Fujifilm XE2; amazing camera with one major firmware flaw.

<p>I just purchased a Fujifilm XE2 with the 35mm 1.4 and am hugely impressed with the image quality, better than my Nikon D700 for sure. However there is one major flaw that would be so easy to fix in firmware. The camera refocuses between shots when the shutter is half pressed thus slowing down shot to shot times enormously. All that Fuji would have to do is put an option in the menu via firmware to stop refocus on trigger half-press and the handling would be greatly enhanced. <br /> I have been using the AFL in manual focus and also manually locking in AF and while this works nicely I would much prefer the camera to hold focus via the shutter release.<br /> My question is what is the best way to alert Fuji to this issue with a good chance that they will actually read it and take note? Is there a link for providing feedback? Is anyone else bothered by this as it affects all Fujifilm X bodies such as the X100s and X Pro 1?<br /> Thanks in advance,<br /> Miles.</p>

<p>You might try contacting some of the guys on these sites as they seem to have a direct line to Fujifilm: <br /><a href="http://www.fujixseries.com/">http://www.fujixseries.com/</a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.fujirumors.com/category/news/">http://www.fujirumors.com/category/news/</a></p>

<p>Thanks Cliff, I'll try that.<br>

I'm amazed there's not more discussion about this even though Lori Grunin's CNET review says "Time for two sequential shots is a little on the slow side, 1 second for JPEG and 1.1 for raw, mostly because the lens seems to reset and refocus between shots."</p>

This seems to me like normal camera behavior. Nikon's do the same thing.

 

If you want it to focus only at certain times, and not every time you press the button half way, put it in M and use the AFL

button to focus.

Thanks Andy; I can assure you that

this behaviour is not normal for Nikons,

that would slow the camera down way

too much. As I said I already use the

AFL method however would much

prefer to use the shutter half press. All

that is needed is a simple menu option

saying something like "no refocus with

half press." I'll continue to use the

camera while travelling but ultimately

this will be a deal breaker for me and I

will look at other options if Fuji don't fix

this in the very near future.

What's the difference between refocus and focusing a second time? You press the button halfway and the camera

focuses, because that's how it works. It doesn't read your mind to decide that some of the times you press the button you

want it to focus and others you don't.

 

It's more noticeable on a mirrorless camera because the focus system isn't as quick as a DSLR, and is more likely to

"hunt" but on a Nikon it does work the same way. That's why so many people use the AFL button on DSLRs even though

it adds an extra button.

 

You're making a really big thing out of a a "bug" that's just normal camera behavior.

<p>Ask here, too:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.fujix-forum.com/">http://www.fujix-forum.com/</a></p>

<p>Andy; firstly the Nikons have the option to lock the focus with a half press and NOT refocus so long as it's kept half pressed. That's all I want. It's not a bug as such just a result of immature firmware. If I don't want it to refocus between shots I should have that option. The CNET review http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/fujifilm-x-e2-body/4505-6501_7-35829243.html talks about this and how it makes the camera on the slow side. "Read your mind;" one would have to be pretty stupid to expect that, I'm not sure you understand my point exactly. All I want to do is avoid refocus between shots if I <strong>KEEP </strong>the button half pressed, so easy to do in firmware as an option. Think about it; once I've acquired perfect focus with a half press why would I want to go through the whole 1 second process of refocussing and miss a decisive moment?<br /> I am not alone, check out these links:<br /> http://www.fujix-forum.com/index.php/topic/9217-avoid-refocusing-after-every-shot/<br /> http://www.fujix-forum.com/index.php/topic/14835-am-i-missing-something-re-af-on-the-x-e1/</p>

<p>Thanks C for the link, that may be a good place to go.</p>

<p>Are you sure your camera is refocusing in-between shots with the shutter button half pressed <strong>while you choose AF-S</strong> or are you setting it to continuos autofocus (AF-C)?<br /> If you set it to AF-S it should lock focus as soon as you half-press the button, according to page 47 of owner manual (english version) it is supposed to work that way but if you set the camera to continuos focus (<strong>AF-C</strong>) refocusing is how it is already conceived to behave.<br /> And as someone said before, Nikon cameras shall do the same as long as you use them in AF-C, as you can check if you go to page 72 of the manual (english version) of the D700.</p>

<p>I'm talking AFS, that's why it's so surprising. </p>

<p>As it has the selector positions (M-C-S) with the S at the extreme maybe there is a hardware malfunction, otherwise that would be problem populating the web by now and to be honest it is the first time I see someone complaining about this problem, and I've been following the reviews as I'm a potential buyer of the camera (just waiting for news about X-Pro1 successor to make my mind).<br /> Read the autofocus section ( Autofocus and Performance) of the "First Look" in the link bellow, written by a guy that has a book on the X-System cameras and is a regular contributor to the site:<br /> http://www.fujirumors.com/first-look-fujifilm-x-e2/<br /> Reading this section I noticed the Pre-AF menu item and the ways it can act and I think you should check if your camera has this function "on", as it may interfere with the expected action of AF-S (this is not very clear for me yet as I only read about it there).</p>

