adjust manual focus on cx-155

[mrbiceps 0]

can anyone help me on how to adjust the manual focus on the cx-155? when u go into settings and choose manual there are 2 arrows with a face on the left and mountains on the right if i press either of these it comes up with 0.1m but that is all? WHat am i doing wrong and what range should i be setting it at? thanks people.

[danielcroft 2]

I have a Royal .3 and have it set always on .1 manual (well, I do it every day but you get what I mean). I found the CX-150 (155 outside the US) to be a little different in that I needed to let it focus before I went manual, otherwise everything was fine. I did end up with one blurry video though... : (

[DSE 5]

why not use spot focus? Then you're avoiding the issue of the variables lenses introduce.

[Jadera 0]

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3858955;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

[danielcroft 2]

clicky: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3858955

[DSE 5]

That's a good link, but I'm not understanding how trying to visually focus on a small screen is easier (or superior) to using the Spot Focus setting, which is also a manual setting. Point the camera at a high contrast object that is 6-8' away, and touch the screen where the object appears. Ideally, this is center screen. Done.
Check your focus against something close up, like a wrist altimeter, you'll find its spot-on.

[danielcroft 2]

Just because it has "spot" in the name doesn't make it better...

I just did a really poor (scientifically speaking) test comparing the spot focus on my CX150 to the standard method that I have been using and really didn't notice any difference. On the CX you can change the menus so that the focus menu is a lot easier to find too so the easier/harder issue is kind of moot on this camera although I do realize that digging into the menus for the focus setting on the CX100 is a little more annoying.

[DSE 5]

my point is this;
If you're manually focusing, you're hoping your eye can resolve the contrast points properly. On the very small and low resolution screen, it's not something I'd trust, but I'm not very trusting anyway.
Spot focus, on the other hand, will get the contrast point and adjust the focus perfectly, assuming you use it properly.

However, any method that works is a good one.

[danielcroft 2]

Fair enough, I think both are dependent on someone doing it right. I'm going to give the spot focus method a try and see if the results are any different.

[DSE 5]

Check your results on an external monitor when you test it. your eyes (or luck) just may be good enough to make it work.
If you're using an SD lens on the camera, it'll be soft anyway, so not nearly as critical.

[danielcroft 2]

Yeah, it's an SD lens, I've been thinking about getting an Opteka lens actually. I guess I'll try one focus method & then the other & watch the results on an HD TV & see what it looks like.