K5 focusing inaccuracy in low-morderately low artificial light

[Halfgeek]

Hi guys, recently I was into portrait photography and started to realized the issue as mentioned above.

On day 1 I shot an outdoor portrait on an event in the afternoon and most (not all) AF is accurate. On the 2nd day I shot an indoor one and out of about 10 pictures I took only 2 was correctly focus and the rest was a lil blur.

I shot using spot metering and evaluative metering using centre point focus. Method I used was to lock focus on subject's face and recompose a bit while shutter was half pressed all the while. Using DA 35 2.4 lens. All shots are taken on first day at wide open, second day stopped down to 3.2 and some on 2.4. Distance between me and subject is about the same on day 1 and 2.

Yesterday when I ask my sister to be my model to re confirm this issue, I used my room lights (which is kinda bright) and again all shots are inaccurately focused.

Sorry for long winded talk. Just wanna know if it's normal or there's smth wrong with my equipment... Or even theres smth wrong to my shooting technique. Googled and there seems to be some issues on AF on k5 and bright lens.

PS I'm using latest firmware 1.13 or smth. Updated few days ago.

 

[Supersimon27]

Maybe u want to try version 1.13 ?

How abt the shutter speed ? It could be too slow for u to handler for the indoor shots.

 

[Halfgeek]

Maybe u want to try version 1.13 ?

How abt the shutter speed ? It could be too slow for u to handler for the indoor shots.

Hi supersimson! Sorry my wrong, my firmware is 1.13. I updated after I saw the thread on the latest firmware which enables better ultilzation of some memory cards. On day 1 I used ISO 80 f2.4, and shutter was at least 1/150 (outdoor in the afternoon, moderately cloudy no glaring sun).

2nd day in door shoot was in door (IT show). F2.4 for some and f3.2 for most, ISO 800, shutter was 1/25 the least up to 1/60 or a lil more. Stablizator was turned on. On first day when I zoom in to x20 on the camera I can even see those pores on the subject's face. But on indoor lighting... At about x5 zoom it blurred out a lot. No details...

I would like to emphasize that I know day 1 was iso 80 and day 2 was iso 800... There are 2 shots on 2nd day at iso 800 was clear and could even see details on face when zoomed in, and is very sharp but the rest all kinda blur.

Here's the photos... IT show was day 2 indoor shoot and day 1 outdoor shot is a cosplay event. Only 2 indoor shots are correctly focus and the rest not,
http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/74373551@N05/

I know photos kinda not good, still learning...

 

[pinholecam]

Hi supersimson! Sorry my wrong, my firmware is 1.13. I updated after I saw the thread on the latest firmware which enables better ultilzation of some memory cards. On day 1 I used ISO 80 f2.4, and shutter was at least 1/150 (outdoor in the afternoon, moderately cloudy no glaring sun).

2nd day in door shoot was in door (IT show). F2.4 for some and f3.2 for most, ISO 800, shutter was 1/25 the least up to 1/60 or a lil more. Stablizator was turned on. On first day when I zoom in to x20 on the camera I can even see those pores on the subject's face. But on indoor lighting... At about x5 zoom it blurred out a lot. No details...

I would like to emphasize that I know day 1 was iso 80 and day 2 was iso 800... There are 2 shots on 2nd day at iso 800 was clear and could even see details on face when zoomed in, and is very sharp but the rest all kinda blur.

Here's the photos... IT show was day 2 indoor shoot and day 1 outdoor shot is a cosplay event. Only 2 is correctly focus and the rest not,
Welcome to Flickr!

I know photos kinda not good, still learning...

1/25 is certainly too slow to prevent hand shake. Even 1/60 can be too slow, depending on shooting technique.
(Maybe your heart beating too fast during IT show, so cannot hold camera steady )
Your subject may also shift a bit during focus->recompose, or you may have shifted too much yourself during recompose.

Personally, I'd try to use 1/60 to 1/80 with a short lens like the 35mm. If possible I will use flash and have at least 1/125.

Technique aside, make sure your camera is properly calibrated with the lens you have.
You can do AF fine adjustment if necessary.

 

[Halfgeek]

1/25 is certainly too slow to prevent hand shake. Even 1/60 can be too slow, depending on shooting technique.
(Maybe your heart beating too fast during IT show, so cannot hold camera steady )
Your subject may also shift a bit during focus->recompose, or you may have shifted too much yourself during recompose.

Personally, I'd try to use 1/60 to 1/80 with a short lens like the 35mm. If possible I will use flash and have at least 1/125.

Technique aside, make sure your camera is properly calibrated with the lens you have.
You can do AF fine adjustment if necessary.

Hi! Thanks for the advice! I wasn't using flash because using the built in ones will flash out my subjects. Planning to get a external one which I would have to ask for opinions again (0 experience of using external flash).

How can I make sure if my lens and body is properly calibrated and how to fine tune the focus? I know where the options to fine tune is... Saw -7 up to 0 to + 7 at the finetune AF, smth like that but don't know what those numbers meant. (c4 item 26 menu if I nv rmb wrongly)

Thanks again!!

