Looking for faster AF....

[robertro]

I have a 4/3 Zuiko 40-150, and find that the AF is slow.

Does anyone know if the native m4/3 longer zooms focus any faster? If so, which lens focuses faster, the M.Zuiko 14-150 or M.Zuiko 40-150 or Panny 14-140 or 45-200?

Anyone want to take a shot at ranking them from fastest to slowest ?
14-150 MZuiko
14-140 Pan
40-150 MZuiko
45-200 Pan
40-150 Zuiko 4/3

Thanks!

 

[~tc~]

I haven't used any of the 4/3 lenses, but everything I have read says even the CDAF ones are slower than their m43 counterparts.

I have the 20/1.7, PL 45/2.8, and 45-200 and they all focus quick on my GF1

 

[ajm80031]

I haven't used the Zuiko so can't give a comparison against it. I do have the Panasonic 14-140 m4/3 lens, and up until the recent firmware upgrade for it I would have rated it as being somewhat slow to focus as well. However, with the firmware upgrade that became available in October, the focus speed has improved dramatically. Before the lens was a bit slow to lock and hunted a bit; now it seems to achieve focus much faster with little or no hunting.

 

[Boyzo]

The 14-140 on a Panasonic body is VERY fast and the 45-200 a bit slower
My feeling is on an Oly body the Pany lenses are not up to the same speed but still very close.
The 43 Oly lens will not be as fast however the m43 Oly lenses may well match the two above lenses or come close.
You will need to google a bit for some possible reviews and or comparos
I prefer Pany lenses because of the OIS even tho I have both Pany and Oly bodies.
I terms of focus reliability lock and or erroneous hunting hard to say but certainly the 14-140 is hard to beat all round also Pany bodies can have a very small focus area whereas with the Pen bodies need a workaround to achieve a small focus area that's not ideal.

 

[MU43-guy]

Often, for these sorts of things it's best to search on YouTube for videos of focusing in action. I've done it for several lenses on m4/3 bodies to see how fast they can focus. Lots of users post up short clips of the camera achieving a focus lock with different lenses.

 

[dirty.frank]

I'm interested with this thread.

Which is faster in the same body? m.zuiko 40-150 or Lumix 45-200?

I had the mmf-2 + 4/3 40-150 and I sold it because of the AF speed.. too slow... I want to improve, and I don't know which one to buy...

 

[Kosta]

the m.zuiko is super quick on the e-pl1. i've only taken a few shots with it, but man it is fast.

 

[andyw]

Have you updated your camera and lens firmware?

 

[robertro]

Not too many direct responses to my question, so I'll take a guess based on the replies and what I've read elsewhere. I added a few lenses for comparison. I've marked lenses that I've tried with an asterisk (*). Feel free to comment or add your experience...

...FASTEST TO AF...
14-140 Pan *
45-200 Pan
14-42 M.Zuiko Mk2
40-150 MZuiko
14-150 MZuiko
17/2.8 *
20/1.7 *
14-42 M/Zuiko Mk1 *
40-150 Zuiko 4/3 Mk2 *
14-42 Zuiko Mk1 *
50-200 Zuiko SWD *
50/2 Macro Zuiko *
30/1.4 Sigma *
50-200 Zuiko ED *
...SLOWEST TO AF...

 

[~tc~]

I tried out both a Oly m.Zuiko 9-18 and Panny G7-14.

I thought the 9-18 was pretty fast until I tried the 7-14 which SMOKED it. You know how even on the fast lenses you can kind of see it go past focus, and then back a little and locks in? The 7-14 was so fast, it looked like PDAF - direct to in focus and done.

Amazing.

 

[Grant]

The 7-14 was so fast …

Heck the DOF in this lens is so broad why use auto focus. At 7 mm set Aperture to F/8 manual focus to 15" and everything from 8" to infinity will be in focus.

 

[~tc~]

... and since it only goes down to f/4 ....

good point

 

[Armanius]

Here's my experience based on the GH2 and EP2 body:

FASTEST ...

Pany 14-140 and Oly 14-150 are pretty even
Pany 7-14, Oly 9-18, Pany 14-42 are pretty even
Pany 20/1.7
mZuiko 14-42(mk I)
Zuiko 14-42 (was surprised that the AF was actually somewhat bearable)
Zuiko 12-60 (from here and below ... painful)
Zuiko 40-150
Zuiko 70-300
Zuiko 14-54(I)
Zuiko 50/2

... SLOWEST

Zuiko 25 pancake is fast, but the focus is off 50% of the time

Read somewhere that the 4/3 lenses Pany 25/1.4 and the Pany 14-50/3.8-5.6 are both pretty fast on the GH2.