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05-05-2021, 06:54 AM   #406
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QuoteOriginally posted by mtkeller Quote
I think @gatorguy’s question is more about why you picked high for AF hold. I found with trying to track baseball players running toward me/away from me, I did better with AF hold off. Seems that we may just all have to experiment with our subjects to see what AF hold setting works best.
Yes that was essentially what was being asked. There doesn't yet seem to be a clear answer to what settings are most effective for subject tracking, and whether it's a consistent setting for sports as compared to BiF. I'm still working on it, but portraiture and natural light interior images have been the primary uses for my K3 III so far.

With more pleasant weather this coming Saturday, it's been humid as heck the past several days, I may get out on an early day hike and test the AF.C more aggressively. If you want to share your current most effective settings for BiF I'll try them out, and maybe with and without hold. I suspect without might work better but I'm guessing.

05-05-2021, 08:03 AM - 4 Likes   #407
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QuoteOriginally posted by gatorguy Quote
Yes that was essentially what was being asked. There doesn't yet seem to be a clear answer to what settings are most effective for subject tracking, and whether it's a consistent setting for sports as compared to BiF. I'm still working on it, but portraiture and natural light interior images have been the primary uses for my K3 III so far.

With more pleasant weather this coming Saturday, it's been humid as heck the past several days, I may get out on an early day hike and test the AF.C more aggressively. If you want to share your current most effective settings for BiF I'll try them out, and maybe with and without hold. I suspect without might work better but I'm guessing.
Hopefully this will clear things up at least a bit.

AF-H (Auto Focus Hold)
The AF-H mode only pertains to horizontal and vertical tracking when the subject is at a pretty consistent focal distance from the camera. In case (say a tree) gets between the camera and the subject as you're tracking/panning, AF-H will essentially "Hold" the AF distance to maintain focus on the subject and ignore what temporarily just came between the camera and the subject.
AF-H options
Low - Short duration of holding the focal distance (short pause before traying to re-focus)
Med - Longer AF pause
High - Even Longer AF Pause


There is no documented "time" so you'd have to play with it.

For Z-axis tracking (subjects coming towards or away from you)
Turn AF Hold off or it will keep pausing the AF as you try to track.

Again, AF hold is for X and Y axis (horizontal and vertical tracking, if there's potential for other objects to be within the frame between the camera and subject). Turn off AF hold for Z axis (subjects moving towards or away from the camera).

Hope this helps!
05-05-2021, 08:05 AM   #408
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Hi
I ordered my new k3iii few days ago, in the meantime i ' m trying to understand how the AF countinuous works. What i mean the eye/bird detection and tracking is possible with OFV or it's availble only in LV? Somebody could confirm it ?
It's really important for me,i 'm a 150/450 owner
Hope somebody could help me
05-05-2021, 08:08 AM   #409
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Eye tracking is available also with the OVF

05-05-2021, 08:12 AM - 1 Like   #410
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QuoteOriginally posted by rory gallagher Quote
Hi
I ordered my new k3iii few days ago, in the meantime i ' m trying to understand how the AF countinuous works. What i mean the eye/bird detection and tracking is possible with OFV or it's availble only in LV? Somebody could confirm it ?
It's really important for me,i 'm a 150/450 owner
Hope somebody could help me
It's through OVF. Out of the box, the camera already has Subject Recognition (this is what allows the camera to detect faces, eyes, animals etc) as well as AF + AE (this uses the 307,000 RGBir sensor to send tracking info to the AF module for faster/real time tracking) turned on by default.
The Subject Recognition only works with either Full Auto AF or Zone AF.
The enhanced tracking with AF + AE will work with Full Auto, Zone, SEL-ex S, M, L) but no subject recognition.
05-05-2021, 08:19 AM - 1 Like   #411
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Thanks a lot Andrea & Kobie

Your clarify is priceless for me
05-05-2021, 09:02 AM - 1 Like   #412
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QuoteOriginally posted by Kobie Quote
Turn AF Hold off or it will keep pausing the AF as you try to track.
At least on the K-1 I would strongly advise against this. AF Hold was in K-1 (and is in other makers cameras) a means to ignore sudden jumps in AF due to objects briefly blocking line of sight to the tracked main subject. It absolutely does not hinder focus to follow even fast z-axis approach - especially if the movement is more or less continuous.

I had zero problems with AF hold medium and Motocross motorcycles racing towards me.

The situation might be different for football players who stand-run-stand-run etc. I guess each sports type has different config requirements.

05-05-2021, 09:03 AM - 1 Like   #413
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QuoteOriginally posted by Kobie Quote
Hopefully this will clear things up at least a bit.

