Monday
Jun292009
Focus speed and Video sound demos.
Monday, June 29, 2009 at 09:28PM Hello everyone,
people have been asking me repeatedly for an idea of CDAF focusing speed, and also how sensitive the on-board mic is during video recording... so here are some videos to demonstrate different lenses for speed and sound being picked up.
Demo 1. E-P1 + mZD 14-42
Demo 2. E-P1 + Lumix 14-45
Demo 3. E-P1 + Hexanon 85mm f1.8 at f2.8... manually focused.
Demo 4. E-P1 + ZD 50mm f2 macro.
Demo 5. E-P1 + ZD 50mm f2 macro.
Please keep checking back for updates, and Post a comment below if you have further questions / comments.
Kind Regards
Brian
Reader Comments (12)
Would I be right that the E-P1 can't take an external mic?
Correct Alex, no external mic socket... although I guess there could be an external recorder + sync to video option with the right hardware/software?
The Lumix is much quieter, and a smooth manually focusing legacy lens would be pretty much silent... you'd need a tripod really though, to keep the camera + lens steady.
With some practice and skill, I'm sure the E-P1 could be capable of excellent video.
Cheers
Brian
Aye does seem it's best with the right lens... still a flexible option for that sort of thing though.
Does the video DIS have the ability to program lens focal length with legacy glass, like the sensor IS?
Yes - I'm sure I DIS uses the same FL data programmed in for IS.
Cheers
Brian
Hi Brian,
Nice videos. I have some comments and questions:
i. For Video 2 in particular, besides the focusing sound of the lens mechanism, I keep hearing some intermittent 'popping' sounds. Is that in the background or something in the camera electronics/kit lens that the mic is picking up? I hear a little of it in video 3 as well but significantly less.
ii. Manual focus seems to be the way to go with the EP-1 and video. It looks much smoother with your hexanon video and more natural as the CDAF doesn't do its 'far and near' hunt and settle on one spot (I suspect this is part of the firmware design for accuracy? Because once it locks on the focus looks extremely sharp)
iii. The mic while sensitive sounds excellent. It'll be great for recording mini concerts or other work place situations like seminars, talks, etc...
Hi Ed, the popping sound is the AEL/EFL button, which has to be pressed in to cause an auto focus scan... the pop when it is pressed, and when it is released is recorded by the built in microphones.
I agree, manual legacy lens seems the way to go... unless you can afford the Lumix 14-140 OIS.
Kind Regards
Brian
Hi Brian, thanks for the clarification on that popping sounds. Seems very sensitive that mic. But I'm curious, if the AEL button needs to be pressed, couldn't the shutter button be mapped to do the autofocus with a halfpress (if not a default in the first place)
Just to clear a lingering doubt here, but with the hexanon mounted for video, you'd get no more 'popping' sounds right?
Btw, OT a little, the photos so far look great!
Hi Ed,
no - it's not possible to map the focus request to the shutter button.
That's correct regarding any lens you focus manually - the popping is me pressing the AEL/AFL button to trigger an auto focus scan.
Thanks!
Brian
Hi Brian,
thanks for the confirmation. Having seen all the latest videos, I think I can safely say that relying on the AF to focus any lens in video mode is a huge no no primarily because of the way the EP-1 focuses and the sensitivity of that mic (it really is a double edged sword that mic - great sound but so sensitive!).
The MF you did of the flowers looks and feels so much better though I can still hear that pop sound at the end of the video when you stopped the recording, but that can easily be edited.
Demo 3 video seemed to have some click sounds towards the end of the video, was that the environment or an aperture ring adjustment?
Ed, these are very rough demos - if I was taking video properly, I'd probably use a tripod / beanbag and try much harder to handle the camera smoothly.
Cheers
Brian
Hey Brian, just thought..
would you say that this is a good representation of focus speed for general shooting, or does video slow it down somewhat?
Yes - that question did cross my mind... in practice, the camera seems much faster than these videos suggest.
Cheers
Brian