auto focus?

[Ron Shook]

Pete,

[Pete] “Does it have any auto focus? If so, does it perform the same as the 100A, slow but reasonably accurate?”

Yes, it has autofocus. I don’t know about its performance but would like to hear about it. I’ve only seen a preproduction prototype and the auto focus on that was so slow that it was only usable for setting up a shot, unusable in real time.

Ron Shook

[Noah Kadner]

With respect if you’re getting this camera with the intention of shooting with autofocus on you’re probably buying way too much camera for your needs.

[Ron Shook]

Noah,

[Noah Kadner] “With respect if you’re getting this camera with the intention of shooting with autofocus on you’re probably buying way too much camera for your needs.”

With respect, you’re edging close to insulting. I’ve never had a camera with auto-focus. In another 20 years when your eyes refuse to respond as they used to and you’re near the end of a long hard day and have to run and gun in a crowd with your eyes getting blurry, you might change your tune.

Lordy, would someone please let an older dude with 35 years of experience with non-toy cameras know how the auto-focus works on the delivered HVX200 production model?

Thanks,

Ron Shook

[Barry Green]

Autofocus works fine when put in situations where autofocus generally works fine.

What I mean by that is: autofocus systems need certain parameters in order to perform well. And you can put the HVX in situations that are outside of those parameters. When you do, you should expect that autofocus performance will suffer.

So if you’re in an AF-friendly environment (meaning, a fast frame rate like 60i or 60p, and some decent contrast in your shot) then the autofocus performs very well.

But if you put the camera in 24p mode, you have to expect that autofocus performance will not be of the same caliber. The 24hz frame rate means that the autofocus system is getting new information updates only 40% as frequently as it does in 60i/60p. The slower the updates, the slower the response. That’s not the camera’s fault, or the autofocus system’s fault, it’s just the way things work.

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[Ron Shook]

Thanks Barry, and I’m sure Pete thanks you.

Ron Shook

[Noah Kadner]

Hi Ron- I was responding to the original poster’s question not yours. It was not meant as an insult.

[Peter Carroll]

Yes, thank you all for your responses!

Noah , I have been making films and videos professionally for over 30 years. I do think your response was a bit closed minded. I have developed methods of handheld shooting involving movement with my 100A and other small cameras, where auto focus is an extremely useful tool.

[Ron Shook]

Noah,

[Noah Kadner] “I was responding to the original poster’s question not yours. It was not meant as an insult.”

I’m sure it wasn’t meant as an insult, but you can’t assume and dismiss anyone’s motivation for asking a question whether myself or Pete. For all you know, Pete could be an experienced news shooter, let go in a budget cut, who’s looking to survive by stringing and needs answers. I’d be willing to bet that there’s not a top news shooter alive who hasn’t been in situations where he or she would have given their eye teeth to have an autofocus switch on their $50k camcorder. Hot, humid day. You’ve run a quarter mile to get to the scene at twilight. You’re blowing like a sick cow, because the reporter won’t carry anything and station cuts have slashed your audio guy. Try as you will you can’t keep from fogging the viewfinder, You can see well enough to aim, but focus, no way. It’s happening now, and you can’t even take the time to look at the lens and guess. Oh, yeah, and it’s HD and sure as the earth revolves around the sun, you’re gonna be out of focus, maybe badly. The cable gal with the PD170 or DVX100 or, need I say, HVX200, who beat you to the scene, makes your best efforts look like a blind novice.

Ron Shook

[Noah Kadner]

Consider my comment withdrawn. I’m sorry. Can we all be friends now?

[Ron Shook]

Noah,

[Noah Kadner] “Can we all be friends now?”

I’d like that. I’m sorry too. I apologize. I was wrong to keep harping on it, for Pete’s sake, literally. He handled it better than I did.

Ron