It's such a beautiful lens (I scored one cheap with SDM busted) that you should just do the screwdrive motor hack and be done with it. :-)

It'll be faster to focus for sports, just not silent.

So how do I get into Debug mode on the K-3?

[rawr]

with the new AF system that it's nearly impossible to know what the best combination of settings will be

Amen.

I think a while ago I saw a video of one of the K-3 'hands-on' roadshows held in Japan when the K-3 was released. At the roadshow they had an electric train set constructed at the venue, with an electric train looping continuously around a small wiggly track with tunnels and other obstacles. That is what they used to let guests get a feel for how the new K-3 AF worked, AF tracking included. If you have access to something similar at home, that would be a great way to get to learn all the 1001 mysteries of K-3 AF.

[Ronjal]

Correct

Red indicators show focus point selected not AF status
Hexagon shows AF status
Hand shows SR status

Wait a minute. I get a beep and a small "red" square when in focus. What and where is the "green" hexagon???

Ron

Wait a minute. I get a beep and a small "red" square when in focus. What and where is the "green" hexagon???

Ron

In the view finder you will see it next to your f-stop

[clackers]

So how do I get into Debug mode on the K-3?

I dug up my K-x to do this very easily, Tjompen. But it's worth checking the dedicated thread in this forum to see what others have done.

I dug up my K-x to do this very easily, Tjompen. But it's worth checking the dedicated thread in this forum to see what others have done.

So if you do this hack on your Kx it still works without SDM on the K-3? If so, then I need to get my hands on a older model... Have been selling my old cameras when buying a new =(

[kp0c]

Yes. I'm pretty sure the change you make happens in the lens firmware.
(I'm sure that once converted to screw drive, the lens will always use screw drive, no matter what body it is on, it's the firmware part that I'm less sure about).

[clackers]

So if you do this hack on your Kx it still works without SDM on the K-3? If so, then I need to get my hands on a older model... Have been selling my old cameras when buying a new =(

The hack isn't to the camera.

It's altering a text file on the lens.

You can even back this file up on your computer to reverse the process whenever you want ie focus a wedding quietly with SDM one afternoon, then a softball game quickly the next morning.

[awaldram]

Wait a minute. I get a beep and a small "red" square when in focus. What and where is the "green" hexagon???

Ron

No you don't

You get a beep and green hexagon when in focus.

You get a red square when af point is selected not when focus is complete (or even started)

Basic shooting Operation ........
Page 34 of the k3 manual (getting started ) point 7

[Ronjal]

No you don't

You get a beep and green hexagon when in focus.

You get a red square when af point is selected not when focus is complete (or even started)

Basic shooting Operation ........
Page 34 of the k3 manual (getting started ) point 7

Thank you for your response. I have been tending to concentrate on the red square, and listening for the beep.

Ron

[MrNPhoto]

Another cross-country race and still having focusing issues.
Settings were: AF-C, Center AF Point, Expanded 25-point area (M), Continuous frame rate Med. Av priority mode
Shake reduction off, AA simulator off, corrections off (distortion, CA, contrast highlight/shadow adjustment all off)

I turned on the focus-confirmation beep, and waited until I heard the beep before pressing the shutter release.
The runner was approximately 20m away when I took the first photo.



Looking at the EXIF data, a couple of interesting items:

HTML Code:

Focus Mode                      : AF-C (Focus-priority)
AF Point Selected               : Center; Expanded Area 25-point (M)
AF Points In Focus              : (none)
AF Predictor                    : 903
AF Defocus                      : 2
AF Integration Time             : 0 ms
AF Point Selected               : Center; Expanded Area 25-point (M)
AF Points In Focus              : (none)

Interesting to see that AF Points in focus = (none).

I was careful to track and settle on the runner, center focus point on the runners torso, waiting for the focus beep, not the flashing red point in the viewfinder. I can't accept getting entire sequences out of focus, as I ended up missing runners completely. I really would like to know what I need to do to to get better AF performance from the K-3.

Again, I'm trying to figure out what 16. First Frame action in AF-C = focus priority actually does, as it doesn't seem to be getting anything in focus.

Anyone else having success tracking runners with the K-3?

--Mike

Another cross-country race and still having focusing issues.
Settings were: AF-C, Center AF Point, Expanded 25-point area (M), Continuous frame rate Med. Av priority mode
Shake reduction off, AA simulator off, corrections off (distortion, CA, contrast highlight/shadow adjustment all off)

I turned on the focus-confirmation beep, and waited until I heard the beep before pressing the shutter release.
The runner was approximately 20m away when I took the first photo.



Looking at the EXIF data, a couple of interesting items:

HTML Code:

Focus Mode                      : AF-C (Focus-priority)
AF Point Selected               : Center; Expanded Area 25-point (M)
AF Points In Focus              : (none)
AF Predictor                    : 903
AF Defocus                      : 2
AF Integration Time             : 0 ms
AF Point Selected               : Center; Expanded Area 25-point (M)
AF Points In Focus              : (none)

Interesting to see that AF Points in focus = (none).

