One simple fix to improve video autofocus

Video autofocus has improved enormously in recent years, but there is still one issue that drives Jordan crazy. Fortunately, he has a fix!

Rental equipment provided by The Camera Store

0:00 - Intro
0:29 - The problem
2:26 - The solution
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[robert_may]

I do wish camera manufacturers would just allow every setting to be configured on the buttons/dials, and equally every button/dial to be changed - it'd open up a lot of possibilities like this! The list of available settings and control interfaces available to be customised always seems so arbitrary.

[junebugse]

The idea of using the focus ring to adjust speed is great. Also still waiting for camera manufacturers to implement Chris's idea of allowing waveform monitoring for stills.

[problematque]

Fantastic video, great to see you branch out more and more into proposing improvements!
When I saw the thumbnail, I thought you were going to say "use C-AF for quick snap focus, back button focus with manual for slow rack focus as configured and switch between C-AF and MF to select either" - so you can take that as my proposal.

[bemboing]

I thought about this too when I saw the Lumix S5ii samples, I don't know if the speed were by default but I liked the transition of the video autofocus from subjects to subjects, it seemed more "organic" compared to snappy fast autofocus set on the other cameras. Good advice here Jordan!

[safemode]

Great video Jordan, I love how you're using your influence as a YouTube creator to try and find solutions to real problems instead of just complaining about them.😀

[CallMeRabbitzUSVI]

I've been telling people this for years! None of my filming friends agree with me but it's the subtle things that sells a scene or shot or movie.

Very well put Jordan

[shanemitchellspencer]

I also think it'd be great to use the focus ring as a face detection/object detection switch. If the camera recognizes two subjects, using the focus ring as a selector between the two would be great.

[peterebel]

This absolutely makes sense as long as there is no manual focus override engaged.

[MattIrwinPhotography]

Hi Jordan, I would totally use this, thanks for bringing it up :) cheers Matt

[andy.photoandfilm]

great idea, i totally would love to have the option to do that.

[dkirk]

Great Idea! If the camera is in Manual focus, let the ring be focus, if in AF let it control speed of focus.

[CallMeChato]

I have thought about this. Great idea. I would add that I’ve always wanted a manual focus setting which would let me prefocus on two people in a shot and using the joystick to switch between person on left and right. I’m sure this could be part of the auto focus also.

[birkhansen]

Brilliant idea! I would use it all the time.

[diegoeidelman]

I would like to see more videos from you, Jordan, about video tips and techniques.
This one was helpful 👍
Thank you!

[makestuffmike]

@ 1:35 with the storytelling techniques! Very nice!

[OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Love the humour - gets better every year. This is a great topic.  I've set my canon to fast in Manual mode. I use this for run and gun and lot. As I shout a lot of clips and don't change focus in clip, I keep it fast so when I press record, the subject is in focus. But there are times I want to change for. given clip and like to change this quickly.

[izzieb]

While this would be of use to people doing professional work, I feel the industry trend is towards fast focus transitions. Even high end mirrorless cameras seem to be increasingly aimed at influencers and vloggers (I would say narcissists, but that's just my two cents) who want their face to be in focus as quickly as possible, as often as possible. Speed and specs sell more than the actual practical usage of the camera.

[agenericaccount]

Enjoyed this little walkthrough. I was actually having a bit of trouble with AF speed this morning. It would have been nice to have a hot key (ring?)

[deepseadiver]

I like the idea only if it does not take always manual focus override or any focusing aide features. What I think would be even better (under the same conditions as for the Jordan’s idea) is if there was a mode in which it would basically be an AF guided manual focus pull, operator would only initiate the focus pull manually, the camera would take over and continue the pull at the speed the operator initiated it. So this would allow a very organic control of both the timing as well as the speed of the pull. Since the manual focus rings on AF lenses already have a sensor which reads the speed of the operator’s manual focus pull every time it is touched anyway, this should be quite easy to implement.

[bumi]

Having this option on the Fuji system would make the recent Sigma 18-50mm's lack of aperture ring a non-issue, especially considering the awkward placement of the manual focus ring. I was actually wondering if this couldn't be implemented through a firmware update but I'm glad to hear Nikon actually allows this, so it is a possibility.