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04-30-2011, 06:50 PM   #31
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
Croc,
Thank you for explaining the issue of poor vision. We have had several forum members over the years who have moved to AF cameras due to poor or declining vision. Some have been thrilled with the results while others (like you) have been disappointed.

I spent some time with the images you have posted as examples and I am quite unwilling at this point to say anything one way or another regarding your camera's performance. Normally, I would say plenty, but your examples have been stripped of their exif data and there is little to go from. On one, I suspect that the AF point was other than your subject (the Seasol photo). On the pole, I wonder if the camera was set to AF-C and had not locked to subject (AF-C is a curse and a bane under most circumstances). No green hexagon, no focus. Based on the OOF background comparison between the two shots, I believe that the focus plane is about 6" behind the pole. With the bookcase photo, the focus point is not at center, but appears to be to the right of center on the hat.

You may want to take one of the higher-end Nikon products for a test drive. The predictive AF is supposed to be seriously great for moving subjects. Not 100% accurate, but better than most.

BTW...I am not a huge fan of AF, particularly with fast lenses. It has been my experience that the AF systems lack adequate precision to provide consistently acceptable performance for fine work. Add to that the issue of determining the desired point of focus when DOF is limited and nothing good happens.


Steve
picasa seem to remove exif from files i cropped the edges from that were shot in raw but one you mentioned (seasol ) does have exif and if you hit "download" on picasa page instead of right click "save picture" it will have exif info there including focus mode (AF-S) and it will show it was central point used

ALL of the photos were AF-S with central point used and never recomposed, its a focus test so i was sure it goes without saying

04-30-2011, 07:06 PM   #32
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QuoteOriginally posted by dgaies Quote
Croc, can you confirm you are using the latest firmware, v1.03. I don't recall seeing that explicitly stated. Other than a hardware issue with your specific body, that's about the only other thing I can think of that might be an issue. As Ash said above, the majority of people seem to be happy with the focusing accuracy of the K-5, especially post firmware v1.03.
as i said in post above
v1.03
AF-S
only central point used in tests
no recomposing

QuoteOriginally posted by DogLover Quote
I'm with Ash, I think it's user error as you've not displayed anything that would prove otherwise. My K5 has deadly accurate AF in virtually any light. In fact, I'm not sure how long it will take me to stop being constantly amazed by it.

It could also be your admittedly bad eyesight. If you don't think there are any sharp photos in that "death of the soft K5" thread, then that says volumes.
i been taking photos for most of my life started with old zenith as a kid and been since spending every weekend locked in bathroom with enlarger my father got from op shop and fixed up, i still remember my first ever photo and it was over 30 years ago.
believe it or not but i do not make user errors like this and if i did i would correct myself long before posting here, I don't just double check things, i check things countless of times with all variables verified and rechecked BUT some people just love to judge the wrong way and when i see comments like you made about eyesight and "death of the soft k5" it makes me wonder what does it says about you? where is that i said i don't think there are any sharp photos in that thread? where? this was NOT what i said at all, you might want to read again before you try to take a poke at me with some cheap shot that fabricates what i said.
04-30-2011, 07:39 PM   #33
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QuoteOriginally posted by Croc Quote
i been taking photos for most of my life started with old zenith as a kid and been since spending every weekend locked in bathroom with enlarger my father got from op shop and fixed up, i still remember my first ever photo and it was over 30 years ago.
believe it or not but i do not make user errors like this and if i did i would correct myself long before posting here, I don't just double check things, i check things countless of times with all variables verified and rechecked BUT some people just love to judge the wrong way and when i see comments like you made about eyesight and "death of the soft k5" it makes me wonder what does it says about you? where is that i said i don't think there are any sharp photos in that thread? where? this was NOT what i said at all, you might want to read again before you try to take a poke at me with some cheap shot that fabricates what i said.
I don't think the majority of people were suggesting that you don't have a problem. However, keep in mind that you started a thread with the title "Pentax AF really need fixing", which implies that there is something wrong with the AF system itself as opposed to your specific K-5. As a result, many people have chimed in to refute that statement. The fact that the majority of people don't have the same issue that you're having suggests that perhaps the Pentax AF doesn't need fixing as much as Pentax's QC needs fixing.
04-30-2011, 07:49 PM   #34
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QuoteOriginally posted by dgaies Quote
I don't think the majority of people were suggesting that you don't have a problem. However, keep in mind that you started a thread with the title "Pentax AF really need fixing", which implies that there is something wrong with the AF system itself as opposed to your specific K-5. As a result, many people have chimed in to refute that statement. The fact that the majority of people don't have the same issue that you're having suggests that perhaps the Pentax AF doesn't need fixing as much as Pentax's QC needs fixing.
i was able to reproduce the problem with more than just one K5 so it does raise a question about pentax AF with fast lenses (when wide open) and not just my camera only.
and as pointed out in regards to thread with sharp pictures, most people seem to think that if it is sharp at f11 then there is no problem with AF at all so saying that majority doesn't have this issue is nothing more but guess right now.

04-30-2011, 07:56 PM   #35
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I am an truly amateur, I have no issue with the K-5 and athe AF.
Please look at the person on manage the camera
04-30-2011, 08:06 PM   #36
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Croc, you're fighting a losing battle here, most of us that have the K5 have rigorously tested the AF system after the firmware update and even the most rabid detractors now seem well satisfied.
We spent months going over this focusing issue, so you are just a little late to the party...since it is all over now and we are just enjoying the great shooting from the K5.