I was careful to track and settle on the runner, center focus point on the runners torso, waiting for the focus beep, not the flashing red point in the viewfinder. I can't accept getting entire sequences out of focus, as I ended up missing runners completely. I really would like to know what I need to do to to get better AF performance from the K-3.

Again, I'm trying to figure out what 16. First Frame action in AF-C = focus priority actually does, as it doesn't seem to be getting anything in focus.

Anyone else having success tracking runners with the K-3?

--Mike

Strange... What lens are you using?

Also: Are you getting sharp images with this setup when shooting something standing still?

[MrNPhoto]

Strange... What lens are you using?

Also: Are you getting sharp images with this setup when shooting something standing still?

Sigma 70-200mm EX DG OS HSM. Optical Stabilization in the lens is off, and the SR in the camera is off.

Yes, I get fantastically sharp images when standing still, and have gotten sharp images on moving targets as well. The problem is that the AF often fails completely during an action sequence, like the four shots above. Sometimes the first shot is in acceptable focus, but the next ones in the sequence are all out of focus, each frame progressively worse, as if the camera hasn't noticed that the subject is no longer in focus. When it does attempt to finally refocus, it is often 'late' - not able to catch back up to the runner. AF Hold is set to off, as there isn't anything crossing in front of the subject.

What's interesting to me is that despite hearing the focus confirmation beep, seeing the center focus point light up, and setting 1st frame in AF-C to 'focus priority' - the first frame is out of focus, and the exif data says "AF Points In Focus : (none)"

This is frustrating because I upgraded from the K-7 to the K-3 specifically for the 'improved' auto-focus features, yet I'm finding that it can simply miss entire AF-C sequences under seemingly simple conditions - focus on solitary runner, with distant background. I'm not trying to track race cars or motorbikes, and the problem isn't one of it locking on to the wrong subject, or getting confused by obstructions. I'm usually shooting in Med or Low FPS, and wouldn't even mind a dropped frame rate to keep AF lock.

--Mike

[carlos.vieira]

In my K-3, i'm getting the best results with this settings:

AF-C, SEL-S (center 9-points or more, depending on the situation, but with more points seems to work worst) - tipically center point and recompose/pan
16. 1st frame action in AF-C - Focus Priority
17. Action in AF-C Continuous - FPS Priority
18 - Hold AF Status - Off

For what i've been experiencing, the most penalizing setting from the above, in action shooting, is when setting 18 is NOT off... so, if i set 18 to Low, Medium or High, i get bad results (too much out of focus shots), and worst if i move/pan the camera to follow subject. But, i think setting 18 is just too specific setting. So, i just tend to use setting 18 = off.

But, overall, it seems to not work as expected all the time... is not consistent.

My settings for this shoot would be:
- AE metering: multi-segment; (plus make sure AE is not linked to AF point)
- TAV mode, set shutter 1/500 or higher, set aperture f4-5.6
- auto ISO up to ISO 3200, maybe ISO 5000 if lighting is poor
- SR on, lens OS off
- AF-C, high
- Auto (27 points) focus mode
- 1st frame action in AF-C - Release Priority (if you want to start the sequence fast, 'Auto' otherwise)
- Action in AF-C Continuous - Focus Priority (you want the sequence focussed)
- Hold AF status: 'off' (there's no obstacle between the runner and the camera, so 'Hold AF Status' would have nothing to do, and here the camera should always be doing AF).

I always start off an action shoot using Auto 27 point AF enabled because the focus area covered by the K-3 is pretty small and centred to start with (pic below related), and I'm used to being a centre-point shooter with the K-5 and K-x.



Even if I am shooting RAW only, I also make sure I have all lens corrections/digital filters/high-ISO NR etc options disabled. Turning these off seems to make the camera more responsive, because even if you are shooting RAW, those settings may still be used in creating the JPG preview included in the RAW.

For info, the K-3 'Features' page on these advanced AF topics is quite useful.

I also have to ask: were you using a UV or 'protection' filter on the lens? Sometimes they can produce issues with AF.

[clackers]

In my K-3, i'm getting the best results with this settings:

AF-C, SEL-S (center 9-points or more, depending on the situation, but with more points seems to work worst) - tipically center point and recompose/pan
16. 1st frame action in AF-C - Focus Priority
17. Action in AF-C Continuous - FPS Priority
18 - Hold AF Status - Off

For what i've been experiencing, the most penalizing setting from the above, in action shooting, is when setting 18 is NOT off... so, if i set 18 to Low, Medium or High, i get bad results (too much out of focus shots), and worst if i move/pan the camera to follow subject. But, i think setting 18 is just too specific setting. So, i just tend to use setting 18 = off.

But, overall, it seems to not work as expected all the time... is not consistent.

Setting 18 is for when you can't get clean shots of your subject because other things get between it and the camera.