is K-X Live View quirky about focusing?

Blue Jay · 04-21-2010, 09:28 PM

Is everyone's K-X Live View picky & quirky about focusing?

The manual comments seem to be trying to manage user expectations.
How can I tell when something is really amiss?

When in Live View mode, the camera seems as though it never really settles down to focus on anything. Out - in - back out etc.

KxBlaze · 04-21-2010, 09:37 PM

That is to be expected. The manual doesn't want to say "Live view sucks at focusing" so they have to dummy it down, but every single review I have read about the Kx and from personal experience (I own a Kx) live view is good for when and if you need to take a picture with the camera away from your face but expect the focusing to be slow. It will eventually focus but it will take a while.

Blue Jay · 04-21-2010, 09:45 PM

Thanks for the quick answer.
Happy to know my particular camera is performing to factory specs.

Iceburg98 · 04-21-2010, 10:36 PM

Yeah, the other day while at the zoo, I was trying to hold the camera over my head to get a shot over the railing of one enclosures, but the focusing was so slow on the live view it was hard to get the shot of the moving animal...

So instead I just climbed up onto the concrete barrier and leaned in over the railing to where I could look through the viewfinder.

jct us101 · 04-21-2010, 10:38 PM

You're going to get this kind of response from any DSLR in live view though, because the technology is far from being perfected, unfortunately. The Canon professional cameras can't even focus very well in live view, just because the contrast detect autofocus isn't as accurate as the normal focus and the mirror flip autofocus takes too long since you have to drop the mirror down and put it back up again. Maybe soon there will be some way to make it work better, but for now no matter what kind of camera you get, no matter what brand, you're going to get some horrible live view autofocus from it. Well, unless it's an Olympus, anyways, the Four Thirds sensor gives them a unique way of being able to focus with live view, but it's still slow actually.

Ecaterin · 04-21-2010, 11:14 PM

Mine is just dreadful as well. Live view focusing would only be useful for macro. Thankfully K-x focusing speed/accuracy is otherwise excellent - I even get blind shots I sneakily take of my kids :P

matam · 04-22-2010, 12:32 AM

I agree that the live view autofocus is slow but you may use it in combination with the 11 point AF sensor of the K-X (focus as fast as using the viewfinder), the only drawback is that the screen turn off when hunting for focus.

Marc Sabatella · 04-22-2010, 01:42 PM

I'd assume live view = manual focus.

kangeroo82 · 04-24-2010, 09:05 PM

I'm in the same boat and pretty much just given up on live view. I much prefer using the viewfinder as I find it is the only way to properly focus on your subject. Whenever I use live view with my k-x, I am never sure when I'm in proper focus. Couldn't say much about AF though with Live View as I don't really use my kit lens that much.

matam · 04-25-2010, 04:54 AM

Originally posted by kangeroo82

cut...I much prefer using the viewfinder as I find it is the only way to properly focus on your subject...cut

I too use for the 90% of the time the VF, but i found that with LV and MF lens i can put the focus exactly where i want using an f1.4 lens. (You can zoom while in LV by pressing "info" button and it goes till 10x magnification with manual focus selected on body)

Also when taking macros handeld with the extension tube i found it to be a great help.

kangeroo82 · 04-26-2010, 07:03 AM

I must have read over that in the manual. I just tried the info zoom using LV and it was nice. Still hard to stabilize as it'll take some time for me to learn how to balance the camera away from my face. Very good tip.

orlovszki · 08-07-2010, 12:56 PM

Originally posted by Marc Sabatella

I'd assume live view = manual focus.

I agree. Live view is a real help in MF mode.
But in another issue on this forum there was a sollution.
go in MENU > then 3rd page > live view > autofocus mode > select the last option, which shows the 11 field. Then you press once and it makes a blind shutter. After that you find the focus is done. It is a bit strange and noisy, and also takes time but at least you can be focused. As live view works in passive focus, in low light it can be hopeless to focus in.
I have changed K-m for K-x because video and live-view. But I must say that any soap-shaped cameras or bridge cameras are much - much faster than Pentax live-view AF. In fact is there any other camera with such a slow (and noisy) AF?

future_retro · 08-07-2010, 01:05 PM

Live view focus in it's default state is pretty miserable, it has to go throughout the entire focus range and then it zips back to optimal focus.

You can change it though to use the same focusing method you'd use while looking through the viewfinder, I don't have my Kx anymore though so I can't outline the procedure exactly.

Once you switch the live view focus methods you'll find that focus is rapid, probably somewhere in between the viewfinder and a typical point and shoot and makes it possible to use the Kx as somewhat of a point and shoot experience

jcob · 08-09-2010, 09:21 AM

Just the other day, one of my cats was sitting in my windowsill so I couldn't use the viewfinder to take a picture head on. What I did instead was use live view to frame the shot, then I held the camera steady and switched out of live view to focus and take the shot. So that's another way to use it without having to deal with the slow focus speed.

dude163 · 08-09-2010, 12:32 PM

Originally posted by Marc Sabatella

I'd assume live view = manual focus.

Thats what I use it for and its great

04-21-2010, 09:28 PM	#1
Blue Jay New Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tehachapi California Posts: 22	is K-X Live View quirky about focusing? Is everyone's K-X Live View picky & quirky about focusing? The manual comments seem to be trying to manage user expectations. How can I tell when something is really amiss? When in Live View mode, the camera seems as though it never really settles down to focus on anything. Out - in - back out etc.

