GH5 Autofocus Settings

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Hugh DiMauro

Well-known member
This must be the most hotly debated, contentious topic in all of GH5 existence. I own three (3) GH5 cameras and I cannot get one to autofocus properly. Obviously, I am doing something incredibly wrong. May one of our resident experts share his/her complete, autofocus menu settings with me? I'd be grateful.
 
Panasonic AF isn't good (G9 is the best, IMO)...new firmware coming to the big 3 this month to improve it (we'll see how much).

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As far as settings, if you're using a fast lens and have tried all of the shutter tricks, there is not much else you can do.
 
When I say I can't get the autofocus to work properly, I mean I can't get it to work at all! It will not lock focus onto anything! What am I doing wrong in my menu settings?
 
A few things...

(1) Obviously make sure the lens' AF switch is 'ON'.

(2) Make sure 'Continuous AF' (I think that's what it's called) is 'ON' in the menu (if you're expecting continuous AF).

(3) Make sure you don't have the camera's focus lever set to 'MF' and use 'AFS' or 'AFC'.

That's all I can think of for now.
 
Also, I believe you need to be recording to see the auto-focus change.

I don't know if there is an option to show it work during standby mode (besides pressing a button to do it manually), but it definitely works continuously while recording.

Plus...your mode: face/tracking, the box that you can move around, the points, etc. They all may work differently based on the subject/environment.
 
I've been using AF-C with the GH5/12-35/2.8 v.I successfully for some time now - AF-C selected in menu & mode lever, with single, centered mod. large box focus area.

I tested my G9 video for very low light AF-C response recently ISO 10,000 shooting my usual 4K 60p, conformed to 30p timeline, no color grading, NR, or sharpening. P-L 12-35mm/2.8 lens-v.1, f/2.8, 1/30 sec., 35mm FL. Standard "style" (no offsets), but +2/-2 Shadow/Highlight curve, AWB. I panned around in my wife-cluttered studio from about 2' to 20', stopping briefly for focus response. Lighting with 3 spots in ceiling, much dimmed so that darker corners barely visible to naked eye.

https://vimeo.com/292529325

In these challenging conditions I was even more impressed with the color, contrast, image quality and fine-grained noise with no macro-blocking in shadows, than with the generally smooth focus response. Frame captures show a black level of 0,0,0 in darkest spots. Even more remarkable with the +2/-2 S/H curve!

I just shot the same settings and lighting with the GH5 (both it and G9 w/ latest FW updates) and found that the cont. focus response was quite similar. But the shadow noise level at least 1-1.5 EV greater, and nothing near the black black of the G9. Some special sauce seems to have been cooked into the G9 sensor! It's a perfect B-cam for the performances I film, as 4K 60p is limited to 10 min. continuous, and I go for good OOC footage needing little grading.
 
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Gentlemen, thank you for your responses. Mr. NorBro, I am using the Lumix 14-140 lens which has no focus switch on the lens itself, just an image stabilization switch. As far as focus not working in standby mode, well, geez, I hope you're wrong and would certainly hope Panasonic would most definitely NOT design a camera that would not focus in video standby mode! My continuous AF is set to on and focus lever set to AFC (continuous). I guess I should try again while actually recording. Shall I only be concerned with the "Motion Picture Menu" focus settings entitled "Continuous AF" and "AF Custom Setting (Video?)" and not be concerned with the "Custom Menu - Focus/Release Shutter" menus settings of "Quick AF," "Eye Sensor AF," "AF Assist Lamp?" Mr. Berry, your focus test video on Vimeo worked exactly as I would hope. Mr. Joe12South, normally, I manual focus all my video projects with my Rokinon lenses however there are times I must use my Lumix 14-140 when I have to shoot uncontrolled events so I agree with you in some respect. I patiently await the late October firmware updates for the GH5 series and hope these updates will fix the situation. I miss the fabulous run-and-gun autofocus capabilities of my Panasonic HPX 250.

I just consulted my "Panasonic GH5 Menu Simplified" book by David Thorpe and learned that micro four thirds zoom lenses are not parfocal; if you focus on a subject and change the zoom, it will not stay in focus. Wow. I have been spoiled with traditional, fixed lens Panasonic video cameras and interchangeable shoulder mount cameras with Fujinon lenses having a back focus ring which hold focus throughout the entire zoom range. Normally I don't fret these sorts of issues but the 14-140 focus ring has no hard stops. It is focus by wire and almost impossible to control in a run and gun scenario making me think it is only truly useful for stills and some video where the subject is static. Also, the Thorpe book describes a rather convoluted method of using autofocus while shooting video. He describes holding the video button down halfway while actually shooting video to get the autofocus to work properly! How in heck can u half press the video button while shooting video without stopping the camera from videoing and putting the camera in standby mode?
 
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The most common error is to have "Continuous AF" in the menu OFF...turn that ON and you should be good. Any of those other focus settings are adjustments/options.

It's actually common for some cameras not to do that and other things in standby mode...some are divas and don't want to exert too much energy until it's showtime.
 
Mr. NorBro, I've concluded I will no longer consider using the autofocus on any of my GH5 cameras. Practice... practice... PRACTICE makes perfect.
 
The GH5 auto focuses perfectly and for the most part better and faster when not recording. Something is up with your settings.

Here is a list of all my settings that seems to do a decent job with the new 2.4 firmware

In movie menu (second one down)
Set AFS/AFF = AFF
Continuous AF = ON
AF Custom Setting (Video) I have on to Speed -1 and sensitivity +2. Start with it OFF

In the C wrench menu under Focus / Release Shutter
AF/AE Lock = AF-ON
Shutter AF = ON
Half Press Release = OFF
Quick AF = ON
Eye Sensor AF = ON
Pinpoint AF Setting - Pinpoint AF Time = MD - Pinpoint AF Display = FULL
Focus Release Priority - AFS/AFF = BALANCE - AFC = FOCUS
Focus switching = OFF
Loop Movement Focus Frame = OFF
AF Area Display = ON
AF+MF = OFF
MF Assist is the four squares (Use the AF Mode button)
MF Assist Display = FULL

Make sure your Focus Ring Lock setting in operation is OFF
Constant Preview = ON
Video Priority Display = ON

In the wrench menu
Live View Mode = 60fps

Not sure if I missed any but, those are my settings that seem to work pretty well.

These settings are particularly good for manual focus with vintage lenses. Turn on Peaking, click the switch to MF, tap the screen where you want to focus. Slide your finger on the screen to perfectly where you want to focus and it will direct the zoomed in area there. You can roll the back dial from 3x zoom to 20x zoom on the full screen to get focus, then hit record. It's super fast and works when ever you're not recording. As soon as you hit record it kills that zoom in feature :(

If I'm on a stabilizer following a subject I set it to AFF on the back dial and tracking mode from the fn2 button and if there is enough light, it does pretty well.

Hope that might help some.

Cheers, Pete
 
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