Focusing

Infinite @ 95 ?

Infinite @ 95 ?

Today was a super clear day, visibility over 30 miles, so I took my HVX to the hills and did some tests. I always assumed the focus readout would be correct and that 99 would be infinite but it isnt! infinite is between 95 and 96 and if you manually focus up to 99 your OUT of focus BEYOND infinite ! I called my Pana guys in Bologna and they tested right there with another brand new one= same thing.

I wonder what sense it makes to provide focus beyond infinite? I was pointing at objects some 20 miles away with full zoom, now if that aint infinite, I dont know ...

Maybe some insider can explain this? Especially since in auto mode the autofocus LOVES going to 99.....even when I am shooting close objects with no zoom! In fact it goes to 99 a LOT of times.

thanx
 
This has always been the case. Use the "push to infinity" switch and you'll see it goes to MF95.

The ability to focus "beyond" infinity is, as far as I can figure out, a concession to the idea that thermal issues could cause expansion or contraction that might make a locked infinity focus point become invalid, so there's some leeway to compensate.
 
thanks Barry. So when autofocus goes to 99 I dont have to worry ? I definately need all the focussing aides I can get. Nothing worse than out of focus footage...
edit: further testing focusing shows me I am going to have major problems if I rely on the AF button. So if I am in manual focus and use the PUSH AUTO button, it loves to go to 99 even when manually I would set it to 56 or 55 !!

How is this PUSH AUTO focus button supposed to work? I can see it going up and down undecidedly even if I zoom into the object and 50% of the times it settles totally out of focus. How long am I supposed to hold this button til it focuses?
 
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Focusing while zooming

Focusing while zooming

I have a similar question to Tim's.

I've read the section in Barry's HVX book on focusing several times now and practiced with all the various methods. They're all very helpful.

What I'm not clear on is how best to keep in focus a moving target using manual focus. I want to shoot weddings in the near future and I'm unclear on how best to zoom in/out on the couple moving up/down the aisle while still keeping them in focus. I want to be able to keep the camera on the tripod, but I only have the two hands; I can't pan, zoom, and focus without leaving it in autofocus and tracking them as accurately as I can.

The only solution I've found so far is to actually remove the tripod rod use my hand right hand to turn the camera and zoom while holding the "Push Auto" button down with my left. With the tripod set right, I've gotten pretty good results with that, but it seems ungainly.

How's a guy supposed to do all three at once smoothly? That is, by himself?

Thanks,

Clint
 
Barry,

I though ability to focus past infinity was to compensate for all the screw-on wide angle and macro adapters and such that would require the extra room on both near and far. ends of the F01-F99?
 
It may come in handy for those purposes, but not necessarily for those purposes. For example, on the HVX200 when using the Schneider 0.6x wide-angle, you get infinity focus at MF26. So the adapters can indeed change what the focus points are, but not necessarily to the further-than-infinity point.
 
Barry,

Having had my HPX171 (PAL) for a few months now, I've noticed something happening to focusing when reviewing footage. I've embarked on shooting in 720p for a project and am gathering a number of slow zoom out shots. I'm encountering a focus problem during the course of the zoom out that I've not come across before - namely the image going soft about mid way on the zoom out. I start with a crisp focus on a mid to distant subject which, on zooming out goes soft and then comes back into focus with the whole scene as I get to the full wide on the zoom.

I've also noticed that 'infinity' on full zoom is not infinity as nothing appears to be sharp. Even the most distant objects need the focus to be adjusted to around 95 to 97 to bring them into sharp focus.

Is there something up here? The slow zoom out has always worked for me in SD. Am I asking too much for this lens to hold it's focus in HD while zooming out?

Look forward to hearing your thoughts (or anyone else's if you've similar experiences). Many thanks.

Gary
 
"infinity" isn't 99, it's 95.

For the zoom-out, yeah, that's not supposed to be happening. Try resetting your camera, that may not help but hey, it's free and it won't hurt. If it still does it, a trip to the service center might be in order.
 
Barry,

Thanks, I should have read the other posts about the subject of inifinity - sorry.
What do you mean by resetting the camera? One thing I failed to mention on the zoom out was that I was shooting in temperatures of around -3 C. Would this make difference do you think? The focus ring needed a 'nudge' to make it move freely.

Gary
 
great info,

can't count how many times we get our rentals package set up and the monitor gets left out like some really smart cousin on a family road trip....

i've shot without a monitor but hated it, used tv's or laptops, anything to get a better idea of focus and as i move into more advanced use of DOF it becomes more and more important.
 
For critical focus, especially at near distances, should the focus by measurement be to the sensor plane rather than the lens?
 
On a film-based camera or digital-cinema camera, it's to the sensor. On a video camera, especially a broadcast video camera, the lens focusing marks are typically calibrated to the front of the lens.

If your video camera does have a film-plane mark, measure from there, as it's presumed that the lens markings would be calibrated to the film plane (else why have a film plane mark?)
 
Barry, can I found a external monitor to 6 or 7“ that be very cheap, for maybe a 1000 dollars, you think exist some monitor about this price, because I need one, to focus better, and doing all the things you recommend us too.

Thank you if you can tell me.

Pedro.
 
Holding Focus

Holding Focus

Barry, can you advise if you have come across this problem on the HVX200. When I zoom in close and open right up to focus on a subject in 1080 or 720, and then zoom out the focus doesn't hold. The subject always goes soft. Could this be a problem with the camera or am I just missing something? I have followed your focus tips in your HVX book but I can't get around this problem. Do the HVX's have a back-focus issue? Have a shoot coming up in a few days so any insight greatly appreciated.
 
It is supposed to hold focus. If yours isn't, that's a problem. It's been reported a few times before, on both DVX and HVX models; the suggestions are usually to try a reset and if that doesn't work, send it in to service.
 
A friend is using my HVX200 and has reported a similar finding. He zooms in, gets focus, zooms out and focus holds, but when he zooms back in - out of focus. I don't have the camera before me but will verify using an HD monitor.

chris
 
Barry, amazing info on here. I have a question about focus and monitoring. Our company recently purchased a VariZoom VZ-TFT7U 7" Ultimate LCD Monitor Kit. I can't seem to find any reviews on it anywhere, but it seemed like the perfect thing to assist me with my shooting. Have you had any experience with this product, or can you tell from the specs and provide any pros and cons for me? I mainly shoot videos like church camp videos and interviews, commercials, and here's a link to some of the videos I've already made. Just so you can see the style, without the aid of an external monitor!

Bill
 
Finally tested my HVX200 focus and it appears fine. I blame the issue on operator error.

Bill - For me the dealbreaker on that VZ monitor is that it uses a proprietary battery/charger. I've got too many batteries as it is . Maybe if it used a common Sony/Panasonic/Canon camera battery & charger.

chris
 
artisttheone said:
BarryHave you had any experience with this product, or can you tell from the specs and provide any pros and cons for me?
Click to expand...
No, I haven't seen or used that product. Only thing I'd say is that it seems kind of low-res (480x240) so don't rely on it to show you a sharp image, unless it has some sort of pixel-to-pixel mode.
 
That VZ monitor is sort of useable for focus....but not great. You can access the focus bar if that helps at all. At least, the VZ batteries aren't too expensive.

Regarding power for the VZ, any 12v source will do, you don't have to use their batteries. Not all, but most external monitors use 12v. For sure, if you can get something that uses Panny 7.2v power, that is convenient, but the multiple battery syndrome is pretty hard to avoid between cam, on cam lights, mixer, monitor, audio recorder, etc. At a higher level than the HVX-HPX, you get better options where most everything can run off one battery system like Anton-Bauer

Grant
 
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