IDguy Loc: Idaho

Can use it with EVF on Zs.

a6k Loc: Detroit & Sanibel

I agree. Please allow me to say a bit more.

Mine are Sony's (𝜶6500 and RX10m4) and they work pretty much the same. It's very useful for DOF especially since we no longer have the old way of stopping down the lens with a button on it. The old way of checking DOF made the image dim. This way leaves it bright. So that's better.

I am disappointed, though with the lack of precision. The ground glass screen (optional) on my Nikon FM2 film camera was extremely precise. The peaking, even at the lowest level, needs to be carefully observed for intensity because it's just not that exact. If I have time I can hunt back and forth to get the maximum peaking response but it's still not exact IMO.

However, it sometimes also works with Focus Magnification (my options are about 6x or 11x). The peaking is easy to leave on with the Sony and also easy to turn off with the "Fn" button's quick menu. Using it with magnification is very accurate. In lower contrast situations, the peaking doesn't work with the magnification - or at least not reliably.

One advantage of peaking comes up when I can't see the VF clearly and I almost never use the big screen. There are several reasons this can happen including sun in my eyes, old age, etc. When I'm shooting birds in good light, my setting is usually F8 so the peaking is very fast and easy to see, lets me know the AF is working well when the little green square is hard to find. Then I just concentrate on composition, let the camera do some of the work.

It's not what I wanted but it's often what I need (paraphrasing Mick Jagger).

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

It’s very useful when you need to get to infinity focus with an old manual focus lens on a modern camera because the hard stop at infinity is not reliable.

It works fine for closer distances so long as there is something on which to focus because you don’t need to move the focus point around.

Hip Coyote

I have several Oly pro lenses which have a clutch / collar that switches the camera and lens to MF. I use focus peaking as a back up in instances where i want to shoot through something that may disrupt my auto focus. Think fencing at a ball game. So yes it is helpful.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

Agree with the above post. I use Vintage Leica 1940/50's and 1960's Takumar lenses on my Sony 5000 E mount camera, which has no viewfinder. I find Peak Focussing very useful. It gives the 'Oldies' a new lease of life. I also count myself, in with the 'oldies'. I am a 1930's vintage.

tcthome Loc: NJ

In fact, most of the whistles and bells for which I paid are hardly used and I could easily do without them.
--Bob[/quote]

Most of the time spot focus, spot or Matrix metering & always in M mode. Don't have the feature on my older DSLR.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

It's a great help with focus stacking - both macro and landscape.

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

Focus peaking is only approximate, and pretty well useless with large aperture lenses. For instance in portrait photography if the focus is on the nose rather then the eye, you've lost the shot. With modern high megapixel cameras, I strongly recommend using focus magnification, especially with vintage lenses where maximum resolution and maximum contrast are often not at the same focus point.

bikerguy

I use it on my Olympus EM1M2. It is set up that I am on AF and as soon as I tough the focusing ring manual focus and focus peeking kicks in. Recently, I was in the Grand Tetons and it was snowing, focus peaking allowed me to get the eye sharp on moose and big horn sheep. The AF frequently focused on the snow flakes in front of the eye. So, yes it is very important to me.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

It would be interesting to compare focus peaking to Nikon’s new eye focus for those applications. Wonder how peaking and eye focus would work together. I expect twisting the focus ring overrides eye focus.

I presume you need to use AF-C and hold the AF button for peaking to work. I wonder if you need to set up for AF (back button) focus only. Again maybe not as turning the lens focus ring overrides autofocus.

Steve Perry’s book on the Nikon mirrorless autofocus system discusses each independently but I didn’t see anything on using both.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

Can you use magnification and peaking together?

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

My thoughts too. I’ve had no experience with it but I’ve always viewed it as just another gimmick, useful to some but not a necessity to create a quality photograph. I like a lot of my digital gimmicks but some of my favorite photos are still those I created in the 70’s with my Mamiya 1000 SLR. I was forced to be methodical and work at making the photo, especially exposure, instead of point and shoot. The closer the subject the more I had to work at it.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I've never used that feature, for whatever reason. Maybe I'll take a look. Maybe.

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

I use focus peaking when in manual focus mode and find it helpful. It shows which area/s are in focus.

leftj Loc: Texas

Yes. When using vintage manual focus lenses is where focus peaking really shines.