Sony 24mm f1.4 GM focus pulsing

[lukx]

Question for sony 24mm f1.4 GM users. I noticed that with smaller apertures like f4 to f16 focus very often is "pulsing" even in very bright conditions. When you hold focus button and look through evf you can see small image pulsing (zooming in and out a bit:. The smaller the aperture the bigger the problem. No other sony lenses does that.

[tinplater]

My lens does that sometimes as well.  I think only in continuous focus.  Love the lens so don't pay any attention to it.

[Lynchie]

its a thing that happens with mirrorless on AF-C at small apertures... happens on my 70-200 also... not ideal, something about the AF switching to Contrast detect instead of Phase detect at narrow f number... 

[dbmiller]

In AF-S mode (Not AF-C), Sony cameras focus in phase detect mode to get "in the ballpark", but then switch to contrast detect mode for final confirmation. That mode will pulse back in forth to fine to do that, and that may be what you are seeing. If however, you are in AF-C mode, then there is no switch over to contrast detect unless you are using narrow apertures (Could be f/11 or higher, depending on camera and firmware). So if you are using AF-C and shooting at an aperture of f/8 or wider (smaller #), then the pulsing must be caused by something else.

[2xbass]

I typically shoot stills (although I always use AF-C) with the 24 GM on an A7RIII and usually wide open at f1.4 and have never had a problem with focusing. However I also use the lens for vlogging on an A6400 and recently I was shooting video outside and it was very bright and I didn’t have an ND filter so I had to stop down to f11. I also wanted more of the background in the shot anyway. When I looked at the footage it was useless and there was continuous focus breathing going on but it was more the background than me in the foreground.

[lukx]

Yeah I got a feeling this problem is based more on camera body. I think it's more with A7iii and A6400 than A7RIII or A9. Here's video of my problem: 

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by lukx

[dbmiller]

It does look a little off. What happens if you go to a medium spot instead of small?

[Ripper 77]

Any fix for this issue or camera setting that needs to be changed to avoid this problem?

Edited October 1, 2019 by Ripper 77