a77 mkii focus issues

[Zastavia]

I recently (and excitedly) upgraded from my trusty a57 to an a77 mkii. I have been using the a77 mkii for around 3 weeks now and have spent a very long time (and lots of shots!) trying to set this af micro adjustment up to obtain sharp in-focus shots, but the af sensor seems to deliver an astonishing amount of out-of-focus shots. The two lenses I use are a Sigma 17-70 and the SONY DT SAM 55-300, both which were fantastically sharp lenses on my a57 and performed flawlessly; but on the a77 mkii they can vary wildly from delivering good sharp photos to fuzzy, soft images, despite shooting static subjects in good light with high shutter speeds. I have been using SLR's and SLT's for years now and have plenty of experience and usually shoot wildlife, airshows landscape. I have greatly struggled with this a77 mkii so far, and feel a complete lack of confidence when using this camera. What surprises me the most is that considering the amazing specs and hugely increased af-points and responsiveness, the camera seems very lacking in af accuracy. Even my used £38.00 Canon Ixus outsmarts it. To me I am thinking there is an issue with the af module and was wondering if anyone else has had similar problems. I am seriously thinking of returning the camera and going back to an a57 which not only delivered sharper and more accurate images but has superior ISO noise range.

[Colorado]

I am not implying anything here but if you have never adjusted for "Back Focus " issues this still may be your issue. Checkout http://photo.net/learn/focustest/   and http://tinyurl.com/bpv2a5 for a download of the test chart. This will keep you from spending $$ on a manufactured focusing aid. Let me know if this helps.

[Zastavia]

Hi thanks for the reply, yes I've adjusted for back (and forward) focus on both my main lenses. Now they seem to deliver pretty sharp in focus shots. I also used a high resolution test chart. This was a couple of weeks ago. It is still strange though, as the back/forward focus issues are now pretty much cleared up, the focus is still very 'hit and miss'. I went out the other day on a sunny coastal walk. I still had a bunch of images shot at 1/640 sec that had no plane of focus at all, either side of the subject, the subjects being a stationary person, rocks and coast line. It seems the focus module locks on right away, with lots of focus points locked and good contrast and stabiliser always on, but the entire image is out of focus. I shot a few 300mm tele photos of coastline at about 1/500 sec, and upon inspection afterward nearly all of them were 'smeared' as though shot with some cheap camera with a digital stabiliser. My A57 could handle hand-held tele shots as low as 1/120 sec and they would be tack-sharp, with the same lens. It is somewhat a mystery, and it happens with both my tele and wide-angle zoom which suggests a fault with the af module. For instance I can photograph a stationary bird on a fence at about 14 meters in good light, wit ha shutter speed of over 1/800 sec, and the resulting photo is just a fuzzy out-of focus mess. Nothing behind or in front of the bird will be in focus either. I would say 70% of the time the af works, 30% it is failing, regardless of shutter speed, or conditions. 

[Colorado]

Do you shoot on continuous mode? I ask because the Autofocus priority may be set to Release or balanced... This will cause a certain percentage of your shots to be out of focus.

I also upgraded to the A77 II but from the A65. But I experienced a noticeable improvement in the high ISO noise on the A77 II.

[Zastavia]

Hi and thanks for reply. I only shoot continuous with sports and, but most of the time I use AF-S, and always have my camera set to AF-priority. I'd never set it to release priority. I've been shooting a lot of birds in my garden recently and am obtaining a greater percentage of photos in focus. I really can't explain it. The AF accuracy or should I say ability to actually focus on anything seems a bit unreliable. I could understand it during high-speed action shots but not on static subjects in good light and contrast. I will continue with the camera anyhow. I am due to go to an airshow soon and will see how it performs. If afterward I am disappointed, I will send it away to SONY for testing.

[Austerror]

I'd set the camera to centre focus point and then see what happens.  Perhaps the camera is indeed faulty?

[Zastavia]

Thanks all for the advice, it is much appreciated. I checked menu settings for AF priority and it was set to balanced, so I set it to AF priority and since then have had less issues with focus. I did a long sunny walk a few weeks ago along Exeter canal and took around 200 photos and there was only 4 or 5 times photos came out with no focal plain at all, so its a huge improvement from before. Indeed there may be some kind of issue or bug with the AF module but then all digital cameras do not deliver 100% AF performance, but it's certainly a lot better now and I feel a lot more confident with it. 

[cadwr]

I have just bought the a77 mkii. Focus on my 50mm macro is fine. with the 18-200, infinity is fuzzy. with the 75-300mm the AF hunts & will not lock on at all. I have tried different AF areas & all I can think of. Help!

[Moody]

Not quite sure why a 75-300 would not lock AF at all...

 

Have a look at the A77 II autofocus guide, it might bring you some idea to try out:

 

http://www.sony.net/Products/di/common/images/products/g2sw/ILCA-77M2_4DFOCUS_Camera_Settings_Guide.pdf

[Colorado]

It seems your 18 -200 needs to have some back (or front) focus adjustments made. (easy to do with your A77 II.) The only thing I can think of for your 70 to 300 is that the small max aperture ( I'm assuming ~4.5 -5.6) may force you to use only the center focus point. Is this lens a Sony? And how old is it?

[yoeddy007]

With my 70-200mm lens at full zoom, I sometimes experience the right side of my photo being blurry while the center and left are in focus. Would adjusting the Back Focus address this? at less than full zoom, I don't have an issue with the blurriness.