Panasonic GH3

[Bamboopictures]

If all other parameters permits, yes. If you like to shoot with aperture wide open, 1/50 or even 1/2000 may be too slow. In artificial light, due to fluorescent flickering, you should stick STRICTLY to 1/50. Adjust ISO, aperture, or ND to compensate.

 

[RyanKhoo]

If all other parameters permits, yes. If you like to shoot with aperture wide open, 1/50 or even 1/2000 may be too slow. In artificial light, due to fluorescent flickering, you should stick STRICTLY to 1/50. Adjust ISO, aperture, or ND to compensate.

Thanks for tips, Mr Bamboo ... cheers

 

[RyanKhoo]

Hi all GH3 owners,

Finally I after taking some stills, I tried taking video of someone giving a speech.

I turn the dial to to the video icon. And the focus selector to AFS/AFF

And I start recording, the video is very sharp/clear !

Then I turn the video away to take other things and then went back to the the person giving a speech. But this time, the video is blur. And I cannot get the video to focus properly. I have to adjust the selector to MF and then turn the ring to focus and once it is sharp/clear, I switch the selector back to AFS/AFF.

At other times, when it is not focus, I did a half-press on the "taking photo button", and it will be focus (but sometimes this method doesn't work)

Question is how do I can the video to be focused back after turning to other record other angles ?

Can some experts kindly explain what happened and also teach me what to do ?

Thanks

 

[Bamboopictures]

Did you tap on the subject in the LCD screen?

 

[Deunamist]

Hi all GH3 owners,

Finally I after taking some stills, I tried taking video of someone giving a speech.

I turn the dial to to the video icon. And the focus selector to AFS/AFF

And I start recording, the video is very sharp/clear !

Then I turn the video away to take other things and then went back to the the person giving a speech. But this time, the video is blur. And I cannot get the video to focus properly. I have to adjust the selector to MF and then turn the ring to focus and once it is sharp/clear, I switch the selector back to AFS/AFF.

At other times, when it is not focus, I did a half-press on the "taking photo button", and it will be focus (but sometimes this method doesn't work)

Question is how do I can the video to be focused back after turning to other record other angles ?

Can some experts kindly explain what happened and also teach me what to do ?

Thanks

actually, you should only use AF when framing your shots, and switch back to MF when you begin recording to prevent the focus from jumping around.

in your case (wherever possible) I would actually use a secondary camera for the cutaways, leaving the primary camera alone to capture the speech. then I won't have any problems with the focusing in either.

 

[kandinsky]

Then I turn the video away to take other things and then went back to the the person giving a speech. But this time, the video is blur. And I cannot get the video to focus properly. I have to adjust the selector to MF and then turn the ring to focus and once it is sharp/clear, I switch the selector back to AFS/AFF.

At other times, when it is not focus, I did a half-press on the "taking photo button", and it will be focus (but sometimes this method doesn't work)

Question is how do I can the video to be focused back after turning to other record other angles ?

Can some experts kindly explain what happened and also teach me what to do ?

Thanks

There are a couple of reasons why the AF may be unable to obtain focus sometimes. I think I've posted some screenshots from the manual before. Without seeing the video, can't tell for sure.

Suggestion for 'camcorder' style continuous AF:

- Set Focus mode switch to AFC (sorry, this is duh right ;p)
- In the movie menu, make sure [Continuous Focus] is set to [ON].
- Tweak around with the AF modes setting (Face detection / AF Tracking / 23-area-focusing / 1-area-focusing / Pinpoint) to see which works best for your subject/framing/setting.

Note that this still requires your active involvement as any sort of AF will be iffy. Even more so if you happen to have less DOF to play with, and you have a fidgety/moving subject.

 

[RyanKhoo]

Did you tap on the subject in the LCD screen?

Yes, when I panic, I did tap on the LCD screen but nothing happened !

 

[RyanKhoo]

actually, you should only use AF when framing your shots, and switch back to MF when you begin recording to prevent the focus from jumping around.

U mean select AFS/AFF or AFC or AF ? (NB: - These are the 3 options in the selector)

in your case (wherever possible) I would actually use a secondary camera for the cutaways, leaving the primary camera alone to capture the speech. then I won't have any problems with the focusing in either.

Yes I used my VG30 as the primary camera but I used this GH3 to record another angle. And I need this angle too but it is not properly focus which I am not sure why ...

 

[RyanKhoo]

There are a couple of reasons why the AF may be unable to obtain focus sometimes. I think I've posted some screenshots from the manual before.

Err ... where you post the screenshot ?

Suggestion for 'camcorder' style continuous AF:

- Set Focus mode switch to AFC (sorry, this is duh right ;p)
- In the movie menu, make sure [Continuous Focus] is set to [ON].
- Tweak around with the AF modes setting (Face detection / AF Tracking / 23-area-focusing / 1-area-focusing / Pinpoint) to see which works best for your subject/framing/setting.

Note that this still requires your active involvement as any sort of AF will be iffy. Even more so if you happen to have less DOF to play with, and you have a fidgety/moving subject.

So maybe my mistake is to set the focus switch to AFC instead of AFF/AFS ?

Thanks

 

[Deunamist]

U mean select AFS/AFF or AFC or AF ? (NB: - These are the 3 options in the selector)

Yes I used my VG30 as the primary camera but I used this GH3 to record another angle. And I need this angle too but it is not properly focus which I am not sure why ...

I'm not so sure why AFS/AFF and AFC mean, I just use any one to touch focus, then switch back to MF before I start recording. If I had an external monitor then I would use the peaking feature on that instead of the autofocusing. Too bad GH3 don't have focus peaking.. Haha

 

[RyanKhoo]

I'm not so sure why AFS/AFF and AFC mean, I just use any one to touch focus, then switch back to MF before I start recording. If I had an external monitor then I would use the peaking feature on that instead of the autofocusing. Too bad GH3 don't have focus peaking.. Haha

Thanks Deunamist.