<p>Thanks Ant��ónio; I am not in AFC but in AFS and I have turned the Pre-AF off. I'm quite sure it's not a hardware malfunction just an oversight in not providing the required option. Let's hope for a fix soon.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The behavior you're describing is normal for <em>some</em> cameras. My Nikon V1 behaves pretty much as you and other X-E1 owners have described. My Nikon dSLR doesn't. In actual practice, it hasn't been a problem. If I need quicker performance from the V1 I switch to AF-C and continuous framerates.</p>

<p>I guess most folks reckon it's pretty normal or are apathetic. It would be <strong>so</strong> simple for Fuji to do. If Nikons and Canons behaved like this there'd be uproar...</p>

<p>Of course this affects all X cameras including the X100S; I'm amazed owners of that camera, of which there are many, haven't been bothered by this. I personally can't stand it when I press the trigger and the shutter goes off a second later regardless of whether the camera has decided that it's in focus. The photographer should be in control...</p>

<p>Register with the site I linked above, Miles. Lots of experience and generosity there concerning Fuji X matters.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I just purchased a Fujifilm XE2 with the 35mm 1.4 and am hugely impressed with the image quality, better than my Nikon D700 for sure.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>fwiw, the x-e1 has the same sensor and is about $400 less, body only.</p>

<p>Cheers C, let's hope Fuji reads these things. Yes, Eric, a good deal for sure however it was the phase detect AF and snappier electronics that made me go for the XE-2. Don't get me wrong people, this a fine camera; superb image quality and excellent build quality. Just that as it stands it's more suitable for static subjects and bit trickier for on the fly stuff. There are work arounds, manual zone focus being one, but it could be so much better with a few lines of code...</p>

<p>Ok. Miles just to clarify you are referring to the fact that with Nikons you can set the camera so that it ONLY focuses when you push the AF button and not on the shutter press? I know a few people who work that way.<br>

I'll have to dig my XE-1 out of the car, but don't remember having that option in the menu. But if so it might be addressable via a firmware update. Admittedly you are the first person I know of to bring this up, so it's probably not registered on Fuji's radar.</p>

<p>Wayne, I think you're right that this is not on Fuji's radar. To clarify again: I want the camera to focus on the half press then lock if kept on the half press ready for subsequent shots until the finger is taken off the trigger when the camera can then refocus on the next half press. No refocussing between shots when half pressed. DSLR guys shoot like this all the time, whenever the trigger is pressed the shutter opens, no delay. </p>

Did you try pressing half way to focus, then holding AFL with your thumb for as long as you want it to hold focus?

<p>Andy, yes, but why press two buttons when it can be done quicker, easier and more elegantly with one? I'm not looking for a work around, this can only be done in firmware. Two things surprise me 1.How difficult this is for some to grasp. 2. How few seem bothered by it especially as it affects all X cameras such as the X100s and X Pro 1.</p>

<p>Hi again Miles, I think only now I fully understood your issue.<br>

I don't know if X100s and the other X cameras work the same way but my X100 needs pressure to be alleviated after each shot or it will be stuck and will not receive any pressure as a shooting instruction while in a DSLR (as my D700) when you half-press the button for it to lock and fully press to shoot, but this same position allows the camera to receive further pressures and will shoot.</p>

<p>So these are here two different philosophies of hardware functions and I'm not sure if the distinct behaviors are only due to firmware instructions or also a physical matter.</p>

<p>If that's the case, each time you soften the pressure the camera will refocus because understands coming back to half-pressure position as an order to do so, no matter if you're are able to control the movement (a very difficult and sensitive ability) in a way that doesn't interrupt the electrical conditions of the half-press position.</p>

<p>But you also ask "<em>why to press buttons </em><em>when it can be done quicker, easier and more elegantly with one</em>"?<br>

Well (and not having used your camera model) I would say that the speed advantage vanishes as soon as you get used and it becomes "automatic" as you will move the two fingers without even thinking about it, and would solve your problem being more than a work around because would allow you more flexibility as focusing at one point and measuring the light at another in the scene, quite useful when you use spot metering and one point focus outside the center and/or the point you want to measure the light at or to focus and reframe before shooting.</p>

<p>But this is a personal opinion and doesn't mean you will not continue to prefer a firmware update to meet your wishes.<br>

All the best and Merry Christmas<br>

António</p>

Miles, I don't think it's surprising. Some people just don't agree with you that this is a big deal because they don't use the

shutter button that way. If you don't want workarounds, what's your question?