Focus peaking not working on manual lens

[DrKhanage]

Right guys I'm tearing my hair out cause I can't find anything online, I've had a xt50 for around 2ish months I've selected AF/MF assist, I've got the MF Assist set to red (high) but no matter what I do the peak lines don't show up. 

 

I did manage to get it for a split second and then as soon as I changed lenses it completely disappeared! 

 

What am I doing wrong or not doing. By the way I've never used fujifilm cameras prior to this I had a good few canons so I kinda know my way around a dslr so I'm not a complete dummy :) 

[jerryy]

Just to check, you have the M C S switch on the body front set to M.

You say you are using a manual lens, so there is no need to check whether or not the AF/MF switch is stuck in AF.

Touch screen mode is turned off? — If this is turned on, even in MF mode, touching the rear lcd screen will take you back into AF mode: https://fujifilm-dsc.com/en-int/manual/x-t50/menu_shooting/af_mf_setting/

In manual mode, pushing the rear command dial should “zoom in”, with differing zoom levels as you rotate the rear command dial, yes?

As you rotate the focus ring, the subject should come in and out of focus, yes?

I am not certain about the X-T50, but on other bodies, the peak lines are not lines, but are more like dancing dots, as you come into focus, more dots show up on the region that is in focus and then disappear or move to a new region as you move out of focus. If the scene is not very contrasty, you may not get many dancing dots, or they will be hard to see.

Have you tried other colors?

p.s. Welcome to the forum.

Edited August 23, 2024 by jerryy

[DrKhanage]

4 hours ago, jerryy said:

Just to check, you have the M C S switch on the body front set to M.

You say you are using a manual lens, so there is no need to check whether or not the AF/MF switch is stuck in AF.

Touch screen mode is turned off? — If this is turned on, even in MF mode, touching the rear lcd screen will take you back into AF mode: https://fujifilm-dsc.com/en-int/manual/x-t50/menu_shooting/af_mf_setting/

In manual mode, pushing the rear command dial should “zoom in”, with differing zoom levels as you rotate the rear command dial, yes?

As you rotate the focus ring, the subject should come in and out of focus, yes?

I am not certain about the X-T50, but on other bodies, the peak lines are not lines, but are more like dancing dots, as you come into focus, more dots show up on the region that is in focus and then disappear or move to a new region as you move out of focus. If the scene is not very contrasty, you may not get many dancing dots, or they will be hard to see.

Have you tried other colors?

p.s. Welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the welcome and the reply, yes the focus mode is set to M the zoom works turning the ring to focus in and out does focus in/out but I don't get the focus peak outlines to show me where I'm focusing on. During the day I was testing out a new F2.8 10mm 7artisan lense and due to it having such a massive field of view I couldn't see my focus properly and even though focus peaking was set up it's not showing up in the EVF/LCD Screen. 

[jerryy]

Your lens may be too wide for focus peaking to work well. While it is possible to test whether or not it works at all for that lens, if you are unable to use it in practical terms, the test result is essentially moot as far as being useful.

[The test is to try using it while shooting downward onto the top of a small table lamp’s shade lit by a not overly bright bulb. That should give you contrast and focus separation while cycling through the color options.]

Focus peaking with wide angle lenses seems to, unfortunately, depend on the particular lens, it works well with some, not with others. This is something various manufacturers struggle with as far as getting it to work on wide angle lenses. Here is one view: https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/news/focus-peaking-sucks-rangefinders-rule-and-progress-doesnt-always-move-forward# (a Leica body owner).

I wish there was a better answer for the wide angle lenses other than ‘try a different one to see if it works’.

Edited August 24, 2024 by jerryy

[skatercorpse]

Hi, I'm facing the same issue: I don't get the focus peaking to work with the x-t50 and a manual lens (samyang 8mm). No issue with other AF lenses used in manual mode.

The strange fact is that it works well on the x-t30!

In addition I could notice that on the x-t30 the red peakin dots are easly visible, a lot more than on the x-t50 on which is almost difficult to see them (trying in this very moment  indoor, dim light. Should test it also during the day).Don't know if they changed something...or if the resolution of the screen might also cause that...

