[jcdoss]

I don't have a whole lot to do right now, so I spent some time fiddling with my K-1. I use only manual focus lenses, so this will be pertinent to people with similar equipment and preferences. I've always liked Catch-In Focus, but never felt like it was worth menu diving to turn it on and off.

Well I'm here to tell you that those menu diving days can end if you want them to. Here are the steps and operation by which you can use CIF on demand.

1. Turn the AF switch by the lens mount to AF.
2. Make sure Custom Function 24 is on (it'll say 2).
3. The first camera menu screen, under Phase Detection, turn AF.S Setting to Release Priority.
4. The fifth camera menu screen, under Button Customization, set AF Button to AF2.

Now we're ready to go. Under normal use, a full press of the shutter button will expose whether the subject is in focus or not. However, if you press and hold the AF button on the back of the camera, you can simultaneously press and hold the shutter button. There will be no exposure until the subject is in focus (center point only), so crank your focus ring until you get there.

I hope someone besides me gets a kick out of this. 😀

[pakinjapan]

Thank you so much. I will try it with my K3, hope it can do the same. Useful stuff!

[jcdoss]

I also discovered another way.

Keep AF priority on Focus Priority, and just switch the AF switch by the lens mount to AF when you want CIF, or to MF when you don't.

I guess I made the solution more difficult than the problem, but it's still fun to learn new tricks on this camera.

[stihlmania]

I also discovered another way.

Keep AF priority on Focus Priority, and just switch the AF switch by the lens mount to AF when you want CIF, or to MF when you don't.

I guess I made the solution more difficult than the problem, but it's still fun to learn new tricks on this camera.

I am doing catch in focus right now in the back yard with my A star 400, As this is going on I can roam the front yard with my other camera! Thanks for the tip, I will try it this weekend.....

[photolady95]

So this isn't just about how to do on the K-1?

[Rnovo]

Great stuff, that's what I'm doing as well with my Takumars on my K1 II.

There's something else too with those lenses when you're set up with CIF: when you want to shoot a scene with a lot of depth of field, setting the focus ring infinity symbol opposite the chosen f stop - the hyperfocal distance setting - you will hear the "beep" telling you you're in focus somewhere beyond the hyperfocal distance. I did a 5 bracket/5 image panorama of the interior of a church yesterday with my 28mm f3.5 Tak and all was perfectly in focus. With modern lenses you can't do that so you have rely on the old "focus at 1/3", if it works, and check results before finishing. Some will focus at infinity and hope for the best.

[stevebrot]

I guess I made the solution more difficult than the problem, but it's still fun to learn new tricks on this camera.

Yep...Your instructions were good for CIF when used with back button focus.


Steve

[BugsDogsAndSunsets]

Wouldn't this also be a good use case for user modes?

[jcdoss]

So this isn't just about how to do on the K-1?

I don't have any other cameras, so that's why I put this info here. Mods, please move this if appropriate.

[photolady95]

I don't have any other cameras, so that's why I put this info here. Mods, please move this if appropriate.

I'll wait and see if this works for the K-3 user first.

[biz-engineer]

It works even with an AF lens. Looks like one of these unplanned and undocumented features 😄

---------- Post added 09-04-19 at 09:02 ----------

By release priority, I guess you meant focus priority.

It's a solution for catching fast moving subjects when the zone of focus is predictable.

[iheiramo]

I don't have a whole lot to do right now, so I spent some time fiddling with my K-1. I use only manual focus lenses, so this will be pertinent to people with similar equipment and preferences. I've always liked Catch-In Focus, but never felt like it was worth menu diving to turn it on and off.

I use AF/MF switch in camera body to control CIF. AF need to be enabled from body for CIF to work, so I have set it on permanently from menus and just turn the switch to MF when I don't need it. This works on all pentax models.

[jcdoss]

By release priority, I guess you meant focus priority. It's a solution for catching fast moving subjects when the zone of focus is predictable.

My original intent was to link CIF with the AF button on the rear of the camera. This way, shutter button alone releases the shutter regardless of focus lock, but the shutter + AF combo engages CIF. For this to work, the AF switch by the lens mount needs to be on all the time. If that's true, then release priority is required in order to allow shutter to go off without a focus lock.

[biz-engineer]

My original intent was to link CIF with the AF button on the rear of the camera. This way, shutter button alone releases the shutter regardless of focus lock, but the shutter + AF combo engages CIF. For this to work, the AF switch by the lens mount needs to be on all the time. If that's true, then release priority is required in order to allow shutter to go off without a focus lock.

I don't know. I tried with my K1 and DFA2470, with focus priority , and CIF worked! I could never have CIF working with an AF lens that doesn't have a AF/MF switch. Now I can.

[photolady95]

So with these instructions, I can use my AF lenses with CIF, now?