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G2 Af problems

Richard -

I agree with Michael and Howard. Most of the out-of-focus pictures taken with autofacus cameras are operator error. The G2 has a very well defined autofocus window (the small frame in the finder). You need to have a vertical line for horizontal photos or horizontal line for vertical photos splitting the AF frame. There must be enough contrast for the AF system to react. Try another roll of film and carefully select a part of the subject on which to focus. As lon as there is a "line" differentiating parts of the subject, you should get good AF. By holding the shutter release you will lock in the AF results. Then compose and shoot.

Jim
 
Richard,

The most common reason for mis-focusing with the G2 is failing to realize that if you lift your finger from the shutter button after locking focus, the camera will revert to infinity focus. You must then re-lock focus on your subject before releasing the shutter. This is a quirk of the G focusing system that takes some time to get used to. It is certainly different from your F100, in which the lens stays in focus even after you lift your finger from the shutter button. Once you adapt to the G2, you will find that the process becomes entirely automatic, and you will get the brilliant images that you seek.

Re flash problems, understand that the G's flash and metering systems are far less sophisticated than the F100's, and it tends to overexpose. My solution is simply to set exposure compensation to -1 whenever using the flash. (Fill-flash is an entirely different issue.) Like the Ms, the Gs are mainly used for available light photography, but with a little practice, they can function quite well with a flash.

Have fun with your G2. If you are like many of the members of this forum, your SLR will henceforth get very little use. My N90s hasn't been off the shelf in over two years.

Rob
 
One more note from a fellow user who uses both an F100 and the G2. On the F100 in single focus mode there is a "closest" priority working if there are more multiple objects ad differing distances withing the AF focus brackets. With the G2 you have to have the object fill the entire AF frame. Otherwise it will almost always focus onto the object behind. So for ex&le when I take a facial portrait with the F100 the AF area bracket may only cover half the face and I can confidently be sure that it focused properly through the view finder with closest priority focusing. With the G2, it must be focused completely on the persons face and then recomposed to get the same shot. This is what makes close focusing so difficult on the G2.

I made a small diffucer for my TLA-200 flash using the semi-transparent film cannister from the Fuji Velvia ;) works great. No need to dial-in any compensation and the flash output is softened so a lot less harsh shadows. I got the idea from a fellow member.
 
One more note - on a different list there has been reports of AF error on the G2 that got repaired by Contax. But this was pretty rare. Most of the reporst were with the G1 not the G2.
 
> Almon is right - the transparent diffuser is the easy way to go. I got the > tip off this forum too. The other way to crack the overexposed problem is to > leave the TLA 200 permanently on the 28mm setting. By the time you use the > 90mm, the fill is really quite accurate, more so if you combine both the > diffuser and the 28mm position.

Albest, Robin
 
Once more on G2 + 90mm

Quite a while after the last post in this thread... :) But maybe someone is still here, eh? :)

I'm interested especially in the accuracy of the pair G2 and Sonnar 90. It seems to me that both other my lenses (28 & 45 as well as 35 which I sold) focus correctly while 90 sometimes is completely out of focus, or gives a little blurry pictures. Of course I understand the danger of longer focus length, so use fast film (ISO 800) and shorter exposure time.
 
I've recently purchased a G2 with 28mm 45mm and 90mm lenses. All my photos taken with the 90mm are out of focus...Is there anything i can do about it? Please help.
 
I've recently purchased a G2 with 28mm 45mm and 90mm lenses. All my photos taken with the 90mm are out of focus...Is there anything i can do about it? Please help.
Ah, I see you have the same problem. Seems, this problem is quite usual with the G-system. :(
 
So... that means that this is not a problem of the particular lense i own. It's a general problem and thus i can do nothing about it...it's not a matter of calibration or something like that...(although i noticed that my lense always focuses a few cm closer than desired)
I'll keep on searching for a solutionand and i'll let you know if i have an answer. Please let me know if ever you have a solution on this problem.
 
Thanks.

Some time ago I've read that there was a problem with the 90mm Sonnar but it was usually solved by Contax. The camera and the lens were sent to Contax and it made calibration. At present it seems there is no solution.

I have some sharp or almost sharp photos made with the Sonnar - most of them made at f/4 and f/5.6. So, the lens is better than nothing but it isn't what I expected of it.
 
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