How to Continuous Focus Without Half Press Button Sony

Continuous auto focus without holding shutter Button Sony A7 II

Oct 17, 2018

Hello Everyone

I'm kind of a newbie when it comes to my A7 II and I have a upcoming shoot. So the following is my Problem When I'm in Manual mode and ive set my Focus Area to Wide and my Focus mode to AF-C I get all the small dancing Squares and the Focus is wonderfully fast. However, my camera only focuses when I hold the shutter button down. Is there a setting that allows me to just let my camera focus continuously without pressing the shutter on whatever the closest object is. Also i only have the small Squares in Single Shot mode as soon as i record i get the big slower Squares. Anybody got any tipps?

Thanks so much for your time!

- Mike

ANSWER:

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Re: Continuous auto focus without holding shutter Button Sony A7 II

3

HuskyArts wrote:

Hello Everyone

I'm kind of a newbie when it comes to my A7 II and I have a upcoming shoot. So the following is my Problem When I'm in Manual mode and ive set my Focus Area to Wide and my Focus mode to AF-C I get all the small dancing Squares and the Focus is wonderfully fast. However, my camera only focuses when I hold the shutter button down. Is there a setting that allows me to just let my camera focus continuously without pressing the shutter on whatever the closest object is.

Yes

1. MENU →

   

   (Custom Settings) → [

   

   Pre-AF] → desired setting.

Keep in mind this is going to drain your battery fast. I would not use this feature unless you have a pocket full of batteries.

Also i only have the small Squares in Single Shot mode as soon as i record i get the big slower Squares. Anybody got any tipps?

That is the nature of the AF system. As I understand it, with native glass AF-S uses PDAF (small dancing squares) and CDAF (big still squares) while I think AF-C only uses PDAF (small dancing squares). Oddly enough I found that adapted glass, which only uses PDAF (small squares), focused much faster than native glass on the A7II. But I think native glass focuses better in the dark.

Best bet.... get faster glass if you can.

Thanks so much for your time!

- Mike

Sony a7 III Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 Samyang AF 35mm F1.8 FE Samyang AF 45mm F1.8 FE

SQLGuy • Forum Pro • Posts: 12,161

Re: Continuous auto focus without holding shutter Button Sony A7 II

sportyaccordy wrote:

HuskyArts wrote:

Hello Everyone

I'm kind of a newbie when it comes to my A7 II and I have a upcoming shoot. So the following is my Problem When I'm in Manual mode and ive set my Focus Area to Wide and my Focus mode to AF-C I get all the small dancing Squares and the Focus is wonderfully fast. However, my camera only focuses when I hold the shutter button down. Is there a setting that allows me to just let my camera focus continuously without pressing the shutter on whatever the closest object is.

Yes

1. MENU →

   

   (Custom Settings) → [

   

   Pre-AF] → desired setting.

Keep in mind this is going to drain your battery fast. I would not use this feature unless you have a pocket full of batteries.

Also i only have the small Squares in Single Shot mode as soon as i record i get the big slower Squares. Anybody got any tipps?

That is the nature of the AF system. As I understand it, with native glass AF-S uses PDAF (small dancing squares) and CDAF (big still squares) while I think AF-C only uses PDAF (small dancing squares). Oddly enough I found that adapted glass, which only uses PDAF (small squares), focused much faster than native glass on the A7II. But I think native glass focuses better in the dark.

Best bet.... get faster glass if you can.

Thanks so much for your time!

- Mike

I just tried this, and it's not exactly what the OP is asking for. Pre-AF does, eventually, refocus (without showing any PDAF squares), but there's a definite delay or refresh interval. It's not the same as half-pressing the shutter. The fact that it only works with native lenses makes me think it's using CDAF only.

Eye-start AF, which is only available with SLT A-mount adapted lenses (LA-EA2 or LA-EA4) is more like what the OP asked for: the camera will AF while your eye is to the viewfinder, basically the same as it would while you were half-pressing the shutter.

So, mostly, I'd say the answer is "no", there's not a way to do this.

As for the large boxes, that is also, I think, CDAF or hybrid AF being used in video mode.

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A7R2 with SEL2470Z and a number of adapted lenses (Canon FD, Minolta AF, Canon EF, Leica, Nikon...); NEX-7 converted to IR.

Canon PowerShot G9 Canon PowerShot S100 (2000) Sony Mavica FD-91 Sony RX100 VI Canon EOS-1D +41 more

Re: Continuous auto focus without holding shutter Button Sony A7 II

In reply to SQLGuy • Oct 17, 2018

Im Using a Sony FE 50mm which i recon is Native Sony E Mount But thanks so much for your Answer

Re: Continuous auto focus without holding shutter Button Sony A7 II

Thank you so much for Answering Really Easy to Understand. Have a Wonderfull Day <3

Phil Photo • Senior Member • Posts: 1,021

Re: Continuous auto focus without holding shutter Button Sony A7 II

Couple of things.

#1: A7ii only does eye autofocus in AF-S mode. "small square" is for eye-AF.
#2: yeah you can have AF-C without holding down shutter button.. but you will still need to hold down your choice of some OTHER button instead.

This is also known as "back button focus".

You disable AF on shutter in the menu. Then bind a custom button to autofocus.

It is common to use the AF/MF button for this, since it is fairly nicely placed for that.

Sony a7 II Sony a6600 Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS Sony E 20mm F2.8 Sony FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS +10 more

SQLGuy • Forum Pro • Posts: 12,161

Re: Continuous auto focus without holding shutter Button Sony A7 II

Phil Photo wrote:

Couple of things.

#1: A7ii only does eye autofocus in AF-S mode. "small square" is for eye-AF.
#2: yeah you can have AF-C without holding down shutter button.. but you will still need to hold down your choice of some OTHER button instead.

This is also known as "back button focus".

You disable AF on shutter in the menu. Then bind a custom button to autofocus.

It is common to use the AF/MF button for this, since it is fairly nicely placed for that.

You are the first person to mention Eye AF in this thread. This question had nothing to do with Eye AF. It's certainly true that the A7II only does Eye AF in AF-S, but it's also irrelevant.

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A7R2 with SEL2470Z and a number of adapted lenses (Canon FD, Minolta AF, Canon EF, Leica, Nikon...); NEX-7 converted to IR.

Canon PowerShot G9 Canon PowerShot S100 (2000) Sony Mavica FD-91 Sony RX100 VI Canon EOS-1D +41 more

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Source: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4330703