Decent wide lens for use with a follow focus? 20mm 1.7 won't fit.

[Jeff Harper]

To be clear, Andrew, are you saying you can't use magnified view (Focus Assist) on the GH2? I'm just trying to clarify. If that's what you mean, I don't understand, as that works fine in manual mode. It is activated by rotating the focus ring of any of my three primes, or by touching the LCD, but only while in standby, not while recording, right?

Anyway, the way I actually focus during most weddings is by using the touch screen whilst the top left settings swiitch is set to AFS mode.

I simply touch the screen using the square focus area, and it focuses instantly. It's really so simple to use I can't see it being any easier.

I most often mention the shutter depressing method because it seems so many early on didn't like the touchscreen for focusing, so I got out of the habit of talking about it. This method is dangerous however as I have on occasion stopped recording by accident, so I stick with using the touch screen.

[Michael Kirinovic]

Jeff - Using touch screen for focusing does the bounding box stay on screen forever or do you click on the menu button to go back to the normal screen? Do you use face detect? I was testing with face detect and I wasn't sure if the selecting the touch screen method worked if there was a face in the scene - not sure if they're competing with each other or should I switch something other than face detect when not wanting to focus on faces. Still using the Panasonics first version firmware, maybe the upgrade might be different - at least I heard that you can use the full screen area using touch screen focusing.

You also seem confident with the new m43 lenses(45mm, 25mm, 12mm.) Do all three work with touchscreen focusing? I shoot with the GH2 for weddings also - any chance seeing a complete wedding highlight using the 3 lens combo? Thanks Mike.

[Jeff Harper]

Michael, I don't use face detect, I use the solid box that stays wherever I move it to on the screen. My camera's packed so I can't tell you exactly where the buttons are set.

Yes, I believe most any lens that has electronic communication with the camera will allow touchscreen focusing.

I know for a fact my 12mm, 25mm, 45mm and the Sigma 18-50mm Olympus mount work. I feel confident all lumix lenses will do the same, and all Olympus M4/3 mounts.

[Andrew Rowe]

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

To be clear, Andrew, are you saying you can't use magnified view (Focus Assist) on the GH2?

No, the magnified view works fine when not recording. Static set-ups are easy: check the focus, hit record.

I meant that you can't get the 'feel' for an electronic focus ring in the way you can with a mechanical ring, because there isn't a constant relationship between how far you turn it and how much the focal distance changes. This prevents you focussing by the traditional manual method while recording. Or hinders you, at least.

Of course, none of this matters if you can just edit out the second or so that it may take to regain focus - I'm talking more about situations where something/someone is approaching the camera and you need to keep it/them seamlessly in focus (a bride being the classic example, though they tend to move pretty slowly!).

Using the touchscreen to focus must be pretty tricky when, say, someone's walking towards you?