FX9 face tracking - not very good?

S

seanadl

Active member
Hi all, I film an online news show. Host talking directly to camera. Behind and to the right is a large screen built into the itself (Rachel Maddow style), usually displaying an image or video of whatever the host is talking about.

A lot of the time there are faces on the screen. I've noticed that even when the camera is set to either face priority or face only and the host's face is the ONLY one registered - if he turns his head to the side, the camera immediately jumps over to a face on the screen behind (even though they are NOT registered or touched on the touch screen).

Is this normal behavior? If so, how can I get the camera to JUST autofocus on the host and NOTHING ELSE? Obviously setting the camera to manual focus and ensuring the depth of field is really deep would solve this. But i've dialled in a look I like, and I'd quite like to use the camera's supposed awesome autofocus system on what I think is a relatively straight forward setup.
 
The subject line of this thread pretty much sums it up. Take the question mark off and replace it with a period: FX9 face tracking -- not very good.
In case you missed it, I posted this video a couple of weeks ago.

 
Very Interesting DJ.

My 2 cents takeaway from this is that the FX6, like its mirrorless A series cousins is basically the hands-down winner in the face AF tracking etc. But when it comes to a pure out and out resolution comparison, the higher pixel count, the higher sensor MTF and the downsampling of the FX9 it's clearly observable the FX9 is in front. Especially on the longer shots. Very noticeable on the magnified long shot at 7:29 when the woodwork and the windows and the overhead transverse cabling at the far end of that long gallery shot are compared. Overall the image quality between the two the FX9 is so much clearer and more detailed. Observed on a 55" 4K OLED it's very obvious.

Chris Young
 
I respect your views a lot Chris but it's certainly not my experience that FX9s I have used are usually clearer or more detailed than my FX6. I agree that with perfect focus the 9 can sometimes look a little more detailed, but it's a very slight difference and you really have to nail focus and look closely at the images. I often view my stuff on a Panasonic 50" plasma (one of the very best images IMHO) and a new 55" $K OLED. And in any moving shots, panning/tilting, or when the subject is moving towards/away from the lens, the superior focus of the 6 beats the 9 and more than makes up for any sensor difference- at least the way I use the cameras. Mind you, I'm no spring chicken so maybe I'm losing it! My kids tell me I am on a regular basis!
 
cyvideo said:
Very Interesting DJ.

My 2 cents takeaway from this is that the FX6, like its mirrorless A series cousins is basically the hands-down winner in the face AF tracking etc. But when it comes to a pure out and out resolution comparison, the higher pixel count, the higher sensor MTF and the downsampling of the FX9 it's clearly observable the FX9 is in front. Especially on the longer shots. Very noticeable on the magnified long shot at 7:29 when the woodwork and the windows and the overhead transverse cabling at the far end of that long gallery shot are compared. Overall the image quality between the two the FX9 is so much clearer and more detailed. Observed on a 55" 4K OLED it's very obvious.
Chris Young
Click to expand...

Chris, thanks for giving your opinion on the actual picture quality differences between the FX6 and FX9. THAT was supposed to be the only purpose of my testing, but I got sidetracked with the huge difference in AF performance and have never really taken a serious look at the image quality differences. I've been traveling since I shot that video and have not had access to a nice, big, high quality, monitor for taking a close-up look like you did. So, I trust your analysis that there is a noticable difference between the two. Thanks for the feedback. But, with said, I have to agree with stewhem that "the superior focus of the 6 beats the 9 and more than makes up for any sensor difference."

AF on the FX6 is a game changer.
 
Doug. For price/performance, size, ease of use, sensitivity, and AF performance I think you are right the FX6 is chosen over the FX9 by most shooters. That's definitely appearing to be the case down here in Aus. For a go-anywhere camera to handle a wide range of lighting the FX6 has many advantages. When it comes to choosing a camera that's going to be used predominantly in a much more controlled situation at sane ISO levels and controlled lighting as is generally the go with studio work my choice is definitely the FX9. Added to this I often need a longer zoom capability in 4K. In 4K in Super 35 with the likes of a Canon 17-120 you can do this on the FX9 but not on the FX6. It's the old story. No camera is perfect for all jobs. The FX6 is the most versatile bang-for-the-buck in the Sony range but from a pure clinical look, from the pov of pure picture resolution, and the handling of fine detail, my choice would put the FX9 at the top. I've seen enough between the two cameras on high-quality large 4K OLEDs to be convinced that is the case... given the same lens and lighting, In a practical day-to-day image delivery scenario for clients there is little to choose between the cameras as most people are not as critical as most of us at pixel peeking.

Chris Young
 
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