... too bad indeed, given the potential for photojournalism and similar work!
LOL. Exactly. That is why not photojournalism was ever done before the invention of AF. We just had landscape cameras like Leica Ms and Nikon Fs.
But without some kind, ANY kind of distance scale, whether mechanical or electronic, auto-focus becomes pretty much your only option for this kind of shot and, at that point, AF speed becomes an issue.
Chris, you can turn off all the audio signals.
Ray, I prefocus my RX1 very easily and quickly by a quick press of a button in MF. Simply use something in the scene to set the distance. It takes no longer than looking at the lens barrel and guessing a distance. No need for a distance scale. Zone focusing is no more difficult with an RX1 than any other MF camera. Just a different method.
BTW, there is a distance scale in the RX1, although not a really useful one.
Hey all,
Here's the RX1 test I shot.
I was really impressed how much better the RX1 was when compared to a D600 with the Zeiss ZF 35mm F2.
Yes, the confirmation beeps didn't bother us, but the noise of the AF motor working. We actually stopped shooting for 10 minutes, because I thought my wireless mic was getting interference. Turns out it was the AF noise from the RX1.
Believe me, I've used enough cameras that I've had to focus like that to know its not for me. Its possible, yeah, and if the distance is about five feet, that's easy enough - put the camera at my chin and focus on the ground. But as light gets lower and the zones change and the DOF is reduced, the distances get harder to estimate and the tolerances are a lot tighter and I just find it to be an enormous pain in the butt. I've done it - way more than I'd have chosen to, but as long as there are cameras around with decent distance scales and that can remember a manual focus setting when you turn the camera off and then back on, or that return to it when you switch from manual to auto-focus and then go back to manual, I'm always going to choose those cameras. I used your method with m43 cameras before the 12mm with the manual focus clutch came out, I tried it again with the RX100. Its doable if its your only option, but I hate the process and as long as there's a camera with a better option, I'm going to use that. I'd love to play around with an RX1 for non-street types of work just to get a taste of it, but ultimately I'm not gonna spend much time carrying a camera that I'm not comfortable using for street shoot also, so I wouldn't spend those kinds of bucks on something that required that much of a workaround. Looks like an awesome camera, but not for me... That's OK, there are a whole lot more cameras I'll never own than those I will own, so I'm ok with letting some get away.....
-Ray
Ray, we are talking about two different things. You are talking about your personal preference, and that is fine. I am talking in general terms that technology is not the limiting factor in any kind of photography.
Chances of me ever having this camera are between slim and none, but I do always enjoy watching the TCS video reviews. Nice work again, guys.