Maybe your post should have said "My Pentax AF Really Needs Fixing", instead of trying to insinuate that mine needs fixing, as it clearly doesn't, and neither does most anyone elses. If you want help, ask for it, take some advice if given, and look for answers. If you just want to convince us that we have bad cameras, good luck to you....you are going to need more than luck to do that.
Best Regards!
04-30-2011, 08:22 PM   #37
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QuoteOriginally posted by Croc Quote
i was able to reproduce the problem with more than just one K5 so it does raise a question about pentax AF with fast lenses (when wide open) and not just my camera only.
and as pointed out in regards to thread with sharp pictures, most people seem to think that if it is sharp at f11 then there is no problem with AF at all so saying that majority doesn't have this issue is nothing more but guess right now.
No, you are incorrect and your logic is flawed.

Don't confuse sharpness and focus accuracy. The "soft" K-5 issue wasn't about AF accuracy. While poor AF accuracy can also produce a soft image, the softness issue was about whether or not the K-5 could produce very sharp images (perhaps because of the AA filter) in comparison to previous Pentax bodies and other bodies that used the K-5 sensor but a different AA filter (Nikon D7000). Testing at small apertures such as f/11 makes sense in that application.

When I, and others, test the K-5 for focus accuracy, it is done with fast lenses shot wide open. I mainly used my 31/1.8, 55/1.4 and 85/1.4 to conduct these tests. Post v1.03, the only focus shift I see in in extremely low light (around 1EV or less), and as far as I am concerned the K-5 AF is working fine.

I am sorry you are having issues and I do understand that it can be frustrating. Clearly this thread hasn't gone in a very positive direction, and I imagine that is adding to your frustration as well.

04-30-2011, 08:35 PM   #38
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Hmm, I think mine may be having the same issue. After calibrating my lenses with the moire fringe method, I went outside and it was FF. I adjusted then later it was BF. And while shooting birds today it seemed to go back and forth, but I reasoned that they were just hard to track. I was a bit annoyed and didn't feel like doing controlled tests.

This, tracking, and low-light AF speed was why I was going to return and wait for the next body.

edit: v1.03, center point, af-c and af-s. lenses tried: 70-200mm tamron, 105mm sigma macro, with and without 1.7x TC.

Last edited by Eruditass; 04-30-2011 at 09:13 PM.
04-30-2011, 08:54 PM   #39
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QuoteOriginally posted by dgaies Quote
No, you are incorrect and your logic is flawed.

Don't confuse sharpness and focus accuracy. The "soft" K-5 issue wasn't about AF accuracy.
i don't confuse anything, for the love of god would you read the WHOLE thread please? i wasn't the one to bring up that "soft" k5 thread in to this one, it was someone else that tried to use it as example showing how K5 AF is just oh so great, i only pointed out that if we were to use it as example on how k5 focus works then it the only photo in that thread that demonstrates AF performance only confirms what i been saying here....
04-30-2011, 08:59 PM   #40
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rupert Quote
Croc, you're fighting a losing battle here, most of us that have the K5 have rigorously tested the AF system after the firmware update and even the most rabid detractors now seem well satisfied.
We spent months going over this focusing issue, so you are just a little late to the party...since it is all over now and we are just enjoying the great shooting from the K5.

Maybe your post should have said "My Pentax AF Really Needs Fixing", instead of trying to insinuate that mine needs fixing, as it clearly doesn't, and neither does most anyone elses. If you want help, ask for it, take some advice if given, and look for answers. If you just want to convince us that we have bad cameras, good luck to you....you are going to need more than luck to do that.
Best Regards!
sure thing, i want all the help and advice, i already offered $100 to anyone that can solve this puzzle
and i'm willing to bet another $100 i could reproduce it on yours K5 too
anyone in melbourne ready to take me up on this bet?
04-30-2011, 09:02 PM   #41
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QuoteOriginally posted by Eruditass Quote
Hmm, I think mine may be having the same issue. After calibrating my lenses with the moire fringe method, I went outside and it was FF. I adjusted then later it was BF. And while shooting birds today it seemed to go back and forth, but I reasoned that they were just hard to track. I was a bit annoyed and didn't feel like doing controlled tests.

This, tracking, and low-light AF speed was why I was going to return and wait for the next body.
thanks for confirming i'm not going nuts just yet
04-30-2011, 09:06 PM   #42
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QuoteOriginally posted by Croc Quote
thanks for confirming i'm not going nuts just yet
No, you still are.
04-30-2011, 09:12 PM   #43
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QuoteOriginally posted by DogLover Quote
No, you still are.
i take nuts over being delusional any time of the day
04-30-2011, 09:15 PM   #44
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QuoteOriginally posted by Croc Quote
i don't confuse anything, for the love of god would you read the WHOLE thread please? i wasn't the one to bring up that "soft" k5 thread in to this one, it was someone else that tried to use it as example showing how K5 AF is just oh so great, i only pointed out that if we were to use it as example on how k5 focus works then it the only photo in that thread that demonstrates AF performance only confirms what i been saying here....
I read the whole thread. I do wish in hindsight I didn't waste the time, but what's done is done. I have no hard feelings and do sincerely hope you get your issue resolved, regardless of what the root cause of the issue actually is.
04-30-2011, 11:52 PM   #45
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QuoteOriginally posted by Croc Quote
sure thing, i want all the help and advice, i already offered $100 to anyone that can solve this puzzle
and i'm willing to bet another $100 i could reproduce it on yours K5 too
anyone in melbourne ready to take me up on this bet?
Oh, please, someone take this loony tunes up on his offer, so he'll finally zip it.
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