C300: Geoff Boyle “I think ARRI have a problem” Talks about the C300MKII
- Thread starter Plexi Head
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Curtis Mack
Active member
Excellent. I like when he said, "If you prefer the $600 lens to the $32K lens, use the $600 lens and pocket the difference". (paraphrasing)
NorBro
Major Contributor
I was never much of a manual focus guy. As mentioned, I know it's an art and skill and I appreciate it very much, but if I can touch a screen to focus and/or track objects, I would never look back (where's my 1DX Mark II?).
Of course it depends on how well it works, but after using the Dual-Pixel myself, this technology is probably only going to get better.
I'm also not sure why ARRI would have a problem, can't/won't they just make a 4K camera?
Of course it depends on how well it works, but after using the Dual-Pixel myself, this technology is probably only going to get better.
I'm also not sure why ARRI would have a problem, can't/won't they just make a 4K camera?
Plexi Head
Active member
The snobbish attitude towards auto focus, especially from young, inexperienced camera guys straight out of film school makes me laugh. Just another tool to use.
i didnt read the link, but that disdain toward autofocus (auto anything really) was drilled into many of us from our earliest days in the industry (video production for me, not so much "filmmaking"). its only in the last few years that ive heard the "big dogs" in town talk about it with any level of respect. i understand this may have to do with your specific line of work/genre of content you work in.
Auto focus can be useful and is getting better. But if you have spent the time and effort to develop manual skills and have on camera video of good enough quality for visual judgement, the auto stuff mostly just gets in the way of the organic connection between you and your subject.
DPStewart
Veteran
Auto-Focus is poo-poo'ed because it really doesn't work..
....except on this C300 mkII.
Enough for a top level pro like Geoff Boyle to actually USE IT on a real paying gig.
...while a top-level focus puller was paid for, standing right there, and ready to help.
maranfilms
Veteran
I almost never use auto focus unless for stills. For video, NEVER, I love pulling focus way too much. A smooth follow focus on a precision cinema lens is like driving a sports car. It just feels incredibly good to nail focus when your pulling it yourself. And when you botch a shot, it still looks better than auto focus hunting to lock on. Never used it on a Canon, so I can't say how ell it works, but I'll take Geoff's word that it's good.
I wasn't really talking about its applications for film. . .of course with a dedicated position (AC) for pulling focus, I'd think you want to do it manually. . .but in documentary/live event type situations where it could make your life easier--if it works, yes, absolutely engage it. Why not?
AndreeOnline
Veteran
There's a huge difference between auto focus and what Canon are doing with the C300 mkII (and 1Dx mkII).
'Auto' implies that the camera does something automatically. You basically never want that, since there is often not the necessary control from the operator. Canon goes out of their way to market their focusing tools on the C300 mkII as Focus ASSIST (and Geoff laughs a bit over it). It might seem like splitting hairs, but when you think about it, that is really the major difference: who is in charge? Auto=camera. Assist=Operator.
In DPAF Canon has got a strong technical implementation that people have learned to trust. But they also have the necessary functions to turn the focus assist on and off just at the right moment and only use it in the right way at the right time.
It's just like with exposure. The camera can auto expose, but that is not how you work. You let the camera do its thing and then you COMPENSATE and lock it off. A compensation of 0 is also an active choice.
'Auto' implies that the camera does something automatically. You basically never want that, since there is often not the necessary control from the operator. Canon goes out of their way to market their focusing tools on the C300 mkII as Focus ASSIST (and Geoff laughs a bit over it). It might seem like splitting hairs, but when you think about it, that is really the major difference: who is in charge? Auto=camera. Assist=Operator.
In DPAF Canon has got a strong technical implementation that people have learned to trust. But they also have the necessary functions to turn the focus assist on and off just at the right moment and only use it in the right way at the right time.
It's just like with exposure. The camera can auto expose, but that is not how you work. You let the camera do its thing and then you COMPENSATE and lock it off. A compensation of 0 is also an active choice.
When Canon implement a reliable way to control EF lenses manually through their autofocus motors via handsets. . . I mean, I know it's already possible, but if Canon went all in and programmed their own lenses into it, so that they hard stop at infinity, and hit distances correctly. You wouldn't need Cine lenses at all.
No, because you still would have the problem of breathing. One of the major differences between cinema and photo lenses.
brettsherman
Well-known member
Exactly. I'm very pragmatic about AF with the documentary style shooting I do with my C300 MkI. What are my options for nailing focus. What are the pros and cons.
With manual focus it requires me to have my face on the viewfinder or screen. This limits the angles I can get. It's also quite a bit slower which means missed shots and moments. But I can rack. Magnify also tends to mean shots with bad framing while I'm adjusting.
The technique I've developed is a hybrid. Toggle AF on and off. Toggle it on to get the focus quickly. Toggle it off to avoid accidental changing focus and allow for racking. Bottomline, I'm coming back from shoots with fewer missed focus shots.
This technique was common to 2/3" field production broadcast cameras. You could set AF to a momentary push button on the lens zoom motor. Push and hold for focus/release to lock. Did not interfere with manual focus at all. I shot fast moving news events with both eyes open, one on the EVF and the other taking in the larger scene. If you set the lens focal length to match your other eye in the view finder, you got a continuous field of view for scanning and then zoomed wider or longer to frame action as needed. both hands were always on the lens and one eye was glued to the evf, which was usually monochrome high resolution and very easy to focus by. Exposure was set for the general scene and locked.
I used auto focus on my Canon GL2 because the manual focus was by wire, and not precise, and the EVF wasn't good enough to focus by reliably. With practice, an appropriate lens, and a good viewfinder, It is not that hard to nail focus on the fly manually, especially with focus assist these days if the lens is precise and has enough throw.
How do you determine what the camera is going to auto-focus on with the C300? Zone defined? Face tracking or other in frame tracing reference?
I used auto focus on my Canon GL2 because the manual focus was by wire, and not precise, and the EVF wasn't good enough to focus by reliably. With practice, an appropriate lens, and a good viewfinder, It is not that hard to nail focus on the fly manually, especially with focus assist these days if the lens is precise and has enough throw.
How do you determine what the camera is going to auto-focus on with the C300? Zone defined? Face tracking or other in frame tracing reference?
Mark Smith
Veteran
the Canon 300 MK2 auto focus can be configured a number of ways. Its really darn good at this point. It won't read your mind and it doesn't really have that silky smooth touch of and AC with a focus wheel, but believe me there are plenty of times when shooting OTF or documentary situations, one configuration or another of autofocus has been incredibly useful to me and enabled me to get shots that I might not be able to get on my own.