Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/09/19

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Subject: [Leica] What Is "Focus Peeking"
From: don.dory at gmail.com (Don Dory)
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2012 04:38:10 -0400
References: <CAAsXt4Pkj9G038-c2oXM-nPCuRB6OnNsGm584xUqnPB1_Ewemg@mail.gmail.com>

Robert,
Focus peaking is from the video realm.  You can choose your color and the
level of the peaking effect.  To try it out while waiting for Leica pick up
a Sony Nex 5 or Nex 7.  As others have mentioned you see the effect on the
whole screen, it accounts for your depth of field so the effect shows you
what will be in focus as you stop down fairly effectively.

Caveats would be it is a learned tool much like focusing on ground glass;
if you turn up the peaking level you can get false positives as the peaking
color bleeds over into areas that are not really in focus.  Also, if your
lens doesn't have a crisp transition from out of focus to in focus it can
be difficult to use; a wide angle like the 18mm Zeiss will show everything
in focus or a 35 Summicron stopped down to F8 at intermediate distances
will show most everything glowing in red(or yellow or white).

The plus side is that it will put new life in lenses such as the 75
Summilux as focus peaking takes into account field curvature so you really
can focus off center quickly and easily.  Also, with the right adapter you
can now use any lens in your stable or do macro with your M.

If any of you do decide to go and check out the principle with a Sony Nex
you will need to use its somewhat ill conceived menu.  In the menu go to
the lower right option and scroll down, way down until you can set several
things.  1) allow firing without a lens attached 2) allow focus peaking 3)
choose a color 4) choose a level of focus peaking.  Also enable manual
focusing.

Thanks for listening and now back to lurking.

Don Dory

On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 10:43 PM, Robert Adler <rgacpa at gmail.com> wrote:

> This sounds very much like the Focus Mask available on the PhaseOne IQ
> digital backs. Either in Live View or after exposure it highlights the in
> focus areas based on contrast, as Doug describes. In the PhaseOnes you can
> even adjust the level of contrast to use to show the in-focus mask (my
> guess is not part of the M offering). I would LOVE to have a back like
> this...
>
>  It's a wonderful feature if you think about it. If your lens is finicky
> about having to be exactly mated to the body (Noctilux/75 'lux), you could
> live with a little back or front focus. If you could see what was in focus
> with these red lines (let's say the pupil of an eye against the white of
> the eye), just moving your head until the area you want in focus lights up
> would be terrific. Heck, even if your lens was perfectly mated, you'd get
> more in focus hits than before at wide open...
>
> If that is now available via live view on the EVF, it may well be worth the
> price of admission...
> IMO.
> We shall see
>
> Bob Adler
> Redwood City, CA
> http://www.rgaphoto.com
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Robert Baron <robertbaron1 at gmail.com>
> *To:* Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> *Sent:* Tue, September 18, 2012 2:02:41 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [Leica] What Is 'Focus Peaking'?
>
> I ask because there have been references to the new 'M' camera using 'focus
> peaking' which is something new to me.
>
> As are more and more things these days...
>
> Thanks,
>
> --Bob
>
> ==On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 3:45 PM, leo wesson <leowesson at gmail.com> 
> wrote:
>
> > On video?  On my camera, I get a red line when something is in focus.
> >  Apparently some still cameras use it.
> >
> > http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=56246.0
> >
> > Leo Wesson
> > Photographer/Videographer
> > 817.733.9157
> > www.leowesson.com
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 3:37 PM, Robert Baron <robertbaron1 at gmail.com
> > >wrote:
> >
> > > An enquiring mind wants to know.
> > >
> >
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
> --
> Bob Adler
> http://www.rgaphoto.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>



-- 
Don
don.dory at gmail.com


Replies: Reply from jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj) ([Leica] What Is "Focus Peeking")
Reply from rgacpa at gmail.com (Robert Adler) ([Leica] What Is "Focus Peeking")
In reply to: Message from rgacpa at gmail.com (Robert Adler) ([Leica] What Is "Focus Peeking")