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How to lock focus on a K5IIs, or, is it possible at all?


wayne_campbell

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<p>I hesitated posting this for a long time thinking I was a dunderhead and not doing it right, but I now think it's a problem with the Pentax AF system. I shoot both Canon and Pentax and with the Canon I am used to pushing the shutter button halfway to lock focus and then holding it there while I recomposed and then take the picture. This aids in using good bokeh to throw the background out of focus.</p>

<p>Fast forward to the Pentax K5IIs. I try to do the same thing but the *&^%&^%%^@ camera won't do that. The minute you move the subject in the viewfinder the Pentax goes nuts jitterbugging around trying to refocus (no matter what the focus points are set at). It will immediately refocus on the background even though you still have the shutter button down halfway and think you have locked on to the main subject. So I reread the manual, checked online, etc., and they all say that's the way to do it. However, it doesn't work. I then tried the same technique on a K-x and a K200D just to be sure it wasn't the k5IIs and they both also do the same thing, jitterbug around trying to refocus. I know Pentax has always had a pretty pitiful track record with autofocus but this is beyond my understanding.<br /> Would appreciate comments and solutions.</p>

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Hi Wayne. The jitterbug refocusing you describe happens when AF is set to Continuous. When in AFS (AF Single)

keeping the shutter button pressed halfway will retain your original focus point as you recompose (the red AF point won't

reappear in the viewfinder though). I have been using the same technique way back to my K-100D Super. On the K-5 II; I

must ensure the switch on the outside of the camera body is set to AFS (page 108 in the K-5 II / K-5 IIs manual).

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<p>I have found that using back-button auto-focus has made it much easier to keep the auto focus where I want it on my K-5. The half-press works but in the heat of shooting I sometimes release and re-press the shutter. Much less likely to happen with a thumb pressing the back AF button.<br /> <br /> I just tried and I <strong>could not reproduce your problem until I set the AF lever, <em>on the back of the camera</em>, to the green Auto setting which tells the camera to set the focus point.</strong><br /> <strong><img src="http://c2b6d376b97bcc466063-5420c200a1f030d1394a9548df6eadbd.r5.cf2.rackcdn.com/img/products/933_1346964608_K5II_Black_BackView_large.jpg" alt="" width="433" height="289" /></strong><br /> <br /> Set the lever to Center Spot (top) for single, center spot focus or SEL so that YOU can SELECT a point other than center with the left and right buttons. You will see the red indicator light move in the viewfinder. The half-press method will then be functional for either of those options. These instructions should be in the Selecting the Focusing Area section of your manual.</p>

<p> </p>

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<p>Arrrrrrgh!!! None of your suggestions seems to work. Green button or no green button. Half push shutter button. Set AF . Set single center spot. AF-Single. No matter what, the minute I move to recompose, the jitterbug focus hunting boogie starts. Maddening.</p>

<p>This doesn't happen with my Canon. It just locks when you push the shutter halfway and have the subject in the red AF point. No thinking. No mental gymnastics. Just does it correctly. Leaves you free to compose the picture. Nice sharp subject and nice blurry background.<br /> Why is this beyond Pentax?</p>

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<ol>

<li>Mode dial on top should NOT BE ON GREEN</li>

<li>Metering lever, under mode dial, should NOT BE ON GREEN</li>

<li>Set AF-S for still objects</li>

<li>Set AF lever to Center spot</li>

<li>Half press to focus</li>

<li>Keeping shutter half-pressed, recompose and</li>

<li>fully depress shutter button.</li>

</ol>

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<p>Thanks Howard, I followed your checklist through #5 but the second I went to #6 (Keeping shutter half-pressed, recompose and....) it started refocusing on the background even though I kept the shutter half--pressed. And, of course, this threw my subject completely out of focus.</p>

<p>About a month ago I updated the firmware to ver. 1.07. Could this be causing this to happen?</p>

