Trouble With Focus

[Jack Foster]

Hi
I've just gotten the HD100. Its a beautiful camera. But I have alot of trouble getting a wide angle shot that is in perfect focus across the frame.
I get beautiful sharp close ups, nice medium shots, but wide shots are only crisp in spots. I've redone back focus a number of times. I made an extra large Siemens star so as to nail the back focus, I even used focus assist to get the back focus. But the wide shots I get are not anywhere as sharp or crisp as the ones I've downloaded from this site and played on the same high def LCD monitor.
I'm looking at footage I've shot on the camera, componet out to componet in on the monitor.
This is the second camera I've gotten, the first HD100 had a firewire shoe problem, not being recognized in HDV by windows, and also focus.
The new HD100 has no firewire problem, and focus is better, but not as good as I seen.
If anyone has any suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong I'd appresiate any suggestions.
Needless to say it was this form and all the valuable advice availabe here that gave me the confidence to buy the camera.
Thanks
Jack

[Erik Walth]

Hi Jack

Had the same problem with my cam. Went to my supplyer and tried with the lens from his demo unit, SAME PROBLEM. As I was in the mittle of a shoot I was not able to send the cam to repair. Searching through my " Bible "( this fantastic site) I found that the distance from lens to chips are of the outmost importance , I therefore dismounted the lens several times and cleaned the lens mount and the mount on the cam very carefully. Though both mounts looked very clean to me there must have been something the size of almost nothing stuck somehere, because after 2 or 3 cleanings the problem was gone. Zoom to max, turn on the Focus Assist, if you have blue stripes on endefinite your problem shouldt be gone.
Try this, it might help you.

regards Erik

[Jack Foster]

Thanks Eric;
I'll give it a try, hopefully it'll solve the problem.
Jack

[Alan Larsen]

i had this problem to. I noticed some different things and was able to fix the problem. When you first put the camera together and open the literature to the lens....it tells you how to focus the lens when you first mount it. All you need to do it take that small black knob at the base of the lens, loosen it, and move the knob up or down to get it to focus correctly, when you get it to focus, tighten the knob back up. This solved all the problems for me. I hope this made sense cause i think it sounded sparatic but it is the best way i can think of to explain it. good luck

[Steven Thomas]

Originally Posted by Alan Larsen

All you need to do it take that small black knob at the base of the lens, loosen it, and move the knob up or down to get it to focus correctly, when you get it to focus, tighten the knob back up.

Alan, that knob is for back focus and needs to be set correctly.
This is outlined in the HD100 owners manual.

Jack mentioned he used the Siemens star and made the back focus adjustment.
This should of worked. If not, I can't help think that the lens is not seated correctly as mentioned earlier. Also, i'm sure Jack checked, but also make sure you have not accidently bumped the macro setting ring.
This will cause serious problems with back focus.