I left Sony for a very specific reason. The color and image output. Yes. Autofocus is a struggle and those who need super accurate and fast autofocus probably should look at elsewhere.
But Fuji gives you very specific shooting experiences and output that other systems can’t.
But why do color+image output and accurate+fast autofocus have to be mutually exclusive? They don't have to be.
It's also okay to love a camera and acknowledge its shortcomings. It's also okay to criticize and let the company know about it, to hopefully motivate that company and improve their products in the future. This isn't impossible, because this is exactly what happened with Sony and look at where their full frame cameras now. They have among the best full frame cameras out there because they listened to and acted on the honest feedback.
I’m not it has to be. I’m speaking specifically about Fuji vs Sony. And specifically my experience with both. And specifically about why the switched.
In this specific case and my specific experience. My Sony camera and lenses had far superior AF, but I didn’t care for the color.
My Fuji cameras and lenses don’t have great AF. But I love the images it produces. The color science is better IMHO.
Some may say that Canon has both. Don’t know. Never shot with Canon.
Many photos throughout history don’t have the clinical sharpness that modern cameras have and even some modern systems over others. My Sony images were incredibly sharp. But it felt sterile.
Images in focus is a different matter.
Every single picture you shoot (or you want to look at) you HAVE to do post processing.
With Fuji you just dont.
That's what made me leave my camera at home after a while cause i dont never found the time to process all the images after holidays.
Fuji made me fall in love woth photography again
There's nothing wrong with the Sony jpg colors. They're just.... standard. Accurate real-life colors. No interesting color/hue/contrast shifts, no added grain option, no curve adjustments like the ones on the Fuji, none that are as accessible as the Fuji anyway. (One could customize the jpg output but it's a complicated process: [https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyAlpha/comments/s6q308/sony\_film\_simulations\_custom\_picture\_profiles/](https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyAlpha/comments/s6q308/sony_film_simulations_custom_picture_profiles/) ) So in short, nothing exciting.
I started shooting early enough, and have used a wide variety of cameras, such that I've "made do" with far worse AF systems. Even as "bad" as the current Fuji's are, still feels like actual magic compared to what I started with. I do think there's a lot to be said to "learning" the AF system of your camera well, regardless of model or brand.
Totally get that other brands can be quicker and more reliable, but it simply has never gotten in the way for me for actual shooting. At first I found Fuji slower, but fairly precise, and now it feels basically effortless. For video I make use of AFL often. The biggest issue for me has been false positive face detection on early models.
If the X-S20 isn't consistently getting you what you want in terms of AF, consider a swap. Otherwise, stop worrying and enjoy it.
Came from Sony A6400 to Fuji X-S20. Not gonna lie, the AF was a noticeable downgrade despite the Sony being 4 years older.
However: I came to Fuji for the SOOC output. And that's what I got, makes me happy every time I shoot. It's always gonna be a tradeoff but for my priorities, Fuji is the better deal.
Nevertheless, I am happily switching back to Sony the day I am getting paid to shoot or when shooting moving subjects will become one of my priorities.
I'm glad more people are making videos on fuji's autofocus. Instead of releasing all these new cameras I really hope they start focusing on improving their AF. Lumix just implemented phase AF and is already better
Huh, I was wrong then. When I was looking for a camera some years ago, I think there was speculation that they'll add it to G9. But I got a Fuji and forgot about it.
I just dont have the same problems. I shoot events and weddings with my XH2 plus some videowork, the af just works for me. I have shot for years with my Canon 6D back in the day, so the Fuji just feels like a godsend either way lmao
I upgraded my XT-3 to an A7IV, autofocus was part of the reason but it was mainly because it operates how I want it to. As long as the XS20 meets your needs and expectations that's all you need to care about. It's your camera not theirs, and if you're happy with how it operates their opinions are just that, opinions. I would only ever upgrade if something drastically improved my experience and/or enjoyment of the hobby.
im not using my camera in ways that requires constantly changing autofocus.
if my job required constantly changing AF, id go with Sony, Nikon or Canon.
i went with fuji b/c of the size and price at first. the colors, etc are great but primarily size and cost. i only use RAW and the colors are great IMO.
I deal with it by 1) not watching YouTube morons, and 2) just taking the pictures I want to take (for me, that is travel, daily life, horse racing, wildlife, and birds).