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<p>Wayne, just curious. Have you only recently had this problem? Were you able to hold focus before you updated the firmware? I have the K5 and the K5IIs and I have never encountered what you describe unless I inadvertently set the side lever to "C". On AF.S it should hold focus with the shutter half-pressed unless there's a glitch with your camera. </p>
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<p>First of all I want to thank everyone who contributed a myriad of suggestions, all of which I diligently tried. None of them worked.</p>

<p>Second of all, I want to curse Pentax for putting out a model (K5IIs) with such a tangled, convoluted mess of ways to try and lock focus, none of which work on my camera. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So why don't they just imitate Canon and have a focus-lock that works without human intervention? No thought process involved-it just works by half-pressing the shutter any time, in any mode, or any place. Sometime in the late 21st Century (if they're still in business) Pentax may finally iron out all the focusing problems that have plagued them since they went digital in 2003. A tip of the hat to all of you who have suffered and slogged on.</p>

<p>As for now, I am contemplating returning the camera and being done with it. I don't need frustration with my photography, I need results.</p>

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<p>Wayne - Sorry you are having such a hard time with your Pentax. You are blaming an entire brand for a problem that doesn't seem to be particularly common. The method you use to focus and shoot with a Canon is also available with a Pentax.. Clearly, there is some undiscovered factor that is not allowing your (Pentax? Tamron? Sigma?) lens to lock focus. As for Pentax methods being complicated, reading the manual is almost not required (well, maybe once or twice) to figure out the basic functions. So, if you can, find a camera store that sells Pentax and see if they can figure it out. Or send it to Pentax. Or send it to me. I'd be glad to receive it.</p>
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<p>Wayne, I understand your frustration but I haven't found Pentax to be at all unusual in this regard compared to any other autofocus SLR, nor the K-5ii to be any different than other Pentax models -- the half-press generally just works. I am suspecting you might have a hardware issue with your shutter button, possibly the half-press is dodgy. I did have a problem somewhat like this with a Pentax film SLR. Suggest you see if you have the same problem when using the AF button on the back of the camera instead of the shutter half-press. You can even disable the half-press via setting. See if keeping the AF button depressed plus AF.S keeps your focus locked.<br>

<br />Since we're thinking about a possible hardware issue with the button, if you have a battery grip you might consider removing it, or alternatively experiment to see if the problem goes away when you use the secondary shutter button.</p>

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<p>It could be there is something wrong with your camera. I tried to recreate your problem but could not. I also have the K-5 IIs and my camera locks when I press the shutter half way. I would have sent it back to Pentax if that wasn't the case. Have you tried using another lens on the camera maybe that's the problem ? </p>
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<p>Andrew<br>

"if you have a battery grip you might consider removing it, or alternatively experiment to see if the problem goes away when you use the secondary shutter button."<br>

<br>

I just tried the battery grip button at your suggestion. Problem persists. When you say you haven't found the Pentax to be at all unusual in this regard compared to any other autofocus SLR then you must not have used any comparable Canon. What can I say? The Canon just works and is a dream to use. Not like this nightmare.</p>

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Wayne I just got home and I tried focusing on an object until the focus locked then I moved the camera off axis while keeping my finger on the shutter down and it worked fine. This is a pretty basic feature in almost all AF camera so if something was wrong I would have found out a long time ago. I tried this with single point AF, Multi point AF and Select point AF. maybe its your camera or lens. You can also sync the AF to the Aperture so that when you lock the focus you also lock the aperture by using one of the custom functions.
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<p>Well, thanks to those who are still standing or still following this thread. In case you are waiting with bated breath, I would like to announce that the camera is at fault. I tested the same lenses on my other body, a K5, and it works perfectly and as it should. So, phew, the K5IIs goes back for an exchange.</p>

<p>Now that this is solved, you may all go back to more constructive tasks, like photographing brick walls. I sincerely do thank one and all, your suggestions were all correct.</p>

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<p>Wayne, hold on once more. I found that in the past, when I couldn't figure out a specific option, I reverted back the camera to factory default and Eureka...problem solved. Of course you have to spend time customizing it back to your liking, but as you do you may find what was the problem, assuming that the camera is not defective. </p>
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