Originally posted by mtkeller Pretty sure the issue with Kobie’s test case is what was pointed out above: this is not an AF.C subject. I find that my results using AF.C on static subjects are really bad, and so if I’m set up for shooting action, my smart function dial is 100% giving me a way to toggle between AF.S and one of my two AF.C setups. Then if I catch something static that I want to capture, I will quickly switch over to AF.S since AF.C definitely seems to be looking for anything that it can call motion as part of its way to locate a subject.
Directly taken from Ricoh's site....
"High-precision continuous shooting in AF.C mode
The camera’s continuous autofocus (AF.C) mode allows you to maintain sharp focus on a subject, regardless of direction of motion.
An improved motion prediction algorism accurately detects the subject’s complex movement, which was rather difficult to predict with previous models.
It also reduces the effect of the unstable motion speed and irregular stops and restarts, as well as the effect of obstacles."
Click here for the site
Obviously using AF.C on a static object, say, a flower, will have the AF jumping everywhere since there's a zillion similar points for the camera to focus on (flower petals, leaves etc) but a sign that takes up most of the frame is a different story. I also didn't sit there with the AF.C going while waiting for "a shot". It was a quick acquisition to test the initial target when AF.C is activated. This is a new territory for us all as Pentax Shooters, I'm just sharing my findings. Ricoh themselves even state that the new system is better at detecting "
unstable motion speed and irregular stops" So even if the subject is static, it will still work within a reasonable acquisition timeframe.
Again, just sharing the things I find, that's all.