Weird EX3 Focus issue Help at DVinfo.net

Brent Kaplan · October 3rd, 2012, 12:35 AM

I shot some reporter stand ups on a mono pod with the steady shot on, I zoomed in each take focused sharp and used expanded focus to check and then rolled, everything looked sharp in the viewfinder but only the reporter looks soft everything else is sharp? I never had this issue before any ideas.
Help
Thanks

Jack Zhang · October 3rd, 2012, 12:41 AM

How close were you to the reporter? If you were less than 2.7 feet from the reporter (on the stock lens) you're too close. Hence, why the reporter was out of focus.

You can also have peaking adjusted too high to give the illusion of sharpness where there is none. May want to turn down peaking in that case.

Alister Chapman · October 3rd, 2012, 04:42 AM

Your back focus is probably out. This will cause a shift of your focus point between wide and telephoto, so zooming in to focus and then zooming out will throw off your focus.

There is a back focus/flange back routine in the lens section of the menu for the EX3. Place the camera about 4m/15ft square on from a brick wall or other flat but textured or detailed surface (wall paper, focus start chart) and perform the FB routine.

It's not uncommon for the back focus to go out of calibration if the camera gets bumped around or knocked.

Brent Kaplan · October 3rd, 2012, 11:55 AM

I reset the back focus this morning, but haven't been able to test it. Here is a screen grab from the shoot.

Robin Probyn · October 3rd, 2012, 07:32 PM

Maybe not back focus .. as in that case everything would soft.. as Jack mentioned it does look like your reporter is too close for minimum focus.. although its very wide angle with a small chip so Im surprised the focus didnt hold .. but thats what it looks like.. can you test a similar setup hand held and just lean back and forwards and see if you can get focus.. ?

Chuck Fishbein · October 13th, 2012, 12:26 PM

This is either a back focus (which you might have to reset several times to get it right) or the lens was positioned in autofocus mode and when it saw all those beautiful contrasty line lines in the background, it focused there.

Vincent Oliver · October 16th, 2012, 03:17 AM

The other thing you should check, is the lens lock. I managed to move this by simply putting the camera in my case and I couldn't work out why the camera was not focusing properly. Fortunately I did check the lens tightness and cured the problem. Although the locking lever had only moved up a fraction it was enough to put the focusing out.

Just a thought

Just downloaded your image, it looks like the fccus has jumped onto the background, were you using AutoFocus?

October 3rd, 2012, 12:35 AM	#1
Brent Kaplan Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Los Angeles,CA Posts: 166	Weird EX3 Focus issue Help I shot some reporter stand ups on a mono pod with the steady shot on, I zoomed in each take focused sharp and used expanded focus to check and then rolled, everything looked sharp in the viewfinder but only the reporter looks soft everything else is sharp? I never had this issue before any ideas. Help Thanks

October 3rd, 2012, 12:41 AM	#2
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	Re: Weird EX3 Focus issue Help How close were you to the reporter? If you were less than 2.7 feet from the reporter (on the stock lens) you're too close. Hence, why the reporter was out of focus. You can also have peaking adjusted too high to give the illusion of sharpness where there is none. May want to turn down peaking in that case.

October 3rd, 2012, 04:42 AM	#3
Alister Chapman Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK Posts: 4,957	Re: Weird EX3 Focus issue Help Your back focus is probably out. This will cause a shift of your focus point between wide and telephoto, so zooming in to focus and then zooming out will throw off your focus. There is a back focus/flange back routine in the lens section of the menu for the EX3. Place the camera about 4m/15ft square on from a brick wall or other flat but textured or detailed surface (wall paper, focus start chart) and perform the FB routine. It's not uncommon for the back focus to go out of calibration if the camera gets bumped around or knocked. __________________ Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com

October 3rd, 2012, 11:55 AM	#4
Brent Kaplan Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Los Angeles,CA Posts: 166	Re: Weird EX3 Focus issue Help I reset the back focus this morning, but haven't been able to test it. Here is a screen grab from the shoot. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Brent Kaplan; October 3rd, 2012 at 07:37 PM.

October 3rd, 2012, 07:32 PM	#5
Robin Probyn Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Tokyo Posts: 590	Re: Weird EX3 Focus issue Help Maybe not back focus .. as in that case everything would soft.. as Jack mentioned it does look like your reporter is too close for minimum focus.. although its very wide angle with a small chip so Im surprised the focus didnt hold .. but thats what it looks like.. can you test a similar setup hand held and just lean back and forwards and see if you can get focus.. ?

October 13th, 2012, 12:26 PM	#6
Chuck Fishbein Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Weehawken New Jersey Posts: 210	Re: Weird EX3 Focus issue Help This is either a back focus (which you might have to reset several times to get it right) or the lens was positioned in autofocus mode and when it saw all those beautiful contrasty line lines in the background, it focused there.

October 16th, 2012, 03:17 AM	#7
Vincent Oliver Trustee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chislehurst, London Posts: 1,724	Re: Weird EX3 Focus issue Help The other thing you should check, is the lens lock. I managed to move this by simply putting the camera in my case and I couldn't work out why the camera was not focusing properly. Fortunately I did check the lens tightness and cured the problem. Although the locking lever had only moved up a fraction it was enough to put the focusing out. Just a thought Just downloaded your image, it looks like the fccus has jumped onto the background, were you using AutoFocus? __________________ Eyes are a deaf man’s ears. Ears are a blind man’s eyes