Sony A7R V A7r5 Focusing issues

[artsnimages]

I’m shooting the new Sony A7r5 and the newest Sigma 150-600 Sports with the native Sony e mount and the auto-focus has performed flawlessly for 90% of my subjects, flight static, etc., until I try to get focus on my small songbirds and warblers, especially in any type of nearby cover. I’ve tried various methods and settings and I normally use the “small spot” with the smaller birds. All I see is a “blob” of OOF birdy most of the time. It’s really getting quite frustrating, And I am missing far more captures than I get. I even had a scissor-tailed flycatcher sitting on barbed wire in the open and it wouldn’t focus on that either until I panned over to a fence post focused on that and then returned to the bird. It’s the same with the birds in the thick of things as I have to find a branch to focus on and then return to the bird, but most of the time the bird is already gone by the time I find it again. This camera has the new AI chip dedicated to certain subjects like human , bird, etc. and it’s set for bird…. “Duh”

I have read that this is an issue with many mirrorless cameras with “on-sensor” focusing. So how do you guys work around this? Meanwhile my vocabulary of profanity has expanded tenfold. This was NEVER an issue with my Canon DSLR’s whatsoever…

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Small spot is the issue, it's just too random, something I found on the RIV. It would seemingly make sense to use it, but single centre is by far the most accurate. I'd give that a go.

 

[artsnimages]

Small spot is the issue, it's just too random, something I found on the RIV. It would seemingly make sense to use it, but single centre is by far the most accurate. I'd give that a go.

I'll give that a try Kevin and Thanks

 

[iain clyne]

I tend to use single centre as well.

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

I basically use tracking wide for everything wildlife except insects and don't really have any dramas with it. Was shooting a heron through some shaded shrubbery who was standing out in the open light on Sunday and the AF struggled. But what I find when this happens is if I just quickly zoom back to 200mm and try to grab focus, it basically always does get the bird straight away, then I quickly go to 600mm or whatever and take the shot. Although with small wrens in shrubs where there isn't a tonne of light available, I've found the A7RV to be really good.

With insects I use the single centre as I find it's a touch quicker, especially when the AF motors in the macro lens already aren't the fastest things around, I'll take every millisecond I can. But in all honesty even tracking wide or zone with the insects does seem to be quite good.

 

[MeowZzz]

I have the joystick press set for swapping between 2 zones (A9ii); usually zone track and expandable track (too many zones made it confusingly slow for me), then if I can't get a lock, I'll flip across to AF-S, crank up the focus magnify and use the crosshair ---- and if that fails, then I go manual. (Or the critter has gone!)

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

I have the joystick press set for swapping between 2 zones (A9ii); usually zone track and expandable track (too many zones made it confusingly slow for me), then if I can't get a lock, I'll flip across to AF-S, crank up the focus magnify and use the crosshair ---- and if that fails, then I go manual. (Or the critter has gone!)

I use that too, but didn't realise you can program to cycle between only what you want there. Will take a look at it later. ️

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

I have the joystick press set for swapping between 2 zones (A9ii); usually zone track and expandable track (too many zones made it confusingly slow for me), then if I can't get a lock, I'll flip across to AF-S, crank up the focus magnify and use the crosshair ---- and if that fails, then I go manual. (Or the critter has gone!)

I simplified the Focus Area Limit. Fantastic stuff! Thank you.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

I simplified the Focus Area Limit. Fantastic stuff! Thank you.

I should have mentioned I do this too. I only have single centre, zone with tracking and single centre with tracking available, and I have assigned the delete button to cycle between them for quick access.

 

[MeowZzz]

I should have mentioned I do this too. I only have single centre, zone with tracking and single centre with tracking available, and I have assigned the delete button to cycle between them for quick access.

haha, I use my trashcan for switching electric to mechanical shutter

I simplified the Focus Area Limit. Fantastic stuff! Thank you.

No wuckers -- and I stuck the centre of the wheel to center the thingy (cursor?) if it gets lost on the screen.

One thing I wish the 9 did that the 7 does is to allow ISO to be put on the top right dial.