[mst]

Since the topic of AF tracking performance is raised in almost any recent mirrorless thread here, I think this post by Thom Hogan is an interesting read:



http://www.sansmirror.com/newsviews/gala...sting.html



A pity though he didn't take the latest Panasonics available with him, too.



-- Markus

[popo]

That was an interesting read and what he writes kinda sums up what I thought would be the case without having tried any of them myself.



The remaining concern I have for main sensor phase AF stems from the recent dpreview review, saying with a f/5.6 lens they found phase EV only worked with enough light "roughly equivalent to a dull overcast day". Below that, it switches back to contrast AF. So there a DSLR still has a significant advantage. Generally phase AF on a DSLR still works for me far beyond the point I've run out of light for a sensible hand held exposure.

[marco]

[quote name='mst' timestamp='1327229011' post='15124']

Since the topic of AF tracking performance is raised in almost any recent mirrorless thread here, I think this post by Thom Hogan is an interesting read:



http://www.sansmirror.com/newsviews/gala...sting.html



A pity though he didn't take the latest Panasonics available with him, too.

[/quote]



Who expected some different outcome? Thom Hogan is very Nikon based. :-) So, what we now have is that the Nikon 1 has the best AF in good light and the worst in in not so good light. So, if you makes Pictures of fast moving objects in good light get a Nikon 1. Indoor pictures are a different story. The question is how fast is the progress of contrast AF with object tracking. M43 is now makes good progress, Sony is lagging but also is getting better. It's funny that you need high ISO for indoors to counter motion blur, and NEX is best here. So there is no camera you could recommend for parents.(This is the group who is asking me most frequently for recommendations). Anyway most of mirrorless cameras are to expensive because for most of them 300-400 Euro with a lens is the limit.

[Guest]

[quote name='mst' timestamp='1327229011' post='15124']A pity though he didn't take the latest Panasonics available with him, too.[/quote]



I don´t know whether the GX1 AF is better than the G3. However, comments and measurements in the "preview" by imaging resource indicate that the GX1 may be very fast indeed.

[popo]

[quote name='Marco' timestamp='1327233214' post='15126']

Thom Hogan is very Nikon based. :-)[/quote]

I've been following his writing for some time now. Even though I'm not in the Nikon system, he puts forward good arguments even if I don't agree with his assumptions, and he does look beyond Nikon. No, I don't expect him to start using Canon, but he isn't turning a blind eye to mirrorless systems and have been positive on their potential, Nikon or not.

[popo]

[quote name='Sammy' timestamp='1327234583' post='15127']

I don´t know whether the GX1 AF is better than the G3. However, comments and measurements in the "preview" by imaging resource indicate that the GX1 may be very fast indeed.

[/quote]

The question here is not how fast is the AF for a single shot. We already reached and passed "fast enough" AF for still shots, at least in recent micro4/3 systems with suitable lenses. Making even faster single shot AF in itself doesn't really provide more benefit any more. What we are looking at is one of the features where I'd still reach for a DSLR every time - tracking AF capability.

[Guest]

[quote name='popo' timestamp='1327235110' post='15130']

The question here is not how fast is the AF for a single shot. We already reached and passed "fast enough" AF for still shots, at least in recent micro4/3 systems with suitable lenses. Making even faster single shot AF in itself doesn't really provide more benefit any more. What we are looking at is one of the features where I'd still reach for a DSLR every time - tracking AF capability.

[/quote]



No need to re-explain what this thread is about. Anyhow, it seems you missed the key point in Hogans article - he describes a mirrorless cam with an AF tracking performance "incredibly close to higher-end DSLR levels". The future is mirrorless.

[Brightcolours]

[quote name='Sammy' timestamp='1327243883' post='15133']

No need to re-explain what this thread is about. Anyhow, it seems you missed the key point in Hogans article - he describes a mirrorless cam with an AF tracking performance "incredibly close to higher-end DSLR levels". The future is mirrorless.

[/quote]

Your reply did seem to suggest you did not get the distinction between fast AF and AF tracking. Popo pointing that out was not so strange, in that light. The key point from Hogan's article is: Phase detect AF is needed for AF tracking.



The future for toy cameras is mirrorless.

[Sylvain]

Interesting to compare those two sentences :

-The future is mirrorless.

-The future for toy cameras is mirrorless.



Thom concludes that as of early 2012. A personal assessment written in the present tense. Hardly an indication of a future trend. I don't suppose you can deny that the industry is slowly but surely going the mirrorless way from the entry market to higher grade products and not only for marketing reasons. As processing power increases, mechanical complexity and tolerance is shifting towards electronic & software engineering which yields are much higher, replaceable, easy to differentiate, etc...



I sure have a bias towards mirrorless cameras but still, when I read both sentences, one seems obviously aimed at totally dismissing the other one regardless of, what seems to me, indisputable evidences of a solid trend.



Greetings,

S.

[marco]

The sensor read frequency and the processing power are improving so it is only a matter of time that contrast based AF is good enouth for AF tracking of fast moving objects. Anyway not everybody is shooting fast moving objects, and more important, the AF has no clue how are scene should be composed. I would really like improved peaking, for example with object detection and color grading to show the out of focus offset.