Lumix G9ll AF system

The new hybrid AF system in the Lumix G9ll offers users a mix of phase detection and DFD focusing methods for greater flexibility and accuracy

All the recent noise about the new autofocusing system in the Lumix G9ll has been about the phase detection AF pixels that have been added to the sensor, but there’s a whole lot more than just PDAF that makes this new hybrid system exciting. The concentration on the phase detection autofocus is for a good reason of course, as this addition brings a great deal of extra flexibility to the camera and allows it to shoot in a much wider range of conditions. However, we shouldn’t ignore the new AI subject detection features, the manual and automatic AF area patterns and the extra controls that allow us to tailor the way the system behaves to suit the specifics of the situation in which we are shooting.
Some of the new aspects of the Lumix G9ll AF system are tried and tested features that have been passed down from the Lumix S5ll and S5llX, but some too are unique to this camera and are introduced here for the first time.

The AF mode selection menu of the Lumix G9ll is slightly different to that of the original model, with revised AF areas and more options when it comes to subject detection

When we are shooting stills in AF-S (single frame) mode the Lumix G9ll will use its contrast detection DFD system, as this is the better system to find a static subject and remain focused while the shutter release is pressed. When we are recording moving subjects, or when we are moving ourselves, we need AF-C (continuous focusing) to find and track our subject while the camera is recording a single frame, a series of frames or a video clip. In this case, when AF-C is activated, the focusing system switches to a mix of DFD and phase detection as the phase detection really helps to keep the focus on the subject constantly once it has been found.

In the left you can see 109 images from a 60fps High Drive burst taken in less than two seconds while tracking a gull in flight. The right hand frames show nine from the set, so you can see how well they are focused

The hybrid system brings performance improvements for static subjects in video, as well as for moving subjects in stills and video modes. Videographers will be delighted with the way the camera can lock onto a talking head, and just hold the focus as easily when the camera and subject are moving slightly as when they are completely static. You can see an example of this performance in this video shot with the Lumix S5ll which offers the same kind of hybrid system. Stills shooters will love the ability to track fast-moving subjects while the shutter clatters away at 60fps.

The small yellow box over the cormorant’s eye shows us that the camera has not only detected the bird itself, but has found its eye and focused on it

We are used to some degree of subject recognition in the Lumix G cameras, but in the Lumix G9ll this ability is extended in dramatic style. Not only will the camera recognise the body, head and eye of a human but the AI detection now extends to cars, motorbikes and the eyes of animals. We’ve had bird detection before too, but now the camera knows it needs to find the bird’s eye, which relieves the us of another task we can concentrate on other things – such as composition and actually following the creature.

Feeding the AI focusing system thousands of pictures of birds means the camera can detect a massive range of breeds and lock on to them very quickly. These ducks were flying at pace, but the camera found them and focused in no time at all

The recognition modes work by the camera’s sensor scanning the scene in front of the lens and looking for shapes its AI focusing system has been trained to be familiar with. We have to tell the camera to begin with what we want it to find, and then it does so quickly and accurately. The parameters of the detection modes seem to have been set to allow the camera to find things that are approximates for the subject as well as what the mode specifies – so motorbike mode will also find pedal bikes, and car mode will also find go carts and most things with four wheels that move quickly.

Even cars that don’t look much like cars will be detected by the camera’s AF system when ‘car’ detection is activated

We can set these detection modes in the main AF menu via a single button press on the back of the camera, so we can quickly activate a mode, or switch from one mode to another, when we need to. Pressing the main AF mode button takes us to the AF mode screen, from which we can select the AF area pattern that we want to work with. Here we can also use the ‘up’ button of the control wheel to switch the subject detection modes ‘on’ or ‘off’ – so in the Full Area mode we can activate Human: Eye/Face for example.

We can easily switch between subject detection modes in the main meu, and have the choice of humans, animals, cars and motorbikes. The camera will also detect things that look a bit like these subjects, so under Animal it will also find planes, as they are quite like birds

If it is cars that we are shooting instead of humans, we can press the DISP(lay) button to navigate to the Detecting Subject options, where we can choose between Human, Animal, Car and Motorcycle modes, and within the Human and Animal modes we can also determine whether we’d like the AF system to concentrate on bodies or eyes. Unfortunately the car mode doesn’t have eye detection – the engineers clearly haven’t seen the Herbie movies.

The subject detection modes can be activated for most of the AF area modes, and equally can be switched off when not needed. Here we have set the camera to use its tracking mode to follow a car

When these detection modes are in operation the camera shows a box on the screen around the subject it has detected. If there is more than one of that subject in the frame users can toggle between them using left/right movements with the joystick controller to indicate on which of them the system should concentrate.

