Two Minute Test - If you Have Time Please

[easycass]

Hi there,

 

These forums are meant to be for us to compare notes, right?! I am doing a test on responsiveness and would love it if other people could do a quick test so we can compare results. For anyone with access to an A7Rii, please can you return the results of two tests. It should take less than one minute per test...

 

Common Settings

1. Mode: Shutter Priority
2. Shutter Speed: 1/1000th second (> than 1/60th is okay)
3. Aperture and ISO according to lighting conditions, but please try to have the same for both tests
4. EFCS (Electronic Front Curtain Shutter): ON
5. Drive Mode: SINGLE - This setting is IMPORTANT
6. Focus Mode: Center or Flexible Spot
7. AEL Lock Button Assignment: AF ON
8. Image Quality: Jpeg Standard
9. Priority Set in AF-S and AF-C: RELEASE
10. AF w/shutter: OFF

Test 1 Settings

 

AF Mode: AF-C

 

Test 2 Settings

 

AF Mode: AF-S

 

Test Procedure

For both tests, do the following: -

1. Select a target to focus on
2. Continuously Hold the AEL (AF ON) button
3. While holding the back button in step 2, completely press and release the shutter button as many times as possible for 5 seconds
4. Report how many times the shutter fires over the 5 seconds in Test 1 and how many in Test 2

Many thanks for all those respond with their test results.

 

Cheers,

Cass.

[seb]

Except of doing funny stuff with my little pricy camera, what is your goal?

(and please don't write "knowing how many times the shutter fires over 5 seconds")

[easycass]

Except of doing funny stuff with my little pricy camera, what is your goal?

(and please don't write "knowing how many times the shutter fires over 5 seconds")

The settings are nothing too exotic, essentially just setting up back-button focusing. The tests are to ascertain if there is a difference in shot to shot time when in AF-C versus AF-S. I have my results, which I found curious, but didn't want to mention them so as not to add some power of suggestion.

 

Your indulgence would be most appreciated...

[seb]

ok. Even if I'm just shooting multi all the time, to get the max fps when needed. I'll see what I can do for you.

Some questions:

Live view mode on or off? It's a thing that can change processing times in a performance test.

which lens? A macro 90/2.8 may work slower than a 55/1.8 and then there is this Rishi who says AF is faster with "bright" lenses. I have the 16-35, 55, 28-70 and 90 natives.

Light conditions? Some already mentioned that there is different habits on AF-S and AF-C on bad light...

Or does that not matter?

 

jpg standard... hahahaha. I'm still so upset of my first days with my A7 where I missed shooting raw files. and this is two years ago!

 

(oh, and you have to wait a little. still at work)

[easycass]

Hi Seb, much appreciated if you get a chance. Some clarification:-

 

Live view on

55mm lens

Good window lighting

Jpeg just to avoid buffer/writing

slowdowns (haha, hang in there)

 

See how you go, when you get a chance.. Thanks so much,

Cass.

[seb]

AF-S: 19 (I think I can do that much faster almost like multi shot, but I never was good in "winter games" )

AF-C: 12

 

as the focus is locked on distance in AF-S (adds Focus Lock to AF On) and in AF-C on object there is no big surprise for me. Maybe you can test AF-C with pressing AF On AND Focus Lock and see if it is faster then.

i did the same in multi shot and there is no difference (when staying on the release button).

I confess that if the AF-C is fast in multi shot but not in single shot, there has to be a different workflow.

 

what are your findings?

 

edit: all shots where in A-Mode with 1/1000s, f2 and auto iso (values switched between 320-400).

edit2: as I was put anything back to my settings I recognized that I missed this image quality to jpg standard thing. should I retest it?

edit3: focus lock suggestions.

[easycass]

Hi Seb,

 

Great, thank you. So, your result equate to mine, with AF-S at around 24 shots ( almost 5 frames per second - must be my Asteroids of the late 70's experience), and about 12 in AF-C (almost 2.5 frames per second), so similar to yours. I agree that it would seem that it is essentially faster in AF-S, because the AF-ON in this case effectively locks the focus over the entire sequence of shots, where as the AF-C is in fact trying to focus between shots. And yes, what I found curious was that in AF-C with the continuous drive mode enabled, one can get the 5 frames per second, yet not when shooting individual shots.

 

Who knows why, but at least it satisfies me that I was not using a 'dud', that there is at least you and I with the same findings. I am traditionally a Nikon shooter, and their lowliest of cameras can do 5 single presses per second with full AF continuous tracking. Not that I envisage doing that, but I like to know that if I was to take a shot, basically, how quickly am I able to take another 1 or 2 subsequent shots.

 

Not a huge problem, as I am sure I can find a way around it with the Sony, just a slight change in shooting style perhaps, but would love it if there was some setting that allowed the fast shot-to-shot rate in single drive mode as we can get with continuous; maybe a few more settings I can try playing with...

 

Anyway, thank you so much. Really appreciate your time.

 

Cheers,

Cass. 

[Guest all8]

Is my understanding correct, that in the AF-S scenario pressing and holding AF-On acquires focus only once for the entire 5 seconds, and the AF-C would acquire focus continuously? And perhaps also evaluate exposure for each shot too?

 

If the objective is to measure C-AF latency I would run this test in M ... and to measure shot speed then with MF active.

[easycass]

Is my understanding correct, that in the AF-S scenario pressing and holding AF-On acquires focus only once for the entire 5 seconds, and the AF-C would acquire focus continuously? And perhaps also evaluate exposure for each shot too?

 

If the objective is to measure C-AF latency I would run this test in M ... and to measure shot speed then with MF active.

 

Hi, yes, you are correct in all that you are saying. I guess my test was to, in a round about way, confirm that the Sony can fire in continuous drive mode in AF-C much faster than in single drive mode. Unfortunately, I borrowed the model for testing, and didn't have time to try it in MF. That would be an interesting test though, in theory, where one would think MF mode should equate to the AF-S test with focus lock. Perhaps someone could try and post the result...

[seb]

Who knows why, but at least it satisfies me that I was not using a 'dud', that there is at least you and I with the same findings. I am traditionally a Nikon shooter, and their lowliest of cameras can do 5 single presses per second with full AF continuous tracking. Not that I envisage doing that, but I like to know that if I was to take a shot, basically, how quickly am I able to take another 1 or 2 subsequent shots.

 

Not a huge problem, as I am sure I can find a way around it with the Sony, just a slight change in shooting style perhaps, but would love it if there was some setting that allowed the fast shot-to-shot rate in single drive mode as we can get with continuous; maybe a few more settings I can try playing with...

 

you don't need more than 2.5fps in single shot mode, because the screen is getting black shortly and you won't get a "oh yes, take another shot"-feeling. I would switch to multi shot and delete the one or two accidently made picture (that's my workflow, I never shoot in single shot mode).

glad i could help.

seb

[easycass]

glad i could help.

seb

Hi Seb,

 

It really was a help, thank you so much... Cass.