[Quartermaster James]

I really should learn more about auto focus options. At least enough for this thread to make sense to me.
I use back button AF and focus & compose technique. Never really understood what having a dozen or so focus points really actually meant.
Can y'all point me towards some good tutorials?

[BigMackCam]

Randy, could you take a couple of non-client-specific shots where *you* are having a problem, to demonstrate?

[Sandy Hancock]

I wasn't aware that focus "falls" anywhere; the camera will focus on whatever you are aiming the selected AF point at. Having more focus points to put in the wrong place will not fix the problem.

But really, if Pentax isn't suiting your needs, switch. It would be very interesting to see if the grass is actually greener.

[Adam]

Why is it so hard for Pentax to put in more auto focus points? It would be so much easier to focus on the eyes when you have more focus points. Nikon has models with over 50 and Canon over 100.
Anyone else have this same opinion?

Randy

They just did, on the K-1: there are 3 additional points on either side of the 5x5 center grid. I'm sure they'll keep adding more, but that's not to say that Canon and Nikon won't always be ahead, because they will. The latest D5/D500 AF module has 153 points with the center point having sensitivity to -4EV.

Adam
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[Unregistered User 8]

But really, if Pentax isn't suiting your needs, switch. It would be very interesting to see if the grass is actually greener.

As @Digitalis has posted before, the grass might be greener, but you still have to mow it !!!

[maxfield_photo]

I agree with the OP, but it's not the number of focus points with which I have an issue, it's the spread. Focus and recompose is fine for most combinations of aperture and subject distance, but when you try to shoot a head and shoulders portrait at f/1.4 even a very small change in angle can shift the plane of critical focus away from the eyes. I admit it, I like cutting the tops of people's heads off. Putting the eyes close to the edge of the frame gives the picture a certain tension. So I'd like to see the 33 points spread over a wider area, but I guess using the points as they are now will force me to shoot a little looser [edit: and crop later] which I can afford to do with a 36mp sensor. It's not a deal breaker for me, just my 'druthers.

[slip]

I wasn't aware that focus "falls" anywhere; the camera will focus on whatever you are aiming the selected AF point at. Having more focus points to put in the wrong place will not fix the problem.

But really, if Pentax isn't suiting your needs, switch. It would be very interesting to see if the grass is actually greener.

It was an open Question, not putting any brand down

Randy

[Unregistered User 8]

Can y'all point me towards some good tutorials?

Hi Q.J. I hope this is helpful.


https://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/pentax-k-3-review/autofocus.html

[Quartermaster James]

Hi Q.J. I hope this is helpful.


Pentax K-3 Review - Autofocus | PentaxForums.com Reviews

Thanks!

[W.j.christy]

I agree with the OP, but it's not the number of focus points with which I have an issue, it's the spread. Focus and recompose is fine for most combinations of aperture and subject distance, but when you try to shoot a head and shoulders portrait at f/1.4 even a very small change in angle can shift the plane of critical focus away from the eyes. I admit it, I like cutting the tops of people's heads off. Putting the eyes close to the edge of the frame gives the picture a certain tension. So I'd like to see the 33 points spread over a wider area, but I guess using the points as they are now will force me to shoot a little looser which I can afford to do with a 36mp sensor. It's not a deal breaker for me, just my 'druthers.

I agree, the number is not so important as is the spread. I to like using the impact points for three rule of thirds and find it hard when using large apertures or am at the extremes of the depth of field to focus and recompose. Most of the time it works fine to focus and recompose but those times when it doesn't it's very frustrating.

Focus and recompose worked great with film as the levels of sharpness required where not as hight to obtain an acceptably sharp photo due to the limitations of the film medium itself. Now with 20, 24 36mp and beyond sensors, sharpness has reach a whole new level. This especially true for cameras like the k3 that expose the many flaws in one's technique.

Does this make me want to jump ship to another brand? No. There are to many pluses to pentax to want to do that. Does it make it less frustrating when then brands or my own limitations cause me to me to miss a shot? No.

[mike.hiran]

With too many focus points, it becomes slower to move the points around. Going from portrait to landscape on the k5iis is much faster than on the k3 imo.

[narual]

I'd also like to see not more points, but more spread out points. Particularly I'd like to see some much closer to the right edge, especially when I'm using the vertical grip.

And over 100 points? Not unless they put a touchscreen on the camera to select them.

[stevebrot]

Sorry, Randy, as a focus and recompose guy, I just need one very good AF point in the centre. It's all I want for sports, too, in AF-C.

I am the same. I don't trust the camera to properly chose what I want in focus and using SEL is too cumbersome.


Steve

[stevebrot]

Example of what I am talking about you couldn't hit the eyes the way the K3 I set up https://www.pinterest.com/pin/25684660351127709/
NOT my shot!

There is no AF system on the planet capable of consistently reading your mind as to where on the eye socket it is supposed to settle, even if using a restricted zone. About the best you can hope is that it will find the face or maybe the nose or brow.


Steve

[Adam]

With too many focus points, it becomes slower to move the points around. Going from portrait to landscape on the k5iis is much faster than on the k3 imo.

But the K-1 has a sel-9 mode, where you can more around a 9-point grid all the way to the edge of the frame. That speeds things up considerably. Doubt I'll be using sel-1 much for everyday shooting.