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NX1: anyone having issues with manual focus?


Sekhar
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Folks, I've been having random (and extremely costly) focus issues with NX1. Basically, it happens when I focus manually with my 16-50 S (manual switch set on the lens), stop, and turn recording on again later. Usually the focus remains where I set, but once in a while - and this is what I'm trying to understand - everything turns fuzzy.

I have an important shoot this evening, where I need to keep turning the recording on/off, so I'd appreciate if you could help on this. I'm so scared of this that I'm thinking of giving up manual focus completely and using auto-focus in single shot mode.

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Don't have an NX1, but, if there is a menu setting to disable auto-focus, you might try doing so.

 

If you have a few seconds to manually focus after you press record, it should be easy to solve your problem, especially if you can use any of the NX1's focusing aids during recording.

 

With one or two seconds, I can get critical sharpness without focus aids (years of experience focusing on ground glass).  There is an easy trick to this that takes just a little practice, which I am happy to share.

 

However, you can of course use the focus aids on an external monitor while recording.  I prefer digital zoom over other focus features (such as peaking, or momentary auto-focus), because one can see exactly where critical focus falls on the subject, especially when using tighter apertures.

 

Another possibility is to put a tiny strip of tape over the lens' contacts.

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Thanks Tupp, my issue is not with achieving focus: what I get with the NX1 assists (zoom and peaking) is excellent and tack sharp. The problem is that if I stop the recording and resume later, the focus is off even though I didn't touch anything else. It doesn't happen every time, so I'm baffled. I believe this has something to do with the lens being focus-by-wire and not true MF, so somehow the camera is resetting on occasion. Sadly, NX1 is like an eccentric genius, and it does have its bizarre moments.

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I understood that the focus changes when you stop recording.  I was giving you some work-arounds in lieu of a proper NX1 solution from someone familiar with the camera/lenses.

 

If there isn't a better solution, you could just focus after each time you press record or try covering the contacts with electrical tape,  as I mentioned.  Of course, you could also just use a manual lens from some other manufacturer.

 

Be careful using peaking with tight apertures -- critical focus might not be where you would like.

 

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I've had this same problem, but only when the camera was shut off or went to sleep. I figured it was parking the internals of the lens in a safe position. Is your camera doing this without going to sleep or being turned off?

Yes, it's the sleep that's doing it, thanks. I tested it at the event yesterday and confirmed that to be the case. Looks like it resets focus to infinity. Just to be sure I ended up manually focusing every time I restarted the record. Pretty big gotcha folks if you do a lot of off/on at events.

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