AF-H (Auto Focus Hold)
The AF-H mode only pertains to horizontal and vertical tracking when the subject is at a pretty consistent focal distance from the camera. In case (say a tree) gets between the camera and the subject as you're tracking/panning, AF-H will essentially "Hold" the AF distance to maintain focus on the subject and ignore what temporarily just came between the camera and the subject.
AF-H options
Low - Short duration of holding the focal distance (short pause before traying to re-focus)
Med - Longer AF pause
High - Even Longer AF Pause


There is no documented "time" so you'd have to play with it.

For Z-axis tracking (subjects coming towards or away from you)
Turn AF Hold off or it will keep pausing the AF as you try to track.

Again, AF hold is for X and Y axis (horizontal and vertical tracking, if there's potential for other objects to be within the frame between the camera and subject). Turn off AF hold for Z axis (subjects moving towards or away from the camera).

Hope this helps!
So if I'm understanding your comments there might be no benefit to "Hold" at all (perhaps even detrimental) in an open area where the subject won't be disappearing from camera view? For instance birds against a sky, horses running in a field, a dog playing in your yard, or a child running in a park.

"Hold" would be most advantageous in a team sports event, or birds in a tree/flying amongst them, a Nascar or bike race, pretty much anything potentially moving quick with obstacles including other players?

I'll test it anyway, but wondering if this sounds reasonable.
05-05-2021, 10:14 AM   #414
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Yes we have to try further.
In the case of my first test, as i voluntarily decentered the framing immediately once the AF was initialy locked on the horse's head, thus inducing a stiff lateral movement of the frame, i think this setting was more appropriated.
For sure, the tracking was not affected at all.
05-05-2021, 10:30 AM - 1 Like   #415
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QuoteOriginally posted by Kobie Quote
It's through OVF. Out of the box, the camera already has Subject Recognition (this is what allows the camera to detect faces, eyes, animals etc) as well as AF + AE (this uses the 307,000 RGBir sensor to send tracking info to the AF module for faster/real time tracking) turned on by default.
The Subject Recognition only works with either Full Auto AF or Zone AF.
The enhanced tracking with AF + AE will work with Full Auto, Zone, SEL-ex S, M, L) but no subject recognition.
Hi mate, just quote you to tell you I picked the borrowed K3-III today.
First impressions are: Its grip is great. Menus are different but I like them (as you stated in the live video where we asked you questions), the joystick is quite worthless in my unit so far just to move the AF points, right? Touchscreen is weird but love it and I don't know still how to send me pics from the SD card to my phone by bluetooth. Oh and AF I need to wait up to been at the racetrack but looks promising. Yet a bit hunting maybe somehow?
What else? buffer as you said clears way faster, I love the crop mode so far (will allow me an extra reach that I find super helpful), love the sound of the shutter, love the burst mode.

Oh and I need to install the new firmware as it comes from the 1.0.0 version and I'm waiting for an SDXC UH-II card I bought for the occasion to test for real how do the buffer goes.

It lacks a vertical grip in the unit I borrowed for me to feel home, but overall the first impression is: it is looking good! (yeah I'm a bit hyped xD)

oh btw if by any chance (which is normal) you don't know who am I, I am the one from Barcelona shooting motorsports Remember me now?

---------- Post added 05-05-21 at 10:38 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Kobie Quote
Hopefully this will clear things up at least a bit.

AF-H (Auto Focus Hold)
The AF-H mode only pertains to horizontal and vertical tracking when the subject is at a pretty consistent focal distance from the camera. In case (say a tree) gets between the camera and the subject as you're tracking/panning, AF-H will essentially "Hold" the AF distance to maintain focus on the subject and ignore what temporarily just came between the camera and the subject.
AF-H options
Low - Short duration of holding the focal distance (short pause before traying to re-focus)
Med - Longer AF pause
High - Even Longer AF Pause


There is no documented "time" so you'd have to play with it.

For Z-axis tracking (subjects coming towards or away from you)
Turn AF Hold off or it will keep pausing the AF as you try to track.

Again, AF hold is for X and Y axis (horizontal and vertical tracking, if there's potential for other objects to be within the frame between the camera and subject). Turn off AF hold for Z axis (subjects moving towards or away from the camera).

Hope this helps!
That is interesting Kobie, thank you.
I think it will help me out for my kind of photography.
05-05-2021, 11:03 AM   #416
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QuoteOriginally posted by Kobie Quote
Hopefully this will clear things up at least a bit.

AF-H (Auto Focus Hold)
The AF-H mode only pertains to horizontal and vertical tracking when the subject is at a pretty consistent focal distance from the camera. In case (say a tree) gets between the camera and the subject as you're tracking/panning, AF-H will essentially "Hold" the AF distance to maintain focus on the subject and ignore what temporarily just came between the camera and the subject.
AF-H options
Low - Short duration of holding the focal distance (short pause before traying to re-focus)
Med - Longer AF pause
High - Even Longer AF Pause


There is no documented "time" so you'd have to play with it.

