K5IIs Live View manual focusing, slightly off in low light (recently)

85Civic · 08-09-2016, 05:52 PM

Hello

I've been having issues with getting proper manual focus using live view at night time ... and only in the last month or so.
I mostly shoot cars and the milky way (usually seperatly), and ironically it's probably harder to focus on cars, even zooming in to X8 or X10 on a headlight, brake light or numberplate with a light shining on it.

It's happened both in very dark places, and also under brightly lit tungsten/florescent lights where the photos will look properly focused on the camera after shooting the photo but on the computer everything's off a bit :/

Mostly been using the 70mm f2.4, 21mm f3.2, 18-135mm (that's been the worst)

I really do hope it's not my eyes, because even in daylight I've been shooting some 70mm @f2.8 and they'll be just out of focus enough that anyone should be able to notice ... not even zooming in.

Thanks for any help!

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beachboy2 · 08-09-2016, 08:59 PM

So first photo with 1 second exposure was shot using a tripod I presume??
Second photo at F2.8 will have a very shallow depth of field. Why not stopped down a bit more?

85Civic · 08-09-2016, 10:10 PM

The first one was closer to a 15 or 30 second exposure probably at f5.6 or f8 ... but I didn't get anything in focus despite focusing on the brake lights (and they looked as in focus as possible when I did it)

... I just wanted shallower depth of field for that event ... but I mean't to focus on the Toyota badge or just in front of it, got the focus confirm beep and a minor adjustment. Turned out to be wayy off, but not noticeable in camera or at small reses

**Just1MoreDave** · 08-10-2016, 10:27 AM

Just some ideas:

I use live view/manual focusing as my standard, because it eliminates a lot of variables - diopter, focus screen, AF. That leaves only a few things. Did you shut off SR for the long exposure first photo? Maybe the running cars vibrated?

You mention tungsten light and I think of AF problems in tungsten. The actual focus point is different under tungsten. Earlier Pentax cameras had trouble with this, but it's supposed to be better on the K-5 IIs.

Maybe the Toyota badge is too small and the camera really locked on to the hood/bumper gap.

quh86 · 08-10-2016, 10:48 AM

so does this only happen when manual focusing using LV or also through the viewfinder?
using auto focus its spot on then i presume? both during LV and through the viewfinder?

have you been trying to use catch-in-focus? how about focus peaking? the K5II series supports that feature, no?
have you tried experimenting with AF fine adjustments?

85Civic · 08-11-2016, 01:25 AM

Originally posted by Just1MoreDave

I use live view/manual focusing as my standard, because it eliminates a lot of variables - diopter, focus screen, AF. That leaves only a few things.

Yeah I was thinking if it eliminates a lot of problems, what could be the problem? Yeah the SR was turned off as it was on the tripod, and 2 second timer, though I've never noticed SR having an impact in Live View. ... the cars weren't running though, just had their lights on

I'm not sure if it's tungsten or not, but it's some sorta outside light that provides a lot of clean coverage and makes it easy enough to autofocus and yet using LiveView it's just either really fuzzy, or slightly fuzzy ... can't quite get a spot where it looks properly in focus.
Nahh I've been able to lock onto Toyota badges like that photo real easy before, and it was either that or the bumper and yet none of those were in focus in the photo.

The only theory I've got is that because it's gone through so many shots and a good amount of live view use, maybe the sensor just can't perform as it originally did.
Last I checked it was 60 or 80k, and it's developed quite a few hot pixels in ultra long exposures since then.

Originally posted by quh86

so does this only happen when manual focusing using LV or also through the viewfinder?

Live view manual and auto focusing. Though manual focusing through the viewfinder, maybe it just looks in focus to me and it's not actually (though my diopter was correct before and all the way to the right/negative) ... I'm going to change it slightly and see if that helps.
Autofocus otherwise is generally fine with most lenses, and I have kinda done some AF fine adjustments.

Not sure how to use catch in focus actually, and no focus peaking sadly ... you can magnify the live view display but not peaking.

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08-09-2016, 08:59 PM	#2
beachboy2 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Perth Western Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 222	So first photo with 1 second exposure was shot using a tripod I presume?? Second photo at F2.8 will have a very shallow depth of field. Why not stopped down a bit more?

08-09-2016, 10:10 PM	#3
85Civic Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Whangaparaoa Photos: Gallery Posts: 233 Original Poster	The first one was closer to a 15 or 30 second exposure probably at f5.6 or f8 ... but I didn't get anything in focus despite focusing on the brake lights (and they looked as in focus as possible when I did it) ... I just wanted shallower depth of field for that event ... but I mean't to focus on the Toyota badge or just in front of it, got the focus confirm beep and a minor adjustment. Turned out to be wayy off, but not noticeable in camera or at small reses

08-10-2016, 10:27 AM	#4
Just1MoreDave Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Aurora, CO Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,340	Just some ideas: I use live view/manual focusing as my standard, because it eliminates a lot of variables - diopter, focus screen, AF. That leaves only a few things. Did you shut off SR for the long exposure first photo? Maybe the running cars vibrated? You mention tungsten light and I think of AF problems in tungsten. The actual focus point is different under tungsten. Earlier Pentax cameras had trouble with this, but it's supposed to be better on the K-5 IIs. Maybe the Toyota badge is too small and the camera really locked on to the hood/bumper gap.

08-10-2016, 10:48 AM	#5
quh86 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 157	so does this only happen when manual focusing using LV or also through the viewfinder? using auto focus its spot on then i presume? both during LV and through the viewfinder? have you been trying to use catch-in-focus? how about focus peaking? the K5II series supports that feature, no? have you tried experimenting with AF fine adjustments?

08-11-2016, 01:25 AM	#6
85Civic Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Whangaparaoa Photos: Gallery Posts: 233 Original Poster	Originally posted by Just1MoreDave I use live view/manual focusing as my standard, because it eliminates a lot of variables - diopter, focus screen, AF. That leaves only a few things. Yeah I was thinking if it eliminates a lot of problems, what could be the problem? Yeah the SR was turned off as it was on the tripod, and 2 second timer, though I've never noticed SR having an impact in Live View. ... the cars weren't running though, just had their lights on I'm not sure if it's tungsten or not, but it's some sorta outside light that provides a lot of clean coverage and makes it easy enough to autofocus and yet using LiveView it's just either really fuzzy, or slightly fuzzy ... can't quite get a spot where it looks properly in focus. Nahh I've been able to lock onto Toyota badges like that photo real easy before, and it was either that or the bumper and yet none of those were in focus in the photo. The only theory I've got is that because it's gone through so many shots and a good amount of live view use, maybe the sensor just can't perform as it originally did. Last I checked it was 60 or 80k, and it's developed quite a few hot pixels in ultra long exposures since then. Originally posted by quh86 so does this only happen when manual focusing using LV or also through the viewfinder? Live view manual and auto focusing. Though manual focusing through the viewfinder, maybe it just looks in focus to me and it's not actually (though my diopter was correct before and all the way to the right/negative) ... I'm going to change it slightly and see if that helps. Autofocus otherwise is generally fine with most lenses, and I have kinda done some AF fine adjustments. Not sure how to use catch in focus actually, and no focus peaking sadly ... you can magnify the live view display but not peaking.