On the Fujifilm X-Pro1, is full-pressing the shutter better than half-pressing to focus?
Asked 4/26/2012
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Some X-Pro1 users claim that with its contrast-detect autofocus, you should avoid the usual half-press-to-focus method and just press the shutter straight through. The manual, however, says that in AF-S, focus locks when the shutter is pressed halfway, and in practice half-press seems to work normally for stationary subjects. Is there any real basis for the idea that full-pressing gives better autofocus performance on the X-Pro1, especially compared with AF-S or AF-C for moving subjects?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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No, it is not. There is nothing magical about not waiting at the halfway point.
What you read is silly, as if waiting would make the focus take longer or something. It does not work that way. You can press all the way as fast as you want and you'll get a shot in focus or not. The longer you wait at the half-press (in AF-S) mode or before fully pressing (in AF-C mode), the higher the probability the shot will be focused. Waiting too long might make you miss action but it won't make the camera miss focus.
Note, having an X-Pro1 one in hand and, for all I tried, I cannot see how not waiting at the half-press can improve focus.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
No. There’s no evidence that skipping the half-press improves autofocus on the X-Pro1.
Half-pressing in AF-S is the normal behavior: the camera focuses, then locks focus/exposure while you keep the button half-pressed. Pressing straight through does not make the camera focus faster or better; it just gives the camera less time to achieve focus before taking the shot. In general, the longer you allow AF to settle, the better the chance of accurate focus.
Where people may get confused is with moving subjects. The X-Pro1’s contrast-detect AF is not especially strong for motion, so full-pressing is not a fix. For moving subjects, AF-C is the more appropriate mode, and using multi-area AF may help depending on the situation.
So for stationary subjects, use half-press in AF-S as usual. For moving subjects, switch to AF-C rather than relying on a full press of the shutter.
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