For Z-axis tracking (subjects coming towards or away from you)
Turn AF Hold off or it will keep pausing the AF as you try to track.

Again, AF hold is for X and Y axis (horizontal and vertical tracking, if there's potential for other objects to be within the frame between the camera and subject). Turn off AF hold for Z axis (subjects moving towards or away from the camera).

Hope this helps!
I did fool around with my K-1 today and getting my self familiar with this function I'v clearly overlooked with my k-1. Found out today that yes, some basic things will still follow the same logic, if it does not accuire focus where I want it, it is useless, or faster it does pick it up the better. But that is not relevant with K-3III, which I do not have yet...waiting.
(have to say that it does do quite good job actually even with K-1, only if boxes were smaller and it had joystick to guide that smaller array of focuspoints through the VF where you want it)

about that things coming towards or moving away tracking, I thought that they did finetune it to be more precise and faster with this new AF in K-3III. I'm going to keep up fooling aound with my K-1 and try same lenses on my K-3III with similar settings and same lenses to see what is what.


exciting!

---------- Post added 05-05-21 at 21:06 ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by red5isalive Quote
Hi mate, just quote you to tell you I picked the borrowed K3-III today.
First impressions are: Its grip is great. Menus are different but I like them (as you stated in the live video where we asked you questions), the joystick is quite worthless in my unit so far just to move the AF points, right? Touchscreen is weird but love it and I don't know still how to send me pics from the SD card to my phone by bluetooth. Oh and AF I need to wait up to been at the racetrack but looks promising. Yet a bit hunting maybe somehow?
What else? buffer as you said clears way faster, I love the crop mode so far (will allow me an extra reach that I find super helpful), love the sound of the shutter, love the burst mode.

Oh and I need to install the new firmware as it comes from the 1.0.0 version and I'm waiting for an SDXC UH-II card I bought for the occasion to test for real how do the buffer goes.

It lacks a vertical grip in the unit I borrowed for me to feel home, but overall the first impression is: it is looking good! (yeah I'm a bit hyped xD)

oh btw if by any chance (which is normal) you don't know who am I, I am the one from Barcelona shooting motorsports Remember me now?

---------- Post added 05-05-21 at 10:38 AM ----------


That is interesting Kobie, thank you.
I think it will help me out for my kind of photography.

download Image sync app to your phone and follow the instructions, it should be good in no time.
05-05-2021, 11:07 AM - 1 Like   #417
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QuoteOriginally posted by beholder3 Quote
At least on the K-1 I would strongly advise against this. AF Hold was in K-1 (and is in other makers cameras) a means to ignore sudden jumps in AF due to objects briefly blocking line of sight to the tracked main subject. It absolutely does not hinder focus to follow even fast z-axis approach - especially if the movement is more or less continuous.

I had zero problems with AF hold medium and Motocross motorcycles racing towards me.

The situation might be different for football players who stand-run-stand-run etc. I guess each sports type has different config requirements.
My findings are that using AF-H while tracking on Z-axis is that it's always a tad behind, especially with birds. With AF-H off and panning, it will re-focus on anything that comes between you and the subject immediately (even if another subject enters the frame, crossing close to the initial target). So, with unpredictable subjects, having AF-H on when you periodically may lose the subject on the AF points while tracking, the camera will hold the focus distance as that subject is getting closer and closer which makes it harder to re-acquire focus.

Motorsports is a pretty large subject that fills most of the frame, also the aperture and distance as well as length (amount of time) of tracking will all make a difference as well.
I used to always shoot with AF-H on med until a few outings produced OOF shots along the Z-axis. Then I came across the Pentax video about AF-Hold which clearly shows horizontal panning and a tree coming between the camera and subject. So I experimented for a week at a time with each setting along the Z-axis. Just my findings that Z-axis tracking works better with AF-H off. I'm not saying it won't work at all with AF-H on, it can and I've gotten great shots that way as well. But I found that Z-axis tracking works better with AF-H off.
Again, it also depends on other parameters as well. F/8? Close subject/Far Subject? How dead on along the Z-axis? Speed of subject? How long was the tracking time? Everyone has techniques that work for their situation. I'm just explaining my findings and understanding of how it works within Pentax,
05-05-2021, 11:37 AM   #418
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05-05-2021, 01:22 PM   #419
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QuoteOriginally posted by Andrea K Quote
Eye tracking is available also with the OVF
Any idea how it actually works? I've watched this video
and was surprised to see the lag of the square (when I actually managed to see the black square at all). Does it show up after the lens focuses (and moves as the lens changes focus) or is it an indication of where the subject's eye is, and shows the active focus point (nearest to the eye) but the actual focusing of the lens isn't really happening there?
05-05-2021, 02:08 PM   #420
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I've watched that video, its great to see an example of the eye tracking and she seems to be having fun getting her groove on it was a bit hard to see the tracking working.
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