lumix lenses at least had hard stops at the ends of the focus range! i'm actually starting to recognize the aliasing as a sign of my subject being in-focus! sorta like a proper peaking function, or like the hmc150's EVF detail, but more subtle.

i am a little disappointed we couldn't get the auto and manual focus to work together well, as it could've been the perfect hybrid approach and would've made this camera very easy to use run-n-gun.
 
pavel+:
can't you hack the gf1 to give it full manual? i swear i saw that posted.
if so, then it seems the gf1 could actually be the easier camera to use! i wonder if the g2 is hackable?
 
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