But does anyone here have a video showing how to make this focus works on GH3 ?

Also why my GH3 cannot focus earlier on on auto focus ?

Thanks

 

[XsenseX]

GH3 auto focus has 3 types ...

Single Point ... Follow Tracking .... 23 Point

If you had it on single point, of course it might not focus on your subject if he is not at the 'point'
If you had it on Follow Tracking, of course it also won't focus cause it lost the 'subject' when you turn.

If you had it on 23 point, either you zoomed in and the subject is not centralize or the subject is not lighted up properly for focusing on the fly.

Cheers

 

[RyanKhoo]

GH3 auto focus has 3 types ...

Single Point ... Follow Tracking .... 23 Point

If you had it on single point, of course it might not focus on your subject if he is not at the 'point'
If you had it on Follow Tracking, of course it also won't focus cause it lost the 'subject' when you turn.

If you had it on 23 point, either you zoomed in and the subject is not centralize or the subject is not lighted up properly for focusing on the fly.

Cheers

Thanks XsenseX, met up with a member of this forum and he set to face detection and it works. Looks like gotta set to face detection !

On another note, any GH3 experts here can solve this irritating problem ?

I turn the knob to video mode, then select to MF (ie Manual Focus)

Now, whenever I touch the LCD to focus, that portion was AMPLIFIED and covered almost the whole screen !

I TURN OFF the "MF Assist" and this problem doesn't go away !

Anyone knows what other settings that I need to turn on/off ?

Thanks

 

[kandinsky]

I turn the knob to video mode, then select to MF (ie Manual Focus)

Now, whenever I touch the LCD to focus, that portion was AMPLIFIED and covered almost the whole screen !

Think about it, what you described doesn't really make sense. If you're in MANUAL focus, why would you use the touchscreen to focus? You would be using the focus ring. Touchscreen focus is AF. In MF mode, since you aren't going to focus by touchscreen, it makes sense for it to serve as a focus assist if you touch it.

 

[RyanKhoo]

Think about it, what you described doesn't really make sense. If you're in MANUAL focus, why would you use the touchscreen to focus? You would be using the focus ring. Touchscreen focus is AF. In MF mode, since you aren't going to focus by touchscreen, it makes sense for it to serve as a focus assist if you touch it.

Thanks kandinsky.

You see, I am on MF recording a video of a guy giving a speech. I am on tripod.

I use AF and touch on his face. Then I switched to MF.

As the guy was talking, he moved from back to front and as a result his face was already out of focus. So I want to touch on his face so that his face can be back in focus. But the LCD screen gets amplified and cover the whole LCD screen. This is quite irritating ...

Isn't there a way to "kill off" this "amplification" ?

Thanks

 

[kandinsky]

I use AF and touch on his face. Then I switched to MF.

So do you get that you have to be in AF mode to focus by using the touchscreen.

So I want to touch on his face so that his face can be back in focus.

Therefore, all you have to do is switch back to AF mode if you want to use touchscreen focus, as that is an AUTO-focus function!

MANUAL focus means you focus using the focus ring. Even if you could turn off the focus assist, touching the touchscreen in MF mode will do absolutely nothing. That is why, my guess is that Panny sets it to focus assist by default, as that's what one would want a touchscreen to do in MF mode, rather than have it do nothing.

Simply put: If you want to use touchscreen focus, you CANNOT be in MF mode.

 

[RyanKhoo]

So do you get that you have to be in AF mode to focus by using the touchscreen.

Therefore, all you have to do is switch back to AF mode if you want to use touchscreen focus, as that is an AUTO-focus function!

MANUAL focus means you focus using the focus ring. Even if you could turn off the focus assist, touching the touchscreen in MF mode will do absolutely nothing. That is why, my guess is that Panny sets it to focus assist by default, as that's what one would want a touchscreen to do in MF mode, rather than have it do nothing.

Simply put: If you want to use touchscreen focus, you CANNOT be in MF mode.

Thanks a million, kandinsky for your explnation. Points noted. So, nothing wrong with my camera lah. Hahaha

On a separate question, since manual focus means I have to use the focus ring, how does the camera in MF mode, knows whether I want to focus on the front or back or whichever section ?

Thanks

 

[kandinsky]

No worries

On a separate question, since manual focus means I have to use the focus ring, how does the camera in MF mode, knows whether I want to focus on the front or back or whichever section ?

Thanks

Aye, after all that, this question makes me doubtful if you understand that the manual focus mode really means manual ;p

If you are in MANUAL focus mode, YOU are in full control of the focus. It becomes your responsibility... (that's the point of manual focus right??) the camera couldn't care less where you want to focus because when you switch it to MF mode, you're telling it "Let me control the focus, you stay the hell away".

 

[RyanKhoo]

Aye, after all that, this question makes me doubtful if you understand that the manual focus mode really means manual ;p

If you are in MANUAL focus mode, YOU are in full control of the focus. It becomes your responsibility... (that's the point of manual focus right??) the camera couldn't care less where you want to focus because when you switch it to MF mode, you're telling it "Let me control the focus, you stay the hell away".

Yes kandinsky, u r right. And thanks again for taking pains to explain.

Maybe, I should rephrase my question by asking like this:

"In Manual Focus mode, how do we control/instruct the GH3 to focus the front ?"

Thanks again.

Cheers

 

[kandinsky]

"In Manual Focus mode, how do we control/instruct the GH3 to focus the front ?"

Hmmm... I'm confused, because you already stated it earlier:

...manual focus means I have to use the focus ring...

(which you can find on whichever lens is attached to your GH3 at the moment)