Happy with the auto focus with the nex-fs100?

[Danny Winn]

I currently use a canon 5D MKII for my broadcast quality commercials, but for Jib and glidecam shots I would really love the live auto focus of a camcorder. Are most people happy with the live auto focus of the Nex-FS100 for slow to normal moving shots especially with the movements of jibs and glidecams while maintaining decent DOF?

I would most likely be starting out with the 18-200mm kit lens, I just want to know if most people are quite happy with the auto focus with this camera. Thanks much!

[Joe Holt]

I've had the FS100 with the 18-200 kit lens for about 2 months now. While I haven't used it with a jib or steadicam yet i have used it a lot in run and gun hand held shooting where my subjects or I am moving and need the autofocus to keep the subject in focus. I am developing a love hate relationship with the autofocus performance of this camera with this lens. Most times the auto focus is right on but every once in a while it totally screws me. I was shooting head and shoulder interviews all day long where i had to roll the camera quickly to catch the shot with the sound bites I wanted. Suddenly on a critical shot the damn autofocus decides to focus on the background instead of the foreground and that's where it stays. I lose valuable time and footage while I fumble with the lens to switch to manual and then try to get the lens in focus. I had read that this usually happens when the background is brighter than the foreground. In my opinion, the autofocus is not the strength of this camera and lens combo.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Danny

I'm using EA-50's which have the smaller APS-C sensor but the same 18-200 lens and I also have to be careful with AF ...With run 'n gun weddings, yes it is useful but it does tend to try and focus quite often on backgrounds especially if they are messy with lots for the lens to grab as a potential "target" .. I find the AF is accurate on plain backgrounds and doesn't drift at all but I did a tiny wedding in a cluttered venue and had the cafe's kitchen behind a speaker at a mic with pots and pans hanging up and the AF did tend in a few cases to try to do almost a rack focus to the pans and then back to the mic stand and speaker.

If you are on tripod and your DOF is adequate then switching to manual is a good idea but if you are on the move even the 18-200 will do a pretty good job ...I do stedicam shoots with the 18-200 and the AF behaves itself well ...I think it will tend to hunt now and gain when you give it a static scene but keep moving and it's not too bad!! Keep focus peaking on anyway so you can easily see if you are losing it

Chris

[Danny Winn]

Originally Posted by Joe Holt

I've had the FS100 with the 18-200 kit lens for about 2 months now. While I haven't used it with a jib or steadicam yet i have used it a lot in run and gun hand held shooting where my subjects or I am moving and need the autofocus to keep the subject in focus. I am developing a love hate relationship with the autofocus performance of this camera with this lens. Most times the auto focus is right on but every once in a while it totally screws me. I was shooting head and shoulder interviews all day long where i had to roll the camera quickly to catch the shot with the sound bites I wanted. Suddenly on a critical shot the damn autofocus decides to focus on the background instead of the foreground and that's where it stays. I lose valuable time and footage while I fumble with the lens to switch to manual and then try to get the lens in focus. I had read that this usually happens when the background is brighter than the foreground. In my opinion, the autofocus is not the strength of this camera and lens combo.

Thanks so much for the info Joe, I suppose I can accept it going out of focus every once and a while since I usually shoot each scene about 10 to 15 times in my commercials, it still sounds more reasonable than setting focus once on my 5D then having it go out of focus everytime on jib and glide cam shots. I will also be getting other lenses for it eventually.

Thanks again!

[Danny Winn]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

Hi Danny

I'm using EA-50's which have the smaller APS-C sensor but the same 18-200 lens and I also have to be careful with AF ...With run 'n gun weddings, yes it is useful but it does tend to try and focus quite often on backgrounds especially if they are messy with lots for the lens to grab as a potential "target" .. I find the AF is accurate on plain backgrounds and doesn't drift at all but I did a tiny wedding in a cluttered venue and had the cafe's kitchen behind a speaker at a mic with pots and pans hanging up and the AF did tend in a few cases to try to do almost a rack focus to the pans and then back to the mic stand and speaker.

If you are on tripod and your DOF is adequate then switching to manual is a good idea but if you are on the move even the 18-200 will do a pretty good job ...I do stedicam shoots with the 18-200 and the AF behaves itself well ...I think it will tend to hunt now and gain when you give it a static scene but keep moving and it's not too bad!! Keep focus peaking on anyway so you can easily see if you are losing it

Chris

Thats good to know Chris, thanks for the info. It sounds like it should be pretty manageable compared to my 5D in the same type shots. Can't wait to get started with this thing, once I purchase it that is;)

Thanks again!