Focusing

[Janice]

Am new to the a6600 and 70-350 G OSS lens. When I use manual focus, I site on the object. The view is super magnified /zoomed and then disappears super fast in the viewfinder Why? How can I get it to not to that or do I want to learn TO use that. When it happens, for example, when I am focusing on a bird, it will magnify so much I only see the body of the bird. No idea if the rest is in focus or not. I had the camera set on Center Point focus. Could that be a contributing factor? TIA

 

[scotty38]

Are you pressing the shutter button as I think that will cancel the zoom? At least it does on my A7.

 

[Janice]

Are you pressing the shutter button as I think that will cancel the zoom? At least it does on my A7.

Yes, I press the shutter 1/2 the way down. That's the only way I can get it TO focus. When I do and it zooms in tight, the image is blurry but it disappears so fast and goes back to normal view.

 

[garuda]

It's hard to give appropriate suggestions for somebody new to a camera for several reasons. First, I'm not familiar with a66 so I don't know default menu settings. Secondly, it's hard to know someone's knowledge level in order to reply at their level of understanding. We don't want to embarrass anyone.

If you're new to alpha cams, perhaps it best to check cam manual & watch YouTube vids for a6600. Meanwhile setup AF and use AUTO mode until familiar with menu, modes, settings, etc. for manual mode shooting. At least that's how I started out. And I apologize if you've already done all that. Good luck.

 

[rilo75]

Sounds like you need to disable the focus magnifier. That will zoom in super close when you adjust the focus ring. You can move a red box around the super zoomed-in area to get really precise. When you stop moving the focus ring, it goes back to normal after a few seconds. You can turn off the focus magnifier in the menu but not sure how it is on an a6600. If you like the focus magnifier then you can adjust the time it stays up on the screen. I find the focus magnifyer to be disruptive for certain shooting. Not good for taking a shot of a person. Great if you're taking a shot of a still object and want to focus on a very specific area.

 

[scotty38]

Yes, I press the shutter 1/2 the way down. That's the only way I can get it TO focus. When I do and it zooms in tight, the image is blurry but it disappears so fast and goes back to normal view.

Sorry but that confuses me, why would the shutter button initiate focus if you're focusing manually? As above, if you are focusing manually and not cancelling by touching the shutter button, you can adjust the length of time the zoomed images stays on the screen.

 

[rilo75]

This short video should help explain it better and why it does that. It’s to get even more precise focus when using manual for focusing.

Focus Peaking and Magnify Focus - Sony Alpha Tutorial

A tutorial to show Sony Alpha users how to get their most from their Sony Alpha cameras.I now offer personal technical support and assistance for Sony Alpha ...

youtu.be

 

[Janice]

This short video should help explain it better and why it does that. It’s to get even more precise focus when using manual for focusing.

Focus Peaking and Magnify Focus - Sony Alpha Tutorial

A tutorial to show Sony Alpha users how to get their most from their Sony Alpha cameras.I now offer personal technical support and assistance for Sony Alpha ...

youtu.be

This is a great video! Thank you so much for the lead!!!

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Sounds like you need to disable the focus magnifier. That will zoom in super close when you adjust the focus ring. You can move a red box around the super zoomed-in area to get really precise. When you stop moving the focus ring, it goes back to normal after a few seconds. You can turn off the focus magnifier in the menu but not sure how it is on an a6600. If you like the focus magnifier then you can adjust the time it stays up on the screen. I find the focus magnifyer to be disruptive for certain shooting. Not good for taking a shot of a person. Great if you're taking a shot of a still object and want to focus on a very specific area.

I think this is a good tip. The focus magnifier is great for subjects that are not moving or very slow moving, like taking pictures of the moon for example (tripod + focus magnification = clean moon shot, especially with that 70-350mm lens!), but for a bird in flight this would hinder use of manual focus.

 

[AHPZuazua]

Sounds like you have magnify focus assist to help you manual focus. You can turn it off