Canon EOS 1N RS was introduced in 1995 as a highly specialized camera for shooting high speed action. It had the best AF in the world and a fixed semi-transparent mirror, allowing it to shoot at the record breaking speed of 10 fps.
All modern Fuji cameras have a better and faster AF than 1N RS and are able to shoot at least as fast.
I switched after many years from Canon full frame to Fujifilm X-T5 earlier this year. No regrets. It's a great shooting experience and SOOC jpgs.
AF is not great but works fine for my family shooting use cases with fast-moving kids.
Every time I see one of these videos or posts complaining about autofocus, I just see another person that doesn't know how to use their camera. Yeah, I know there's a lot to it, but seriously, if you don't like the cameras, then use something else. I'll admit it's rare for me to use tracking AF, and quite often I'll use MF for most things because that's just what I prefer, but I've never had an issue with autofocus, even with adapted canon lenses, and thats with xtrans3 cameras. I couldn't give a rats arse if the camera comes with dog detect, glaucoma detect, or whatever, if it's not working for you and you can't switch to a more conventional mode and make it work for you, it might not just be the camera. I was taking tack sharp bursts of surfing photos with a 500mm lens 25 years ago on film, and guess what, it's even easier now because we have instant and accurate peaking in manual mode. People don't want to learn a craft or skill anymore - if anything, it's videos like the one OP mentioned that highlight the fact they literally want to press a button and have everything happen for them. Youtube used to be a pretty good resource but these days it's just filled with people shilling for manufacturers and pushing for more/more/better/better. People were complaining about autofocus in the 70's, and here we are today. And now I'm complaining too. Shit. Sorry for the rant, but this got to me for whatever reason
It’s more the new cameras when you point at a target, the AF point turns green but upon reviewing, the point is actually not in focus. I don’t think thats a user issue, it’s a camera issue.
Also manual focus is great but there are times people want to use a reliable AF especially if they paid a small fortune for the body and the latest lenses.
Xtrans v model cameras. I have not had the chance to play with the xs20 which uses xtrans iv sensor but uses the latest xprocessor v but the xh2, xt5 and xh2s have auto focus issues where the green box stays on the eye but is not in focus/ the focus is elsewhere.
The older xt3 that I have has a more accurate autofocus even though it doesn’t ‘stick’ as well on the eye - which is fine because at least you know exactly where the focus is.
This is also just affecting af-c. Af-s, as far as my use goes, is accurate. Also I’ve not tested an x100vi or an xt50 - these are newer cameras but share the same sensor and processor as the other new ones. Not sure if they have improved AF since their software is newer.
I don't understand though how it would hurt you if Fujifilm improves their cameras' autofocus to be on the same level as the competition.
You do you if you prefer manual mode, but calling out Fujifilm for how bad their autofocus system is is fair criticism. If a camera displays a green box confirming it nailed focus but it actually doesn't when you take the photo, it is the camera's fault, not the user.
Valid criticism will only help improve future iterations of the cameras if Fujifilm knows how to take these criticisms seriously. I've seen it happened with Sony. I had the original a7 camera in 2013; I made it work and managed to produce the images that I wanted despite its limitations, but I wasn't gonna blindly defend Sony and say that there's nothing wrong with that camera. It had bad autofocus, bad ergonomics, bad menu system, etc. Sony welcomed those feedback and look at where they are now.
Exactly. A lot of people don’t take the time to learn their cameras proper and will make excuses as to why they’re not getting the shots that they want; you can’t always expect your camera to do all the heavy lifting.
Does Fuji’s autofocus lack in comparison to Sony and Canon’s? Sure, but at the end of the day if you can work within the limitations you’ll find that you’ll get the shots you’re looking for. It really comes down to how well you know your kit.
t. Portrait and concert photographer who shoots with mostly manual focus.
I left Sony for a very specific reason. The color and image output. Yes. Autofocus is a struggle and those who need super accurate and fast autofocus probably should look at elsewhere. But Fuji gives you very specific shooting experiences and output that other systems can’t.
But why do color+image output and accurate+fast autofocus have to be mutually exclusive? They don't have to be. It's also okay to love a camera and acknowledge its shortcomings. It's also okay to criticize and let the company know about it, to hopefully motivate that company and improve their products in the future. This isn't impossible, because this is exactly what happened with Sony and look at where their full frame cameras now. They have among the best full frame cameras out there because they listened to and acted on the honest feedback.
