GH5 - How do I use BOTH manual and auto focus?

[hyalinejim]

Just a quick question here. How the hell do you get manual AND autofocus to work simultaneously. What I'm looking for is the experience of shooting DSLR stills where you can either turn the focus ring manually OR you can half press the shutter button (AF stops when it achieves focus, but if you move the camera it focuses again). I want to do this on my GH5. Closest I've got so far is using an exotic combination of menu selections: AFS in menu, AF+MF in menu = on, Continuous AF = on, AF/AE lock button = AF lock in menu, body switched to AFS.

Under these conditions, when you press AF/AE lock you can focus manually. When you press it again, the camera returns to continuous AF.

The problems are:

1. The AF/AE lock button makes a stupid click as do all of the buttons on the body except for the shutter half press.
2. Audio meters disappear
3. Peaking doesn't work when AE lock is on... just wonderful.

Does anybody know how to get this shit going? It feels like the menu and AF systems were designed by a bunch of people who never spoke to each other, and never picked up the camera. All I want to do is manual focus 90% of the time with peaking, and have the option to quickly and silently engage autofocus without going into menus, making a clicking noise, or touching the screen (I like to shoot through the EVF).

 

[mercer]

If it's anything like other Panny's then make sure you set the AF/AE Lock to just do one touch AF... I forget what they call it. And then I always leave AF+MF enabled. 

[Ken Ross]

2 hours ago, hyalinejim said:

Just a quick question here. How the hell do you get manual AND autofocus to work simultaneously. What I'm looking for is the experience of shooting DSLR stills where you can either turn the focus ring manually OR you can half press the shutter button (AF stops when it achieves focus, but if you move the camera it focuses again). I want to do this on my GH5. Closest I've got so far is using an exotic combination of menu selections: AFS in menu, AF+MF in menu = on, Continuous AF = on, AF/AE lock button = AF lock in menu, body switched to AFS.

Under these conditions, when you press AF/AE lock you can focus manually. When you press it again, the camera returns to continuous AF.

The problems are:

1. The AF/AE lock button makes a stupid click as do all of the buttons on the body except for the shutter half press.
2. Audio meters disappear
3. Peaking doesn't work when AE lock is on... just wonderful.

Does anybody know how to get this shit going? It feels like the menu and AF systems were designed by a bunch of people who never spoke to each other, and never picked up the camera. All I want to do is manual focus 90% of the time with peaking, and have the option to quickly and silently engage autofocus without going into menus, making a clicking noise, or touching the screen (I like to shoot through the EVF).

 

AFS (not AFF) must be selected both within the camera setting in the menu and on the external AF switch. If the menu setting is set to AFF or if the external AF switch is set at AFC, the manual focus override won't work.

[hyalinejim]

1 hour ago, Ken Ross said:

AFS (not AFF) must be selected both within the camera setting in the menu and on the external AF switch. If the menu setting is set to AFF or if the external AF switch is set at AFC, the manual focus override won't work.

I've done that as per my first post. It's not quite what I'm after though. Under these circumstances I need to half press the shutter button to enable MF, but when you half press the shutter button it will perform AF before you can do AF. I'd like to be MFing, and occasionally half press shutter to AF, like when shooting photos on a DSLR. Maybe it's just not possible. But it seems odd to me.

3 hours ago, mercer said:

If it's anything like other Panny's then make sure you set the AF/AE Lock to just do one touch AF... I forget what they call it. And then I always leave AF+MF enabled. 

I think the menus are different on gh5. Options for AF/AE Lock are AE Lock - AF Lock - AF/AE Lock - AF ON. There's also an option for AF/AE Lock Hold.. ON or OFF.

[mercer]

6 minutes ago, hyalinejim said:

I've done that as per my first post.

I think the menus are different on gh5. Options for AF/AE Lock are AE Lock - AF Lock - AF/AE Lock - AF ON. There's also an option for AF/AE Lock Hold.. ON or OFF.

If I'm understanding what you want to do, set that for AF On. Then when shooting, everytime you push that button in MF mode, AF will kick in to give you either a starting point, or if you want to get the lens to AF while recording. I don't think it will be constant though. 

[hyalinejim]

1 minute ago, mercer said:

If I'm understanding what you want to do, set that for AF On. Then when shooting, everytime you push that button in MF mode, AF will kick in to give you either a starting point, or if you want to get the lens to AF while recording. I don't think it will be constant though. 

Thanks!  That's closer to what I want. Problem is, the AF/AE Lock button makes an audible click, which is not good for on-camera sound. I can live with the fact it's not continuous by switching the AF dial to AFC or AFS/AFF if I need continuous. I think this is a good solution. Except for the noise of the buttons and switches. What were they thinking? I'm pretty sure those clicks had to be designed in as a feature. Anyway, it's a good sign that my complaints about the camera are on this level of the almost inconsequential.

[hyalinejim]

Honestly, some things are just mind boggling though. Why not allow the shutter half press to perform the function of the clicking AF button?

Why not allow Continuous AF ON / OFF to be assignable to a Fn key? Yet I can assign a million other silly things I'll never use...

Why no ISO on the jog dial? It would be truly useful there. There is the possibility to assign a Fn key with the ability to switch the shutter and aperture dials to ISO and WB. But if you press the same key again - you can't switch them back! It's fucking madness, I tell you. Madness.

[Ken Ross]

No camera company makes a camera whose controls satisfy everyone. It will never happen. 

[hyalinejim]

I'm not asking for camera controls that satisfy everyone. Merely controls that make more sense to more people.

48 minutes ago, hyalinejim said:

There is the possibility to assign a Fn key with the ability to switch the shutter and aperture dials to ISO and WB. But if you press the same key again - you can't switch them back!

This is like an ON / OFF switch that only turns things ON, but not OFF. Does that sound like a clever idea to you? I'm not looking for platitudes, I'm looking for solutions.

Mercer's solution is not ideal - there's an annoying touch AF box that pops up in the bottom right of the LCD. And the joystick now controls the magnification area rather than the AF point.

[Ken Ross]

I know of no solution, this has nothing to do with platituudes. So you'll need to work around it.

I shoot video almost exclusively and in terms of how I shoot, I have no need for what you're looking for.

[Emanuel]

I also second they should simplify as rule number one instead. These cameras seem more programming than anything else, mostly photography (stills or motion).

 

[Inazuma]

You guys have obviously never used Autodesk Maya :P 

[Vesku]

7 hours ago, hyalinejim said:

Why not allow Continuous AF ON / OFF to be assignable to a Fn key? Yet I can assign a million other silly things I'll never use...

I have been asking this question for many years with my GH2, GH3 and GH4. To enable continuous AF I must browse menus  using about 10 button presses at worst. 

I also wonder why it is impossible to use separate AF-lock and AE-lock. And why single autofocus AFS is disabled with 6k photo? Why AF+MF works only with half shutter ruining the effect?