Even though the gull is quite small in the frame the camera has detected it, locked on and is following it across the screen

With Human Eye detection we get a cross hair over the eye the camera has selected, which will usually be the closer eye. This display can be switched off if you find it distracting.
We can still use the AF-On button to ask the AF system to pull forward or backwards to shift to a closer or more distant subject, and the focus limiter allows us to specify an exact range of distances for the AF system to work within to prevent it even considering parts of the scene that are not where we want it to look.

The ‘scope’ is available in every AF mode, and allows us to quickly magnify the area under the AF point to ensure the focus has landed exactly where we want it. The example here shows the PIP magnify mode, but scope can be set to fill the whole screen with the magnified area

We’ve had a scope feature for a long time in most Lumix cameras, but it’s worth pointing out again, as it’s very useful. In the Lumix G9ll we have AF-Scope in every AF mode setting, allowing us to magnify a section of the frame so we can ensure the focus point is in exactly the right spot. When we press the upper function button on the front of the camera the scope mode is activated, and the magnified view appears on the screen or in the viewfinder. The degree of magnification can be varied from 3x to 6x in the default PIP (Picture in Picture) mode, but if you go in to the AF Settings menu you can switch the display mode so the magnified area fills the screen (Full) – then you can get up to 10x magnification.

You’ll find the options for the scope mode in the main menu, including the ability to switch between PIP and Full screen displays

When you haven’t selected a specific area of the screen for the AF the scope setting will magnify the central area of the scene, but touching the rear screen with a finger or by using the joy stick we can instruct the camera exactly what we want to see bigger.
We still have the scope setting in manual focus too, which can be activated by turning the lens focus ring, by pressing the Focus Mode button or by pressing the joystick.

The design of the ‘zone’ in Zone Focusing has changed in this model, though users can still alter the width of the zone and position it anywhere in the frame

The Zone Focus mode will be new to those coming from the original Lumix G9. It is actually very similar to the Central Area option the G9 has in it Custom AF configuration mode, but presented in a different way. It still represents an oval shape that can be moved around the screen, but using the rear wheel or the control dials we can alter its width until its covers a circular area. It aims to provide a shape that helps the camera concentrate on a specific area without being distracted by the background, foreground or other elements in the frame.

Custom AF settings allow us to tailor the way the system works according to the behaviour of the subject. For the Redshank on the left I needed highly sensitive settings that could shift quickly with the subject, but for the Egret on the right I needed slower settings that would follow the gliding bird without searching for alternatives

While in the original Lumix G9 we could customise the characteristics of the AF in stills mode the Lumix G9ll allows us some custom control of the way the system works in video mode too.
We still have the same four custom sets in stills mode, that offer exactly the same settings, but this time with handy examples of what each will be useful for.

The custom AF settings in stills mode are the same as we have in the original G9, but with a handy explanation at the bottom of the dialogue box

The main change is in the AF Custom Setting (Video), a mode that allows us to determine how the AF transitions will look rather than how the AF should respond to the type of subject. In this mode we can ask the camera to bring subjects into focus more quickly or slowly, to produce a snappy or a softer look to transitions. We can also dial up or down the sensitivity of the AF response – so how long it will take the camera to respond to a new subject appearing.

The Lumix G9ll offers videographers the chance to customise their AF response where the original G9 does not. We can determine how quickly the AF will shift from one subject to the next, and how sensitive the system is to changes

While a swift reaction is valued in many forms of photography, in film making we often prefer a slower response that creates smoother focus transitions that don’t because a distraction for the viewer. A slow reveal is often much nicer than a subject that suddenly pings into focus. The AF Sensitivity setting determines how long a subject has to be under the AF point before the camera reacts, while the AF Speed setting determines how quickly the camera shifts the focus. Adjusting these settings can produce dramatically different results.

This slow moving swan needed the system set to low sensitivity and low speed to ensure the camera would hold the AF in place without shifting around looking for other subjects

Animal eye detection allows the camera to focus through obstacles and to ignore distractions so it can get straight to the area of interest. It works incredibly well

The inclusion of phase detection AF and the new options now on offer in the Lumix G9ll have transformed the focusing system of the flagship camera of the Lumix Micro Four Thirds G system. Additional custom modes and the artificial intelligence of the subject detection feature combine to create a much more sophisticated camera, and one that makes shooting moving subjects immeasurably easier. A consequence of this is that I’ve suddenly become interested in bird photography as, with the camera doing so much of the work for me, I’m actually able to shoot with a much higher degree of success. Those who say a new camera can’t improve your photography clearly haven’t tried the Lumix G9ll.

The AF system is very quick, so consequently the Lumix G9ll opens this kind of photography to those who thought they’d never be able to do it