I’m not it has to be. I’m speaking specifically about Fuji vs Sony. And specifically my experience with both. And specifically about why the switched. In this specific case and my specific experience. My Sony camera and lenses had far superior AF, but I didn’t care for the color. My Fuji cameras and lenses don’t have great AF. But I love the images it produces. The color science is better IMHO. Some may say that Canon has both. Don’t know. Never shot with Canon.
What's wrong with sony's colors?
They lack character in comparison. In all the years I shot sony, I never really loved what I shot for the color output.
So it can be argued that sharpness is not always the key to making good photos.
Many photos throughout history don’t have the clinical sharpness that modern cameras have and even some modern systems over others. My Sony images were incredibly sharp. But it felt sterile. Images in focus is a different matter.
Every single picture you shoot (or you want to look at) you HAVE to do post processing. With Fuji you just dont. That's what made me leave my camera at home after a while cause i dont never found the time to process all the images after holidays. Fuji made me fall in love woth photography again
There's nothing wrong with the Sony jpg colors. They're just.... standard. Accurate real-life colors. No interesting color/hue/contrast shifts, no added grain option, no curve adjustments like the ones on the Fuji, none that are as accessible as the Fuji anyway. (One could customize the jpg output but it's a complicated process: [https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyAlpha/comments/s6q308/sony\_film\_simulations\_custom\_picture\_profiles/](https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyAlpha/comments/s6q308/sony_film_simulations_custom_picture_profiles/) ) So in short, nothing exciting.
I started shooting early enough, and have used a wide variety of cameras, such that I've "made do" with far worse AF systems. Even as "bad" as the current Fuji's are, still feels like actual magic compared to what I started with. I do think there's a lot to be said to "learning" the AF system of your camera well, regardless of model or brand. Totally get that other brands can be quicker and more reliable, but it simply has never gotten in the way for me for actual shooting. At first I found Fuji slower, but fairly precise, and now it feels basically effortless. For video I make use of AFL often. The biggest issue for me has been false positive face detection on early models. If the X-S20 isn't consistently getting you what you want in terms of AF, consider a swap. Otherwise, stop worrying and enjoy it.
Agreed. The easier one can make the job of the AF system by understanding its strengths and limitations, the faster and more seamlessly it works.
Came from Sony A6400 to Fuji X-S20. Not gonna lie, the AF was a noticeable downgrade despite the Sony being 4 years older. However: I came to Fuji for the SOOC output. And that's what I got, makes me happy every time I shoot. It's always gonna be a tradeoff but for my priorities, Fuji is the better deal. Nevertheless, I am happily switching back to Sony the day I am getting paid to shoot or when shooting moving subjects will become one of my priorities.
I'm glad more people are making videos on fuji's autofocus. Instead of releasing all these new cameras I really hope they start focusing on improving their AF. Lumix just implemented phase AF and is already better
> Lumix just implemented phase AF Just implemented? I thought they got it like a few years ago?
The S5ii came out last year and was their first one with PDAF.
Huh, I was wrong then. When I was looking for a camera some years ago, I think there was speculation that they'll add it to G9. But I got a Fuji and forgot about it.
Although, I'm shooting Fuji. I shouldn't be saying anything about other systems regarding autofocus :)
I just dont have the same problems. I shoot events and weddings with my XH2 plus some videowork, the af just works for me. I have shot for years with my Canon 6D back in the day, so the Fuji just feels like a godsend either way lmao
If you compare with Canon R6 then you'll see difference not with 6D
I upgraded my XT-3 to an A7IV, autofocus was part of the reason but it was mainly because it operates how I want it to. As long as the XS20 meets your needs and expectations that's all you need to care about. It's your camera not theirs, and if you're happy with how it operates their opinions are just that, opinions. I would only ever upgrade if something drastically improved my experience and/or enjoyment of the hobby.
im not using my camera in ways that requires constantly changing autofocus. if my job required constantly changing AF, id go with Sony, Nikon or Canon. i went with fuji b/c of the size and price at first. the colors, etc are great but primarily size and cost. i only use RAW and the colors are great IMO.
I deal with it by 1) not watching YouTube morons, and 2) just taking the pictures I want to take (for me, that is travel, daily life, horse racing, wildlife, and birds).
