S2 Pro autofocus

kree · 17th November 2003

Hi all, how is the auto focus speed of S2 Pro (esp in low light conditions?)
Is it sluggish, or comparable to the Canon DSLRs?
Wld appreciate if any S2 Pro owners can comment?

munwei · 17th November 2003

The S2's AF in low light is pretty decent with the central AF sensor point. But tends to hunt if using any of the other 4 AF points.

The other factor is the brightness of the lens. I have the 24-85/2.8-4 and the 24-120/3.5-5.6VR, and the 24-85 focuses faster in low light (particularly with the non-central AF sensor).

The only other DSLR I've used is the (old) Canon D30, and of course, the S2 beats it hands down.

Cheers!

Jed · 17th November 2003

I haven't directly used an S2 under testing autofocus conditions, but I have used other F80 based SLRs which have the same autofocus modules and should have the same autofocus performance.

Sluggish is not a word I would generally use to describe modern autofocus systems, except at the very basic entry point. On the other hand there is much more to an autofocus system than just raw speed, mainly accuracy, tendency to make poor decisions, performance in low light, etc.

The F80 based autofocus system is actually very decent. In reasonable light and non-complex focusing situations it will keep up in all but the absolute most taxing focusing requirements. In poor light the performance dips, as with all cameras. Its biggest problem comes in keeping the right focus. If it knows what it wants to be doing then it's fast enough for all intents and purposes.

trigger · 29th November 2003

The autofocus capability of the S2 is pretty decent - I can take most situations with the camera except very very fast sports - but with a little bit of practice and learning how to anticipating the direction of action, the camera will serve you well in some sporting or fast action situations.

Cheers
Trigger

Originally Posted by Jed

I haven't directly used an S2 under testing autofocus conditions, but I have used other F80 based SLRs which have the same autofocus modules and should have the same autofocus performance.

Sluggish is not a word I would generally use to describe modern autofocus systems, except at the very basic entry point. On the other hand there is much more to an autofocus system than just raw speed, mainly accuracy, tendency to make poor decisions, performance in low light, etc.

The F80 based autofocus system is actually very decent. In reasonable light and non-complex focusing situations it will keep up in all but the absolute most taxing focusing requirements. In poor light the performance dips, as with all cameras. Its biggest problem comes in keeping the right focus. If it knows what it wants to be doing then it's fast enough for all intents and purposes.

17th November 2003	#1
kree Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 112	S2 Pro autofocus Hi all, how is the auto focus speed of S2 Pro (esp in low light conditions?) Is it sluggish, or comparable to the Canon DSLRs? Wld appreciate if any S2 Pro owners can comment? __________________ My FREE digital pics (Creative Commons)

17th November 2003	#2
munwei Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 281	The S2's AF in low light is pretty decent with the central AF sensor point. But tends to hunt if using any of the other 4 AF points. The other factor is the brightness of the lens. I have the 24-85/2.8-4 and the 24-120/3.5-5.6VR, and the 24-85 focuses faster in low light (particularly with the non-central AF sensor). The only other DSLR I've used is the (old) Canon D30, and of course, the S2 beats it hands down. Cheers!

17th November 2003	#3
Jed Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: UK Posts: 3,081	I haven't directly used an S2 under testing autofocus conditions, but I have used other F80 based SLRs which have the same autofocus modules and should have the same autofocus performance. Sluggish is not a word I would generally use to describe modern autofocus systems, except at the very basic entry point. On the other hand there is much more to an autofocus system than just raw speed, mainly accuracy, tendency to make poor decisions, performance in low light, etc. The F80 based autofocus system is actually very decent. In reasonable light and non-complex focusing situations it will keep up in all but the absolute most taxing focusing requirements. In poor light the performance dips, as with all cameras. Its biggest problem comes in keeping the right focus. If it knows what it wants to be doing then it's fast enough for all intents and purposes.