We're sorry, Canon A1 needs to close. Would you like to send a report to Microsoft?

But seriously, the focus speed preset might be an answer for the pulsing. I'm also wondering if servo vibrations while on the tripod have anything to do with it. I can't see any pulsing on handheld with OIS enabled.

Yes, indeed. I never changed the default AF response speed to see if the pulsing might disapperar. But I will test this. Thanks for your proposal, Jay.

I do, Tom. All my "pulsing" slow zoom shots were handheld with OIM on. But I will test slow zooming with OIM switched off.

Okay then. I have to look closer for that.

Cannot change manual focus while zooming!
 

Meanwhile I have done some slow zooms with AF switched off - no focus pulsing anymore. So far, so good. Then I turned my focus ring and ... nothing happend:

I cannot change my manual focus while zooming!

Please help! I must have overseen something, right?

Nope, you can't focus and zoom at the same time. One motor for both functions I believe, so you can do one or the other.

Darned! That's bad. And the manual does not say anything about this limitation.

I'm not so sure that the explanation of "one motor for both functions" is correct, but the fact remains that you can't zoom and focus at the same time on any DV or HDV camcorder that has an auto servo lens.

I didn't know that. Thanks, Philip and Chris.

I put my right hand inside the wrist strap to hold the cam, my left hand underneath for support with my thumb on the zoom ring. Then I use my third hand to operate the focus ring. Is this how you are doing it?

At last Tom, you admit to being a mutant. I had my suspicions all along.

My own technique is left hand under the lens, thumb and first finger on either side of the focus ring. Second finger on the right side of the zoom ring, up behind the XLR block. Third finger on the iris ring if needed.

Sure, Tom, normally I would have done so ...
No, seriosly: I was zooming with the upper lever (speed 3) and turning the manual focus ring at the same time trying to make a focus "jump".

Aha! Your hand is attached upside down!

Actually, I'm almost always on a tripod and like my index finger close to the AF button so I do it the other way round.

Just KNEW you wanted and needed that info.

Lol...

I'm going to try that, but 3 or 4 fingers operating the rings is guitar-like dexterity I don't have, plus you have to get accurate focus feedback from the eye and maintain the framing. Would you really juggle those 3 rings together at once?

Does AF response speed influence focus pulsing?
 

Meanwhile I did some tests to check whether AF response speed (low, middle, high) has any influence on the frequency of the focus pulsing:

My first impression is, that it has no influence.

Oh for a double armed tripod, with focus demand under one hand and zoom demand under the other.