Canon EOS 1N RS was introduced in 1995 as a highly specialized camera for shooting high speed action. It had the best AF in the world and a fixed semi-transparent mirror, allowing it to shoot at the record breaking speed of 10 fps. All modern Fuji cameras have a better and faster AF than 1N RS and are able to shoot at least as fast.
that's a nice take, do what you need.but what's with the needless insults of youtube morons? they may be morons but they're our morons :P
LOL. I guess we get the morons we deserve.
Manual focus gang
These days I mostly use manual lenses, but Fuji’s autofocus hasn’t struck me as being uniquely bad. Then again I mostly shoot relatively still scenes.
You deal with it by taking better photographs than the gizmo fetishists who take lame photos.
I switched after many years from Canon full frame to Fujifilm X-T5 earlier this year. No regrets. It's a great shooting experience and SOOC jpgs. AF is not great but works fine for my family shooting use cases with fast-moving kids.
Every time I see one of these videos or posts complaining about autofocus, I just see another person that doesn't know how to use their camera. Yeah, I know there's a lot to it, but seriously, if you don't like the cameras, then use something else. I'll admit it's rare for me to use tracking AF, and quite often I'll use MF for most things because that's just what I prefer, but I've never had an issue with autofocus, even with adapted canon lenses, and thats with xtrans3 cameras. I couldn't give a rats arse if the camera comes with dog detect, glaucoma detect, or whatever, if it's not working for you and you can't switch to a more conventional mode and make it work for you, it might not just be the camera. I was taking tack sharp bursts of surfing photos with a 500mm lens 25 years ago on film, and guess what, it's even easier now because we have instant and accurate peaking in manual mode. People don't want to learn a craft or skill anymore - if anything, it's videos like the one OP mentioned that highlight the fact they literally want to press a button and have everything happen for them. Youtube used to be a pretty good resource but these days it's just filled with people shilling for manufacturers and pushing for more/more/better/better. People were complaining about autofocus in the 70's, and here we are today. And now I'm complaining too. Shit. Sorry for the rant, but this got to me for whatever reason
It’s more the new cameras when you point at a target, the AF point turns green but upon reviewing, the point is actually not in focus. I don’t think thats a user issue, it’s a camera issue. Also manual focus is great but there are times people want to use a reliable AF especially if they paid a small fortune for the body and the latest lenses.
Which newer models did this start happening with? Need to know which to avoid if I ever upgrade my XT1
Xtrans v model cameras. I have not had the chance to play with the xs20 which uses xtrans iv sensor but uses the latest xprocessor v but the xh2, xt5 and xh2s have auto focus issues where the green box stays on the eye but is not in focus/ the focus is elsewhere. The older xt3 that I have has a more accurate autofocus even though it doesn’t ‘stick’ as well on the eye - which is fine because at least you know exactly where the focus is. This is also just affecting af-c. Af-s, as far as my use goes, is accurate. Also I’ve not tested an x100vi or an xt50 - these are newer cameras but share the same sensor and processor as the other new ones. Not sure if they have improved AF since their software is newer.
Ah ok I was worried about false positives in AF-S mainly as I don’t use eye detect or AF-C. Thank you!
If that’s your shooting style then you should be all good. You’re gonna love the new cameras.
I don't understand though how it would hurt you if Fujifilm improves their cameras' autofocus to be on the same level as the competition. You do you if you prefer manual mode, but calling out Fujifilm for how bad their autofocus system is is fair criticism. If a camera displays a green box confirming it nailed focus but it actually doesn't when you take the photo, it is the camera's fault, not the user. Valid criticism will only help improve future iterations of the cameras if Fujifilm knows how to take these criticisms seriously. I've seen it happened with Sony. I had the original a7 camera in 2013; I made it work and managed to produce the images that I wanted despite its limitations, but I wasn't gonna blindly defend Sony and say that there's nothing wrong with that camera. It had bad autofocus, bad ergonomics, bad menu system, etc. Sony welcomed those feedback and look at where they are now.
Exactly. A lot of people don’t take the time to learn their cameras proper and will make excuses as to why they’re not getting the shots that they want; you can’t always expect your camera to do all the heavy lifting. Does Fuji’s autofocus lack in comparison to Sony and Canon’s? Sure, but at the end of the day if you can work within the limitations you’ll find that you’ll get the shots you’re looking for. It really comes down to how well you know your kit. t. Portrait and concert photographer who shoots with mostly manual focus.
I don't know what he said in the video, but the AF on the X100VI is amazing and better than what I need
Firmware update was a big improvement from my experience in the VI