Sony A7R V Focus area keeps changing automatically on Sony A7R5

[Bob Pringle]

I select Zone for example, take a shot, but when I go to next shot the focus area has changed to Wide or Spot. How do I maintain focus area from one shot to the next? Using Manual, AFContinuous.

 

[Richard A]

I'm pretty sure there is an auto setting there. Have you looked in the manual. Mark Galer has some Sony focus mode videos on YouTube which may be worth watching.

There might be something in here:

Sony Alpha Menus A to Z: Focus Area

 

[AlphaWorld]

There are ways to get the focus area to change, but to the best of my knowledge, it's not changing "automatically".

I have the choice of focus area set up in the Fn menu, so I can switch between areas on the fly. You can choose if all of the focus areas are available, or cut it down if you don't want to have run through all of them - go to Focus Area Limit to cut the list down.

Oh - I wonder!
Is it possible that you have turned on "Switch V/H AF Area"? (it's the third item on the Focus > Focus Area menu). This menu lets you choose to have a different AF point for Horizontal vs Vertical orientation. But you can also have the Focus Area change. The three options on the menu are:

• Off (the AF point and area don't change when you turn the camera)
• AF Point Only (only the AF point changes)
• AF Point + AF Area (both change)

I suggest going to the menu, AF/MF menu (Purple), item 2 (Focus Area), third sub-item Switch V/H AF Area.
If that is set to AF Point + AF Area, then I think that's your answer.

Now an experiment - In that same menu (Focus>Focus Area) set the following settings:

1. check the fourth item Focus Area Color (I prefer Red - you might have White)
2. scroll down to the second page to AF-C Area Display - set that to On

I'm assuming you have AF-C set (it's the most common choice on these Sony cameras). If not, switch to AF-C.

Have the camera on, but don't press the AF-On or half-press the shutter. You should see the AF area shown on screen - if you don't see it (for example, if you are currently set to Wide, switch to something visible - say Zone. You should see the corners of the AF area on screen.

Hold the camera in landscape orientation, check the AF area setting. Set it to Zone, say. See the corners of the zone area (push in the joystick to centre it)

Turn the camera into portrait orientation, check the AF area setting. Let's set it to Spot (S, M or L - doesn't matter). You should see the much smaller area (again, press the joystick in to centre it, or move it using the joystick).

Now turn the camera back to landscape - WHAT? It's switched to Zone?
Turn it back to portrait - HUH? Spot again? Yep.

Does that sound like what you are seeing?

I leave the display of AF Area on all the time (I also turn on the display of AF area during tracking) - it's a LOT easier to keep track of what it going on if you can see the current AF Area. Also makes it much easier to put the Spot AF Area on top of what you wanting focussing on

Although I must say, after trying it, I changed the Switch V/H AF Area away from AF Point + AF Area, because it annoyed me I have a use for setting it to AF Point Only, but more often than not, I set it to Off.

 

[Bob Pringle]

There are ways to get the focus area to change, but to the best of my knowledge, it's not changing "automatically".

I have the choice of focus area set up in the Fn menu, so I can switch between areas on the fly. You can choose if all of the focus areas are available, or cut it down if you don't want to have run through all of them - go to Focus Area Limit to cut the list down.

Oh - I wonder!
Is it possible that you have turned on "Switch V/H AF Area"? (it's the third item on the Focus > Focus Area menu). This menu lets you choose to have a different AF point for Horizontal vs Vertical orientation. But you can also have the Focus Area change. The three options on the menu are:

• Off (the AF point and area don't change when you turn the camera)
• AF Point Only (only the AF point changes)
• AF Point + AF Area (both change)

I suggest going to the menu, AF/MF menu (Purple), item 2 (Focus Area), third sub-item Switch V/H AF Area.
If that is set to AF Point + AF Area, then I think that's your answer.

Now an experiment - In that same menu (Focus>Focus Area) set the following settings:

1. check the fourth item Focus Area Color (I prefer Red - you might have White)
2. scroll down to the second page to AF-C Area Display - set that to On

I'm assuming you have AF-C set (it's the most common choice on these Sony cameras). If not, switch to AF-C.

Have the camera on, but don't press the AF-On or half-press the shutter. You should see the AF area shown on screen - if you don't see it (for example, if you are currently set to Wide, switch to something visible - say Zone. You should see the corners of the AF area on screen.

Hold the camera in landscape orientation, check the AF area setting. Set it to Zone, say. See the corners of the zone area (push in the joystick to centre it)

Turn the camera into portrait orientation, check the AF area setting. Let's set it to Spot (S, M or L - doesn't matter). You should see the much smaller area (again, press the joystick in to centre it, or move it using the joystick).

Now turn the camera back to landscape - WHAT? It's switched to Zone?
Turn it back to portrait - HUH? Spot again? Yep.

Does that sound like what you are seeing?

I leave the display of AF Area on all the time (I also turn on the display of AF area during tracking) - it's a LOT easier to keep track of what it going on if you can see the current AF Area. Also makes it much easier to put the Spot AF Area on top of what you wanting focussing on

Although I must say, after trying it, I changed the Switch V/H AF Area away from AF Point + AF Area, because it annoyed me I have a use for setting it to AF Point Only, but more often than not, I set it to Off.

Thanks for the reply. Time to go do some experimenting.