Originally posted by audiobomber My experience over the past two and a half years, shooting mostly BIF but also sports, is that your settings are robbing the K-3 of its ability to track. I agree with focus priority and continuous shooting. Try AF Hold HIGH and Expanded AF, and see the difference. Just make sure focus is locked on the target before you release the shutter, or you will have a string of misses.
Also, the 18-135mm almost never misses focus. Have you checked the calibration (AF Adjust)?
Thanks, I'll give it a try.
I used the 18-135mm extensively last time I was on a (month long) trip and there were no issues. This was together with K-30 and currently I haven't seen anything that gives me reason to believe I'm experiencing FF/BF issues. But I'll keep an eye out for it since it's on a different camera body now.
Originally posted by Srhphoto On the cyclist example posted, I'm not surprised the AF struggled as there's really no areas of contrast for the AF system to work with. A black leather jacket and dark coloured trousers / skirt, coupled with what appears to be shooting into the light are really just setting the camera up to fail in my experience and opinion. The car example has more contrast, but you've again ahot into what looks to be a low angled sun which again robs the shot of contrast.
From these two examples, I'd be wary of drawing too many conclusions about the system being 'utter crap'. If you get similar results in decent light with a contrasty target, then I'd agree with you!
Simon.
I "hear" what you are saying but I do not agree. Ultimately you are or should be correct, but in the case of K-3 II and Sigma 70-200mm combi, it seems less contrast is better - I've uploaded more photos. I'll refer to the first set of settings mentioned in earlier post as Release Priority and the second set as Focus Priority:
zafariqbal.smugmug.com/Shares/2015/20150618
- Mercedes, Release Priority
- Bicyclist, Release Priority
- White car, Release Priority
- White car, Focus priority
- Bottle, Release Priority
- Barcode, Release Priority
- Sigma box, Release Priority
The barcode shots is the only series so far, where the focus didn't travel - it is at the same time also low contrasty - The Sigma Box however, just slightly more contrasty = bye bye focus. The white part is white, not reflection/specularity.
I did corresponding shots in Focus Priority - they are as one would expect. I also tried AF hold set to high - it "helped" in that the focus didn't travel to another galaxy - only to Pluto or in other words: still a lot.
My K-30 does a much better job in Release Priority and same lens.