Olympus Quick focus peaking question

[MountainMan79]

Hi All,

I just received my refurbished 12mm Olympus f2 from MAP camera today, and want to be sure everything is working ok. Currently, this is my only lens with a focus clutch, and it’s been a while since I had one with a clutch, so maybe someone can enlighten me on a question I have.

During my tests, the lens autofocuses fine. When engaging the manual focus ring, while in AF, the camera acts as I expect it to and have it set up to act…it magnifies the image, and focus peaking kicks on. So far so good. When I slide the clutch back to engage manual focus, the camera recognizes it is now in MF, and the ring does in fact rack focus as it’s rotated. However, when making adjustments to the ring, it no longer zooms in or focus peaks in this arrangement. Do I have a setting wrong somewhere? Obviously while I’m in MF, I want these MF aids enabled, which I think I have turned on, as they work in S-AF+MF. Now thankfully my OM-5 has starry sky AF, and this lens is almost exclusively going to be used for astro, but I’d still like focus peaking and magnification while in MF via the clutch. I neglected to turn the camera onto MF without engaging it from the clutch for troubleshooting, but it’s already wrapped for Christmas.

Any ideas?

 

[John King]

Chris, maybe ask again after Christmas?
When you actually have the camera and lens in hand.

Just a thought ...

BTW, congrats on the f/2 12.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Hmm, I'm trying to remember back to this myself. I thought there was a setting for MF to be either PIP or Full screen zoom, and really, the focus clutch should just be acting like you're in MF mode. I suppose you could also program a button to magnify, and use it when needed in MF mode. Sure seems like a setting in the camera and not a lens issue though. I'd suspect if the focus clutch was messed up somehow, it wouldn't do all the other stuff correctly.

 

[Alberta Dave]

Hi @MountainMan79 I've just tried this with my 12mm on my EM5mk3 and it does initiate peaking and magnification in SAF+MF mode but in straight MF mode only I think they have to be selected by using a user programmed button so it looks like your lens is working fine.

Congrats on the purchase.

 

[MountainMan79]

Hi @MountainMan79 I've just tried this with my 12mm on my EM5mk3 and it does initiate peaking and magnification in SAF+MF mode but in straight MF mode only I think they have to be selected by using a user programmed button so it looks like your lens is working fine.

Congrats on the purchase.

Appreciate you checking that out Dave! It’s odd that’s the default behavior for MF, but I’ll putz around in the menu and figure out a solve, if one isn’t presented here first.

 

[Alberta Dave]

Thanks Chris, it does seem a bit odd but I have the video button mapped to magnification and the front button set for focus peaking for when I use manual focus lenses on the EM5.

 

[sturgeon]

I think it’s the lens. On my E-M5iii, when using the clutch on the 12mm, the magnify doesn’t kick in, and peaking doesn’t show, even though MF is displayed on the screen. If I leave the clutch disengaged and set MF in the menu, it works as expected, both magnify and peaking. My 12-40, on the other hand works as it should when using the clutch, both magnify and peaking. I have both of those set to ON in the MF Assist menu item. I can turn on magnify and/or peaking using a function button.

 

[MountainMan79]

I think it’s the lens. On my E-M5iii, when using the clutch on the 12mm, the magnify doesn’t kick in, and peaking doesn’t show, even though MF is displayed on the screen. If I leave the clutch disengaged and set MF in the menu, it works as expected, both magnify and peaking. My 12-40, on the other hand works as it should when using the clutch, both magnify and peaking. I have both of those set to ON in the MF Assist menu item. I can turn on magnify and/or peaking using a function button.

Fascinating. So that’s interesting, although an easy fix if all I have to do is engage MF from the menu, vs from the clutch. Albeit doing so from the clutch and having s hard stop on each end is nice, vs the fly by wire when not engaged.

 

[sturgeon]

Fascinating. So that’s interesting, although an easy fix if all I have to do is engage MF from the menu, vs from the clutch. Albeit doing so from the clutch and having s hard stop on each end is nice, vs the fly by wire when not engaged.

Agreed, plus the focus ring ‘feels’ a bit better when the clutch is pulled back, more like a real old-school MF lens rather than just spinning freely. It’s not a huge deal for me because I tend not to use MF with wide-angle lenses like the 12mm.

 

[MountainMan79]

So everyone that’s tried so far, has the same experience with the 12mm, even if it is different than other lenses that have a focus clutch. I wonder in there’s a firmware update or something required for the 12mm, given if memory serves, this was the first Olympus lens to have a focus clutch.

 

[MountainMan79]

Looking into it a bit, firmware version 1.1 has something to do with the MF clutch and how it behaves with the camera. I’ll need to attach my camera to workspace and see what version the lens has come Christmas.

Changes:​

- Supports MF clutch (Snapshot Focus) disabled settings in camera settings.

 

[sturgeon]

Looking into it a bit, firmware version 1.1 has something to do with the MF clutch and how it behaves with the camera. I’ll need to attach my camera to workspace and see what version the lens has come Christmas.

Changes:​

- Supports MF clutch (Snapshot Focus) disabled settings in camera settings.

Mine is at 1.1 (I tend to keep my firmware up to date). No need to use Workspace; you should be able to see body and lens firmware versions in the camera settings menu.

There’s a setting in my E-M5iii to make an MF clutch Operative or Inoperative. The 12mm is one of the older lenses, dating back to 2011. I suspect that camera setting might not have existed back then. It doesn’t in my E-PL1. I’d guess the 1.1 upgrade was so that that MF Clutch setting in newer bodies would work with that lens.

 

[MountainMan79]

Well, as everyone’s 12mm is doing what mine is doing, at least I don’t believe there is anything wrong with it. Quirky behavior given the age of the lens I suppose, but an easy work around given I can quickly switch to MF in the quick access menu, and/or program some buttons for peaking and/or magnification. Again, given I’d likely be using starry sky AF, I’m not terribly concerned…just happy the lens appears to be good! Thanks all!

 

[sturgeon]

Well, as everyone’s 12mm is doing what mine is doing, at least I don’t believe there is anything wrong with it. Quirky behavior given the age of the lens I suppose, but an easy work around given I can quickly switch to MF in the quick access menu, and/or program some buttons for peaking and/or magnification. Again, given I’d likely be using starry sky AF, I’m not terribly concerned…just happy the lens appears to be good! Thanks all!

If I was frequently needing to change to MF, I'd use a function button for that too. The nice thing about that is that focus returns to whatever it was before - AF-C, AF-S, etc - when you press the function button again.

 

[RAH]

I don't know if this will help, but I saved a piece of info about focus peaking that PakkyT posted on the m43 forum. It explains that there are TWO types of focus peaking:

Peaking works two different ways. One is to assign it to a button and then you turn it on and it stays on working continuously until you press the button again.

The second method is the automatic method where when you go in to manual focus mode the camera detects when the lens focus ring is turned and will enable peaking while it is turning. A few moments after the ring is no longer detected being turned the MF Assist tools (peaking and magnification if you have that on as well) disable.

If you are adjusting focus by moving the camera on a rail and are using the 2nd, automatic, peaking method then that won't work. As far as the camera is concerned you are not manual focusing since the ring isn't being turned.

So for rail use you will want to use method one and assign peaking to a button.

I think this might apply to this discussion.