Fixing the focus peaking on the Canon XC10

[rc444]

I thought I would comment on the Canon XC10.

Overall, I am very pleased with it. The colours are vivid and punchy and look very similar to the Panasonic HVX-200 colour space but with improved sharpness. I haven't had time to use the camera in 4K as I am waiting on some CFast cards I have ordered on Ebay but am impressed with the camera in HD mode.

The often complained about variable aperture problem on the fixed lens can be fixed by shooting in Aperture priority mode, which means if you zoom outwards, the camera will automatically adjust the ISO for you when the aperture drops down to f5.6.

My only gripe with the camera is the focus peaking. On the Panasonic GH4 and LX100, the focus peaking is razor sharp and lets you know immediately when you've "hit it." The focus peaking on the XC10 however puts a smeared or smudged 'crayon' like glow around the object or face. So the focus peaking is not very well defined at all, it's just a very faint and fuzzy colour outline so it is hard to know if you've really got the focusing 100% perfect on this camera.

No camera is ever perfect so maybe I will find a way around the focus peaking and come to like it the more I use it. Has anyone had the same problem as me with the focus peaking and is there anything I can do to alleviate this problem (without buying another camera of course)?

 

[Miklos Nemeth]

The often complained about variable aperture problem on the fixed lens can be fixed by shooting in Aperture priority mode, which means if you zoom outwards, the camera will automatically adjust the ISO for you when the aperture drops down to f5.6.

I am still thinking of buying the XC10 as my first ever 4K camera, and I read your comments with full attention and great interest.
In Av mode, even when you are in Auto-ISO, doesn't the camera first decrements shutter speed when you are zooming from shorter to longer focal length? The brilliant Adam Wilt in his review of the XC10 ( http://www.dvinfo.net/article/acquisition/review-canon-xc10-1-4k-hybrid-compact-cameracamcorder.html ) explained that you should regard the lens of the XC10 as a constant aperture f5.6 and the wider apertures as bonus on shorter focal lengths. This is a silly limitation of Canon not implementing Auto-ISO in Manual exposure mode (just like Panasonic). I love Sony/Nikon way of handling Auto-ISO with exposure compensation.
Weak focus peaking is definitely a deal-breaker/show stopper for me. On the other hand, Nikon just announced its 4K DSLR cameras with high quality tilting touch screens but without any focus peaking, absolutely weird.
Miki

 

[rc444]

As far as I'm aware, shutter speed as well as ISO are in auto when in Av mode.

I am still thinking of buying the XC10 as my first ever 4K camera, and I read your comments with full attention and great interest.
In Av mode, even when you are in Auto-ISO, doesn't the camera first decrements shutter speed when you are zooming from shorter to longer focal length? The brilliant Adam Wilt in his review of the XC10 ( http://www.dvinfo.net/article/acquisition/review-canon-xc10-1-4k-hybrid-compact-cameracamcorder.html ) explained that you should regard the lens of the XC10 as a constant aperture f5.6 and the wider apertures as bonus on shorter focal lengths. This is a silly limitation of Canon not implementing Auto-ISO in Manual exposure mode (just like Panasonic). I love Sony/Nikon way of handling Auto-ISO with exposure compensation.
Weak focus peaking is definitely a deal-breaker/show stopper for me. On the other hand, Nikon just announced its 4K DSLR cameras with high quality tilting touch screens but without any focus peaking, absolutely weird.
Miki

 

[robfilms]

i'm also intrigued with the canon xc10.

it has gotten so many REALLY bad comments, yet i think the footage looks better than i would have thought.

an over-reaction or an under-appreciated?

ymmv

be well.

rob
smalltalk.productions/nyc

 

[rc444]

Yes the footage is really good. It reminds me of the HVX-200 but finer. I think the focus peaking just takes adjusting and it is not impossible to get sharp images. It just behaves differently than the focus peaking on the GH4. I think possibly the fact the camera has no/little depth of field hasn't helped with the reviews.

 

[AndreeOnline]

It has gotten so many REALLY bad comments, yet i think the footage looks better than i would have thought.

an over-reaction or an under-appreciated?

And among those "commenters"… how many, do you think, has actually held the camera—let alone shot with it?

1 out of 50? Probably not...

 

[NorBro]

I owned the XC10 very briefly and I absolutely loved the images - but the fixed, non-constant aperture lens really bothered me. I couldn't get used to it. Also, not enough programmable buttons.

As a specialty cam or for simple projects where you barely touch the camera, it can be an amazing tool, but the RX10II turned out to be an overall better camera for me personally.