K20D and disabling focus check

kenyee · 01-11-2009, 05:22 PM

Dum question, but where is this menu option? I thought one of the new features of the K20D was that you could turn it off and tell it to use its first guess at focusing position?
I searched DPR and this forum for this and couldn't find mention of it...

p.s., FWIW, I don't think the K20D is faster than the K10D in low light...feels the same to me...

SpecialK · 01-11-2009, 05:57 PM

Are you talking about the focus confirmation indicator? Not sure what you mean about "first guess".

*pingflood* · 01-11-2009, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by SpecialK

Are you talking about the focus confirmation indicator? Not sure what you mean about "first guess".

I believe he means a way to keep the AF system from "double checking" the focus -- if you pay careful attention to what it does, it seems to hit the focus point, then do a quick forward/backward step to verify it. This slows down the time to shoot a little and some people would be willing to sacrifice that final step for some improved speed.

kenyee · 01-11-2009, 06:36 PM

yep, I mean the double check...there was supposedly a menu option added to disable this in the K20D.

p.s., in bright light, I think it focuses a little faster than my K10D (the double check distance it spins is less).

*pingflood* · 01-11-2009, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by kenyee

yep, I mean the double check...there was supposedly a menu option added to disable this in the K20D.

p.s., in bright light, I think it focuses a little faster than my K10D (the double check distance it spins is less).

I think that was from speculation before it was actually available to the public and people figured one menu option (catch-in focus) meant something other than it did.

kenyee · 01-11-2009, 08:51 PM

That explains it.

Catch-in-focus is another thing I was confused about. It's pretty goofy so I wishlisted what I wanted in the wishlist thread.
I never would have thought it'd mean you have to use a DA/FA lens w/ an AF/MF switch on it and it only works in the AF-S position.
I was expecting that if you kick it into the M position, you could use it w/ any AF lens by holding the shutter down :-P

lol101 · 01-12-2009, 12:29 AM

Originally Posted by kenyee

Dum question, but where is this menu option? I thought one of the new features of the K20D was that you could turn it off and tell it to use its first guess at focusing position?
I searched DPR and this forum for this and couldn't find mention of it...

p.s., FWIW, I don't think the K20D is faster than the K10D in low light...feels the same to me...

AFAIK there is no way to disable the focus check on the K20D.

The only way to shoot faster is to put the camera on AF-C and shoot as soon as the first focus is acquired.

Unfortunately, this leads to quite a bit of misfocused shots: the double check is here for a reason.

*Mallee Boy* · 01-12-2009, 02:30 AM

Originally Posted by kenyee

Dum question, but where is this menu option? I thought one of the new features of the K20D was that you could turn it off and tell it to use its first guess at focusing position?
I searched DPR and this forum for this and couldn't find mention of it...

p.s., FWIW, I don't think the K20D is faster than the K10D in low light...feels the same to me...

G'day Kenyee,

Go to your custom menu......scroll through until you find "catch in focus"...which will be set to 'OFF' by default....activate it, ...and away you go.

Cheers

lol101 · 01-12-2009, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by Mallee Boy

G'day Kenyee,

Go to your custom menu......scroll through until you find "catch in focus"...which will be set to 'OFF' by default....activate it, ...and away you go.

Cheers

The "catch in focus " option doesn't disable the AF double check, it just allows you to prefocus at a given spot with an AF lens set to MF (if the AF lens has a AF/MF selector) and let the camera take the shot when focus is achieved.

On earlier models, this was only feasible with MF lenses.

kenyee · 01-12-2009, 08:39 AM

I think Mallee may have been responding to my catch-in-focus gripe earlier in the thread. And for that, I already had catch-in-focus enabled in the menu. It's still my opinion that they could have done much better w/ that feature :-)

AF-C isn't the same as disabling focus check unfortunately.

*Mallee Boy* · 01-12-2009, 06:23 PM

I hear what lol101 is saying, and that is confirmed on p112 of the good book.....however....

I have found that if you set this feature to on, and using auto focus (spot), the focus grabs first time, every time, no hunting, no checking, it simply locks on.

it could be a fluke (and I will check it again) but that was my experience last week with it.
Its easy enough to test for yourself.

Cheers.

kenyee · 01-12-2009, 08:37 PM

Mallee, what lens are you using?
I've tried w/ a 50/1.4, 77Ltd, and Sigma 17-70. All hunt w/ that setting on...

*Mallee Boy* · 01-12-2009, 11:34 PM

Nothing glamorous, just the Tamron 70-300. When I get the chance I will try it with something else.