I am using a Sony a7r2 with the 16-35 f4 and have a weird issue with triggering the camera with IR on a drone

 

I can trigger the camera with infra red if it’s handheld or on a tripod but as soon as I place it on my gimbal it will only fire in manual focus mode.

 

I’m using a servo to trigger an infra red and if I tilt the camera down about 45 degrees the camera will fire in autofocus, however if I tilt it up it won’t fire.

 

I have tried every setting imaginable and also shielding the IR with no success.

 

I am using the exact same set up that I had with a Sony A7R, it fired every time in autofocus with the Sony A7R, but not with the Sony A7R2, I’m forced to use manual focus.

Is anyone at all using an A7R2 on a drone? I've tried this on 2 separate copters and gimbals, same result the A7R2 won't fire in autofocus when on a gimbal and triggered with an IR remote.

 

Have you tried this sony?

Hello Randolf, I dont have an answer for your question sorry. But I'm looking for a drene fotos my A7R iiII, would you share which brands and models are you using currently? Thanks in advance

Maybe you have your camera can't autofocus at the point you selected and just hunts? As I've heard, e mount cameras can only focus near the center with wide angle lenses, though my only experience with this is a 19mm Sigma on an a6000 and I can confirm central autofocus only for that combo.

It appears the problem may be with the camera and lens combination.

 

The shutter fires in autofocus mode looking ahead with a sony a7r and 16-35 f4 but not with the sony A7R2 and 16-35 f4.

 

However I tried using a canon 24 2.8 IS and a canon 40mm and it fires in autofocus with these lenses and a metabolise adapter.

 

Seems like some sort of issue with the focus mechanism in the 16-35 f4. Triggered with IR It doesn't lock on focus while being suspended in a gimbal with the A7R2. Take it off the gimbal and it works

 

I'm using a Gremsy H3 on a S900, but also tried it with a ronin

Just tested this with 2 other sony lenses 28-70 and 10-18 both have the same issue

I have no drone experience, but I have got two infrared transmitters (picture attached). The small one has a very limited reach, the large one a very extended reach. Have you got a powerful transmitter?

 

I suppose you know the difference between infrared and radio. If not: infrared needs a direct (or, sometimes, indirect) line of view between the transmitter and the little black window on the handgrip just below the front wheel. An indirect line sometimes works OK too. Like if you have the camera on a tripod and you activate the transmitter from behind the camera and you are indoors and the signal can be reflected in a window pane or a bright wall.

 

If the black window is hidden behind some metal, like part of the drone, then infrared will not work.

One big difference between the new "R" and the earlier model is IBIS.

You say the earlier version works on the gimbal but the "R" does not,

and further that the "R" works if the gimbal is NOT involved. I realize

this may sound weird but maybe the gimbal-plus-IBIS is "rattling" the

image and confusing the AF ? 

 

Acoarst this assumes you have IBIS enabled, which is a reasonable

assumption since you're using a moving camera platform. There's also

the issue of "tilted down vs tilted up" and perhaps this affects the way

the gimbal does or does not influence camera motion, given that you

may be shifting the center of gravity by changing the camera angle.

 

Soooooo ..... IF you have IBIS enabled, try disabling it and see if that

makes the "R" behave more like the earlier model. I realize you might

be counting on the IBIS to improve you results, but disabling it may be

a diagnostic move, to find out what's going on. 

 

You may find out that you are faced with a choice of using either the

gimbal OR the IBIS but can never use them together. It seems kinda

bizarre to me, but given the variables involved as you described them

and the results so far, IBIS and Gimbal seem like two variables that

don't mix well for some odd reason [perhaps the shifting image plus

the AF presents an unusable focus situation?].

  

Supposedly, it's best to disable IBIS for tripod use. Maybe the gimbal

presents a condition that is not exactly tripod-like but not really similar  

to handheld use either ... neither fish nor fowl ... such that IBIS could

be vibrating the image rather than steadying the image.

Sony fixed this issue with the 3.3 firmware upgrade. When the eyepiece was obscured it would not fire in auto-focus when triggered with infra red