FS7: Is FS7 autofocus suppose to be slow?

JoeJITSU

JoeJITSU

Veteran
I have been manual focus since the FS7 came out but we have been trying to use it for Run & Gun and the Autofocus is quite slow.

Is that just how the FS7 is?
 
It's very slow no matter what lens and/or adapter you're using. As I say in my training video, the action will likely be long over before the camera ever finds the focus.
 
It is slow or slower or doesn't work at all, depends on adapter/lens combi. Lens (Tamron 150-600) with commlite adapter, autofocus didn't ever work, same lens with metabones 4 did work (a bit).
Sony 18-105 does have autofocus, but not always reliable.

Hope the new Sony 18-110 mm will have decent AF. That would be nice. (Or firmware 5.0 with fast AF included)
 
it is slow and sometimes it does not work at all. But it is always slow.
I would not spend hope on future improvement neither on firmware nore on lenses.
I used AF quite often with the FS700 and with the FS7 it happened that in easy to focus
situations the AF ran to infinity and ruined the shot. Since then I focus manually all the time.
I am waiting for the 18-110 not because of AF but for image stabilization for r&g and better
manually focussing than with the 16-70z
 
FS700 I hear has wonderful autofocus and I bought FS7 assuming Sony wouldn't go backwards but indeed they did. To be blunt - AF sucks in FS7 and that's a shame because it can be a valuable tool in some situations. I never use it.
 
Just blabbing here but....why is it so slow? my fs100 with kit lens is pretty fast. Put the kit lens on the fs7 and blah blah blah....wait....oh there it is.
Isn't that something that could be fixed with a firmware up? Are there other setting that will improve it? (ie, NOT using cine ie...) AF is something that I would use routinely if it worked better. (for the stuff I usually shoot anyway.)
 
There is no such thing as s usable AF for motion. Even the "good"!dual pixel AF on the canons. Af will only engage under certain circumstances depending on contrast, backlight, speed etc. instead of being in control you become an AF slave trying to constantly give the camera what it needs for the AF to engage. Get a lens with proper focusing mechanics. This year it's finally becoming viable with sigma cine zooms Zeiss LWz3 or the Sony 18-110 all under 10k.
 
icarusfilm said:
Get a lens with proper focusing mechanics.
Click to expand...

Exactly. For years I've been telling people who say they need AF, or can't learn to shoot with MF, it's because they don't have a decent MF lens. With very, very few exceptions if a lens has any AF capabilities at all, it is almost surely going to be a crappy lens for MF. And that eliminates 99% of modern SLR lenses from consideration for a pleasant MF experience. Time and time again at the workshops I teach I've seen people change their whole attitude when they finally get the chance to shoot with a nice fully-manual focus cinema lens . . . and then they realize what they've been missing.
 
I was joking because this is a subject that has been beaten to death. I hate AF. Lots of people can't seem to (or don't want to) operate without it. There's room for both kinds of people in the world.
 
Such a silly argument. Who cares if you like AF or not. The OP asked whether and why it can't be done and the answer is its a hardware problem. I don't know more details than that but the team that created the the FS7 ignored progress that the FS700 team made re AF and its a shame. Better AF would not hurt manual focus so its just a net loss and I miss it even though I rarely would use it.
Nevertheless it ain't gonna happen on firmware.

By the way - I used to be Lenilenapi on this forum for years but got hacked and someone used my name to rip someone off on Marketplace. Be careful what you respond to . I opened a link I shouldn't have from someone answering my marketplace add. They simply said -" is what you're selling the same as this - link." There was no link it was bogus. That's all it took. Later I realize the poster had joined DVXUser a couple days before. They waited 6 months to use my name to try to sell a bunch of stuff in one day and looked pretty legit.
Finally using my real name though.

lenny
 
It seems like the FS7 is based on it's own system (or somewhat inherited from F5/55?) while the FS5 is using the same foundation as the FS100/700/EA50 and thus also has decent AF with face recognition etc...
 
Well, I didn't know this had been beaten to death ;-) and it's not that I can't seem to (or don't want to) operate without it, (with fs7, you pretty much HAVE to...) but one of the shows I've been shooting for 8 seasons is a cooking show. When you're shooting 200mm zoomed in on a plate of spagettios (lol....he said spagettios) and then pan to the pan, then back to the serving plate, then to the spices...believe me, the autofocus on thefs700 and 100 is a life saver. I don't particularly hate AF, It's a tool. If it works, use the hell out of it, if it doesn't, get a lens with the twisty, turny thing on it to focus. (lol....he said twisty, turny thing)
 
LennyLevy said:
Such a silly argument. Who cares if you like AF or not. The OP asked whether and why it can't be done and the answer is its a hardware problem. I don't know more details than that but the team that created the the FS7 ignored progress that the FS700 team made re AF and its a shame. Better AF would not hurt manual focus so its just a net loss and I miss it even though I rarely would use it.
Nevertheless it ain't gonna happen on firmware.

By the way - I used to be Lenilenapi on this forum for years but got hacked and someone used my name to rip someone off on Marketplace. Be careful what you respond to . I opened a link I shouldn't have from someone answering my marketplace add. They simply said -" is what you're selling the same as this - link." There was no link it was bogus. That's all it took. Later I realize the poster had joined DVXUser a couple days before. They waited 6 months to use my name to try to sell a bunch of stuff in one day and looked pretty legit.
Finally using my real name though.

lenny
Click to expand...

Wow. That sucks Lenny.

AF does hurt manual focus because unless it's the heavy duty motors in the new Red/Sigma cine lens mechanics are compromised to allow AF motors to function but that's neither here nor there and that's why I use manual stills glass and not really AF glass. I appreciate some people use it and (mostly) have good reason to.
 
Ben, It doesn't hurt manual focus because you can just use whatever lens you want. Don't use an AF lens - no harm done. and yes it was a giant PITA and I hope the huy who got screwed got his money back . As I recall it was around $2K. Be careful when you buy. from now on I'm requesting a photo with the gear and todays newspaper headline.
 
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