SDeGat Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 I have not had my 7RII for very long but I am not new to digital photography (I probably qualify as an "old fart"). I do mostly portrait photography, in studio and outside. I use AF-C with EyeFocus on the AEL button and that works well. Now, if I am working outside, I may be further away from the model or I may want to take a quick photo of a car passing by (or whatever). In that situation, EyeFocus will not work and that's very annoying because the camera is not focussing properly when hitting the EyeFocus button since there is no eye to focus on. What would be a good setup/setting to be able to focus in both types of situations? EyeFocus on AEL (as it is) and use another button for another type of focus? Or can I leave the shutter half-press to normal focus (it is currently off) and use the AEL button only when I want EyeFocus? Any insightful advice will be appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 8, 2017 Posted July 8, 2017 Hi SDeGat, Take a look here Need advice: Using EyeFocus & Normal Focus. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Username Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 If I'm not mistaken, you can assign as many buttons as you wish to activate focus but they will all be in the same focus mode. IOW, you don't only have eye-AF on the AEL button, you have AF [any, and all, AF modes] on the AEL button ... but you happen to favor using eye-AF. Acoarst I may be wrong, as my a7-II is not an 'R' version and there are a few differences in the firmware between versions. In any case, you can check that cuz you have the 'R', but I've got no way to check it. If it actually works in the way that you imply, then its seems you've answered your own question ... differing AF modes on separate buttons does look like the prefect solution ... IF it's possible. The universal answer to ALL questions such as yours is, "Whatever works for you". Dig into the manual and menus and work it out. Other users may have solutions that work for them but every user is unique. BTW, we all agree that the manual sucks, but the PDF version, which has exactly the same pages, has the benefit of being searchable. Frinstintz, my personal solution would be to quit eye-AF in favor of a single small AF spot, using only Back Button AF and AF-S mode. OTOH, if I were toadally sold on eye-AF, then for the situations you describe, I'd operate in the DMF AF mode for eye-AF on a back button, so that for suddenly arising non-eye subjects I'd just focus manually, cuz DMF AF allows that ... and being on Back Button AF, my use of the shutter release has no effect on focus. BTW, AF behavior is not the same for all lenses, which is just one more reason that my solution, or any other users' solutions, may not transfer successfully from user to user. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDeGat Posted July 8, 2017 Author Share Posted July 8, 2017 Thanks for the advice Username. I have to say that I am not too keen on manual focus. I'd rather concentrate on my model and let the camera focus automatically on the eye of the model (that's partly why I bought a Sony camera BTW). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Username Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Thanks for the advice Username. I have to say that I am not too keen on manual focus. I'd rather concentrate on my model and let the camera focus automatically on the eye of the model (that's partly why I bought a Sony camera BTW). Sure. But my suggestion involved KEEPING the eye-AF for your model or portrait subject, and instant access to MF only for those unexpected other photo-ops that pop up involving general subject matter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birly_Eard Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 You can set another button to the "AF On" feature. After that you have one button engaging the eye-af and a second button for "regular" AF. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDeGat Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share Posted July 9, 2017 Yes, of course. I guess I did not finish my line of thinking; I am not keen on using manual focus in most circumstances, especially when I am in a hurry (such as moving around from a model to something else for example). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birly_Eard Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 You can assign the "AF On" function to a custom key. So with your setup you would then have one button that engages the eye-af and a second button to engage "regular" AF. Hope this helps! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Username Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 Looks like you need two cameras, each in-hand, each set to a different AF mode. This acoarst is a toadall PITA. It's up to you whether becoming more keen on MF is the lesser of two PsITA :-( It's not just a joke. It was once common to hang two cameras on one neck, by necessity ... clearly not just to look well equipt ! While what was once common is not common anymore, maybe it's not a dead idea but has just become not-so-common. -------------------------------------------------------------- OK, so your outdoors work is at distances not too amenable to eye-AF. I feel safe assuming that you know when you're going to work outdoors, so that means the need to re-config the camera [get out of eye-AF to normal AF] is not some sudden need or impulse ... therefor you have time to manage it. Once you're outdoors using normal AF then those passing cars, or whatevers, are easy to bag. So no AF problem outdoors. Indoors using eye-AF, do you also get the impulse to suddenly shoot non-eye-AF subjects ? Maybe some impulse control ? Outdoors impulse is OK, indoors not. You'll always have your camera set for the job at hand [AF outdoors, eye-AF indoors] and if any other subject pops up, so what ? Thaz not the job at hand. It's only a photograph not taken. Zillions of folks are not photographing zillions of things every minute of the day. No harm, no foul. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDeGat Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share Posted July 9, 2017 Carrying two cameras, yikes! I am currently experimenting with "normal focus" on the shutter half-press and EyeFocus on the AEL button. We'll see how that works! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Username Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 Carrying two cameras, yikes! I am currently experimenting with "normal focus" on the shutter half-press and EyeFocus on the AEL button. We'll see how that works! Wouldn't that mean you hafta hold onto the AEL/eye-AF button all the time right up to shutter release for every eye-AF shot, so as to prevent the shutter release AF from overriding the eye-AF focus ? I can't tolerate any function requiring hanging onto a half-press of the shutter. So, holding onto TWO buttons would just drive me up the wall. OTOH, MF makes you uncomfortable. Each to their own. Hope it works out comfortably for you ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDeGat Posted July 11, 2017 Author Share Posted July 11, 2017 Wouldn't that mean you hafta hold onto the AEL/eye-AF button all the time right up to shutter release for every eye-AF shot, so as to prevent the shutter release AF from overriding the eye-AF focus ? Yes, you are right. That's the only way that EyeFocus works actually regardless of any other settings. I can't tolerate any function requiring hanging onto a half-press of the shutter. So, holding onto TWO buttons would just drive me up the wall. OTOH, MF makes you uncomfortable. Each to their own. Hope it works out comfortably for you ! Well, I can't say that I love the way it works but this is not totally different from using an AF-On button. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now