04-21-2010, 11:14 PM	#6
Ecaterin Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Seattle Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 723	Mine is just dreadful as well. Live view focusing would only be useful for macro. Thankfully K-x focusing speed/accuracy is otherwise excellent - I even get blind shots I sneakily take of my kids :P Last edited by Ecaterin; 04-21-2010 at 11:15 PM. Reason: can't type-have the dumb

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04-21-2010, 09:37 PM	#2
KxBlaze Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,602	That is to be expected. The manual doesn't want to say "Live view sucks at focusing" so they have to dummy it down, but every single review I have read about the Kx and from personal experience (I own a Kx) live view is good for when and if you need to take a picture with the camera away from your face but expect the focusing to be slow. It will eventually focus but it will take a while.

04-21-2010, 09:45 PM	#3
Blue Jay New Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tehachapi California Posts: 22 Original Poster	Thanks for the quick answer. Happy to know my particular camera is performing to factory specs.

04-21-2010, 10:36 PM	#4
Iceburg98 Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 48	Yeah, the other day while at the zoo, I was trying to hold the camera over my head to get a shot over the railing of one enclosures, but the focusing was so slow on the live view it was hard to get the shot of the moving animal... So instead I just climbed up onto the concrete barrier and leaned in over the railing to where I could look through the viewfinder.

04-21-2010, 10:38 PM	#5
jct us101 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 3,793	You're going to get this kind of response from any DSLR in live view though, because the technology is far from being perfected, unfortunately. The Canon professional cameras can't even focus very well in live view, just because the contrast detect autofocus isn't as accurate as the normal focus and the mirror flip autofocus takes too long since you have to drop the mirror down and put it back up again. Maybe soon there will be some way to make it work better, but for now no matter what kind of camera you get, no matter what brand, you're going to get some horrible live view autofocus from it. Well, unless it's an Olympus, anyways, the Four Thirds sensor gives them a unique way of being able to focus with live view, but it's still slow actually.

04-22-2010, 12:32 AM	#7
matam Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Berlin Posts: 112	I agree that the live view autofocus is slow but you may use it in combination with the 11 point AF sensor of the K-X (focus as fast as using the viewfinder), the only drawback is that the screen turn off when hunting for focus.

04-22-2010, 01:42 PM	#8
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	I'd assume live view = manual focus.

04-24-2010, 09:05 PM	#9
kangeroo82 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Arlington, VA Photos: Albums Posts: 128	I'm in the same boat and pretty much just given up on live view. I much prefer using the viewfinder as I find it is the only way to properly focus on your subject. Whenever I use live view with my k-x, I am never sure when I'm in proper focus. Couldn't say much about AF though with Live View as I don't really use my kit lens that much.

04-25-2010, 04:54 AM	#10
matam Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Berlin Posts: 112	Originally posted by kangeroo82 cut...I much prefer using the viewfinder as I find it is the only way to properly focus on your subject...cut I too use for the 90% of the time the VF, but i found that with LV and MF lens i can put the focus exactly where i want using an f1.4 lens. (You can zoom while in LV by pressing "info" button and it goes till 10x magnification with manual focus selected on body) Also when taking macros handeld with the extension tube i found it to be a great help.

04-26-2010, 07:03 AM	#11
kangeroo82 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Arlington, VA Photos: Albums Posts: 128	I must have read over that in the manual. I just tried the info zoom using LV and it was nice. Still hard to stabilize as it'll take some time for me to learn how to balance the camera away from my face. Very good tip.

08-07-2010, 12:56 PM	#12
orlovszki Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Romania, Oradea Posts: 10	Originally posted by Marc Sabatella I'd assume live view = manual focus. I agree. Live view is a real help in MF mode. But in another issue on this forum there was a sollution. go in MENU > then 3rd page > live view > autofocus mode > select the last option, which shows the 11 field. Then you press once and it makes a blind shutter. After that you find the focus is done. It is a bit strange and noisy, and also takes time but at least you can be focused. As live view works in passive focus, in low light it can be hopeless to focus in. I have changed K-m for K-x because video and live-view. But I must say that any soap-shaped cameras or bridge cameras are much - much faster than Pentax live-view AF. In fact is there any other camera with such a slow (and noisy) AF?

08-07-2010, 01:05 PM	#13
future_retro Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Western Washington Posts: 572	Live view focus in it's default state is pretty miserable, it has to go throughout the entire focus range and then it zips back to optimal focus. You can change it though to use the same focusing method you'd use while looking through the viewfinder, I don't have my Kx anymore though so I can't outline the procedure exactly. Once you switch the live view focus methods you'll find that focus is rapid, probably somewhere in between the viewfinder and a typical point and shoot and makes it possible to use the Kx as somewhat of a point and shoot experience

08-09-2010, 09:21 AM	#14
jcob New Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 15	Just the other day, one of my cats was sitting in my windowsill so I couldn't use the viewfinder to take a picture head on. What I did instead was use live view to frame the shot, then I held the camera steady and switched out of live view to focus and take the shot. So that's another way to use it without having to deal with the slow focus speed.

08-09-2010, 12:32 PM	#15
dude163 Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 824	Originally posted by Marc Sabatella I'd assume live view = manual focus. Thats what I use it for and its great