 

[darrrrrrrrrr]

My experience with the K-5 is that it would consistently front focus in low light even with the later firmware which was supposed to fix the problem. My solution was to dial negative fine tune in low light and then put it back to the normal setting (might not be 0, depending on your lens and camera AF tolerance matching) in bright light. I understand your frustration

 

[SilentSeth]

Looking at the IT show pictures from your flickr link, I can understand if your hands were shaky

 

[edutilos-]

My experience with the K-5 is that it would consistently front focus in low light even with the later firmware which was supposed to fix the problem. My solution was to dial negative fine tune in low light and then put it back to the normal setting (might not be 0, depending on your lens and camera AF tolerance matching) in bright light. I understand your frustration

Second this. I have that problem in tungsten lighting. Can't remember if I have ever shot in fluorescent lighting situations.

 

[Halfgeek]

Looking at the IT show pictures from your flickr link, I can understand if your hands were shaky

Haha I know what you mean... I applied breathing techniques and rifle trigger shutter push techniques. My hands wasnt shaking abnormally much. I felt quite normal..

 

[Halfgeek]

My experience with the K-5 is that it would consistently front focus in low light even with the later firmware which was supposed to fix the problem. My solution was to dial negative fine tune in low light and then put it back to the normal setting (might not be 0, depending on your lens and camera AF tolerance matching) in bright light. I understand your frustration

Hi! Thanks for input. How do you know which values to set for the AF fine tune? It's very frustrating

 

[neon2]

Halfgeek,

I totally understand your frustration. This inaccurate focus problem is also bugging me big time and is bad enough to push me back to my K20D. Lucky I haven't sold it yet.

The AF fine tune adjustment doesn't seem to help. You need to trial and error on the values set in AF fine tune unless you deem the image sharp enough.
I gave up and sent my camera to Emjay for servicing at Japan. Now its in his motherland having its hopefully-will-solve-the-problem fix. Lets wait and see if it will solve this focus problem once and for all. Fingers crossed.

 

[GSiGuy]

Halfgeek,

I totally understand your frustration. This inaccurate focus problem is also bugging me big time and is bad enough to push me back to my K20D. Lucky I haven't sold it yet.

The AF fine tune adjustment doesn't seem to help. You need to trial and error on the values set in AF fine tune unless you deem the image sharp enough.
I gave up and sent my camera to Emjay for servicing at Japan. Now its in his motherland having its hopefully-will-solve-the-problem fix. Lets wait and see if it will solve this focus problem once and for all. Fingers crossed.

Do let us know here if it solves the problem! In the meantime, good luck!

 

[Halfgeek]

Halfgeek,

I totally understand your frustration. This inaccurate focus problem is also bugging me big time and is bad enough to push me back to my K20D. Lucky I haven't sold it yet.

The AF fine tune adjustment doesn't seem to help. You need to trial and error on the values set in AF fine tune unless you deem the image sharp enough.
I gave up and sent my camera to Emjay for servicing at Japan. Now its in his motherland having its hopefully-will-solve-the-problem fix. Lets wait and see if it will solve this focus problem once and for all. Fingers crossed.

Hmm but mine seems to hit the spot sweetly more than 80% of the time in natural daylight. Indoors artifical lights the % of hits dropped dramatically and it's not those dim kind of light.

Reason why I choose Pentax is partly because I don't like being common (canikon). Lol

Besides this everything is good! I don't know if I should show somebody experienced enough my cam and let them determine if it's normal or not. I'm very new to DSLR and photography after all I would hardly know if things are normal or not.

 

[Halfgeek]

Btw thanks to the guy who added me on Flickr ytd

Noticed my booth babes shots views raised dramatically after I post my Flickr address here... But all other pictures view count remained the same. LOL...

 

[Moonlightsg]

i still don't know how to see your flickr pic.... haha... i am so stupid nowadays....

 

[tigershiok]

is the problem happening to K-01 also? can the K-01 bro's check it out?

i'm considering of upgrading my Kx to K5 or K-01.

looks like K5 is out if K-01 don't have the problem.

thanks

 

[neon2]

Btw thanks to the guy who added me on Flickr ytd

Noticed my booth babes shots views raised dramatically after I post my Flickr address here... But all other pictures view count remained the same. LOL...

Hahaha... This is very normal, we boys are visual animals, so naturally we like to see pretty and beautiful ladies. If you go check out the Portraits section, you will notice photos of beautiful woman and lingerie will generate more response from fellow photographers.

Btw Halfgeek, this inaccurate focus problem is not normal. My K20D didn't have this problem, all photos captured are tack sharp. We are on the same boat. K-5 is all excellent except this inaccurate focus issue. It feels just like driving a Lamborghini Gallardo but the transmission got problem.

 

[ageha]

is the problem happening to K-01 also? can the K-01 bro's check it out?

i'm considering of upgrading my Kx to K5 or K-01.

looks like K5 is out if K-01 don't have the problem.

thanks

? The K-5 and K-01 don't even have the same AF system. CDAF has the potential to be more reliable depending on the implementation but PDAF is still faster.

 

[Halfgeek]

i still don't know how to see your flickr pic.... haha... i am so stupid nowadays....

I provided the link above

Welcome to Flickr!. <--- click on this and you'll see

 

[Halfgeek]

Hahaha... This is very normal, we boys are visual animals, so naturally we like to see pretty and beautiful ladies. If you go check out the Portraits section, you will notice photos of beautiful woman and lingerie will generate more response from fellow photographers.

Btw Halfgeek, this inaccurate focus problem is not normal. My K20D didn't have this problem, all photos captured are tack sharp. We are on the same boat. K-5 is all excellent except this inaccurate focus issue. It feels just like driving a Lamborghini Gallardo but the transmission got problem.

Sad... Focusing properly and correctly is very crucial.... Haix....