So weird...

[jerryy]

Hmm, it is starting to seem like a pattern, what you and @DrKhanage are reporting.

On other sites, there are lots of folks saying they are having focus problems using recent firmware on newer bodies, I wonder if this is related.

p.s. Belatedly, welcome to the forum.

Edited August 31, 2024 by jerryy

[skatercorpse]

Kind of hope so, that would mean they might fix it...sooner or later 

[skatercorpse]

Found the fix/solution for me:

In order to work properly (on the X-T50) the option "Interlock MF assist & Focus ring" has to be OFF. 

I don't think it makes sense....but it is what it is 😅

[jerryy]

3 hours ago, skatercorpse said:

Found the fix/solution for me:

In order to work properly (on the X-T50) the option "Interlock MF assist & Focus ring" has to be OFF. 

I don't think it makes sense....but it is what it is 😅

I am glad to read you have found a way to get it to work.

But in reading your answer, I am wondering if there is a bug loose in your camera. According to the manual, turning this option ON will have whichever the chosen MF Assist option is kept off-screen until one turns the focus ring, at which time the Assist option will go on-screen for you to use. It is supposed to stay on-screen for a short while after you stop turning the focus ring and then go back into stealth mode.

Turning the option to OFF should bring back the older approach, that is MF Assist is always on-screen.

But from what you are saying, the assistance never shows up…

https://fujifilm-dsc.com/en-int/manual/x-t50/menu_shooting/af_mf_setting/#interlock_mf_assist-focus_ring

 

[skatercorpse]

On 9/5/2024 at 1:51 AM, jerryy said:

Turning the option to OFF should bring back the older approach, that is MF Assist is always on-screen.

But from what you are saying, the assistance never shows up…

https://fujifilm-dsc.com/en-int/manual/x-t50/menu_shooting/af_mf_setting/#interlock_mf_assist-focus_ring

 

Exaclty, I also read it and I got it how it should work. It doesn't make sense to me that it doesn't work with MF lenses. But I've just tested another MF lens (so three in total) and same behavior. 
Works correctly with AF lenses.

Would be great if someone else could test the option "Interlock MF assist & Focus ring" on the X-T50 with a manual lens in order to understand if it is correct it only works with AF lenses or if my camera has a bug

Edited September 6, 2024 by skatercorpse

[Ed99]

I know I already started this thread - but has anyone gotten focus peaking to work while tethered to the new Fuji app? 

 

[skatercorpse]

Hi folks,

I got an official reply about the "Interlock MF assist & Focus ring" option with MF lenses.

Don’t fret, what you’re experiencing is normal. The question that would showcase why it’s not working would be:

“How would the camera know when the focus ring is moved without a way of communicating that to the camera body if there are no contacts on the lens to pass that information?”

Essentially with FUJIFILM lenses (and basically almost all new lenses from every manufacturer), moving the focus ring changes focus electronically so the camera knows when the ring is moved through software/hardware, without that, like with vintage lenses with mechanical focus, there isn’t a way for the camera to electronically know when the ring is moved, so the function won’t work as intended to turn off/on MF assist when the focus ring is engaged.

[jerryy]

So …

The old ways work. Or, there is no school like the old school. 😋

p.s. Thanks for letting us know, even though this sounds more like a p.r. answer than an engineering answer. After all, focus peaking itself works just fine with those old lenses. The camera knows when the focus is changing in-order to display the in focus display part, it should be able to deduce the focus ring is being turned just as easily.

Edited September 13, 2024 by jerryy

[Tony Prince]

I had this same problem with my manual focus lens. I couldn't enable focus peaking. I thought it was a problem with the lens, and was about to give up on the lens. Then I switched the setting on my XT5 from back button focus, which I always use,  to focus with the shutter button. And lo and behold, the focus peaking worked! I have no idea why that should make a difference, but it did. So maybe that is the problem that others are facing. Anyway, it's worth a try!

[Tim Bray]

Just to confirm that in August 2025, I still can't get X-T5 focus peaking to work on my collection of manual lenses. *Sigh*. I wonder if there's any hope for a firmware fix?

Edited August 17 by Tim Bray