AF Areas using a Sonya550

[Kappelmeister]

AF Areas using a Sony a550

I have recently bought a Sony a550 and have been gradually working my way through the Instruction Manual to get to grips with all the features the camera has to offer.
There is one feature that I cannot get to work. Under the heading of "Selecting the Focus Area" There are three options 1) "Wide" 2) "Spot" and 3) "Local". As I understand the description of this third option, it should allow you to select any one of the 9 focus regions of the image to set the focus. I have read and re-read the description and I still cannot get this feature to work. I always end up with just the centre spot controlling the focus. Is it just me or does anyone else have this problem. If there is anyone out there with a Sony camera that has this feature as an option AND they can make it work, I would be delighted to hear from them.

[Birma]

Hi Kappelmeister - welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new camera . On my Sony dslr bodies (A100 and A700) you use the menu select dial (the circlular one to the right of the rear screen) to change which focal point is selected, when in "Local" focus mode. It could be some other setting which is preventing this happening - perhaps one of the Liveview settings? What "mode" are you in? (e.g. Aperture priority, etc.?)

[Kappelmeister]

Hi Birma,

Thanks for your prompt reply. I have been trying to get this feature to work in OVF mode as that is my preferred mode. Having read your reply, I have tried doing it in 'Live View' and used the menu selector beside the rear screen and was able to move the focusing 'square' around the four that surround the centre 'square'. If I press the 'AF' button I then get the centre square. How do I get to the outer four squares?
Does this only work in 'live view' because it would be impossible to operate the menu selector buttons while you are in OVF mode, or is there another procedure when working in OVF?

[Birma]

Hi Kappelmeister - it should work in the OVF as well. I wondered if having LV turned on might affect you seeing it in the OVF - but I don't have a LV camera so I am sadly ignorant of how it affects this. If some but not all of the locations work then it sounds like there is an option somewhere which is perhaps restricting the focal points that are available. Sorry I'm not being a lot of help - we need another 550 user .

[David Kilpatrick]

The AF button is also the central point selector. You get the other points by pressing them instead, to select the focus point, and then leaving the AF button alone. Use the shutter release button, as normal, to initiate AF. It will use your selected point. Should you need to suddenly switch off this, use the AF button and you get straight back to the centre point.

David

[Kappelmeister]

Hi Birma - My a550 has a switch that changes the viewing mode between OVF and LV. Thanks to you I have got the 'Local' focus feature to partially work in LV, but I am still struggling to understand how to get it to work in OVF. Thanks for your help. As you say we need someone who has an a500 or a550 to join in.

[Kappelmeister]

David,
What you describe is true for working in LV mode except that I cannot select any of the four focus zones in the corners of the focus field, only the five central zones. When the camera is switched to OVF mode, I fail to get any means of selecting the focus zone and when I half press the shutter button only the centre zone lights up in the OVF..

[David Kilpatrick]

First of all I assume you are not working in any of the special modes like Green Auto, Sports Action etc all of which will change the AF zone behaviour and take it out of your control. I assume you are setting AF to Local Area not Wide Area or Spot.

If both of these conditions apply - using PASM, preset to Local Area - you will be able to select the focus point you want.

David

[Kappelmeister]

David,
I am working in 'P' mode and I can get as far as the selection of 'Local' from the three options for AF. Now, I am not familiar with the meaning of PASM so I can't go any further. Please will you explain the PASM abbreviation.

Many Thanks

[Dusty]

PASM

Program Mode
Aperture Priority Mode
Shutter Priority Mode
Manual Mode


Dusty
Dust Covered Mode

[Kappelmeister]

Thanks for that Dusty,
I can get to the stage where I have the three modes for AF on the rear screen and the 'Local' is highlighted in red. I select it by pressing the AF button in the middle of the arrow ring. The symbol for 'Local' mode then appears briefly in the middle of the screen and soon replaced by a message saying that I can choose which of 9 focus points I want to use. If I then use the UP&DOWN buttons it causes the screen to cycle round the three AF modes. If I use the LEFT&RIGHT buttons they do nothing at all. Looking through the OVF and half pressing the shutter release I see only the centre square lit and that does not change while I am button pushing. Any Ideas?

[Birma]

Ok, I think that once you have selected 'local' mode you need to come out of the menu/selection mode (just half press the shutter button should bring you back to shooting mode). Now, when you use the 'arrow ring' selector you should be able to select one of the focus points - it will briefly light up I expect. There is no need to keep anything else pressed while you do this. When you focus (half press the shutter), then the camera should focus on the last selected focus point (it will be highlight when focus is achieved). If at any point you press the AF button in the middle of the circle arrow selector you'll have chosen the centre focus point again.

[Dusty]

I have the 350, but assume yours is similar. Hitting the Function button let me chose various options. I navigate to AF area and hit the center button (marked AF on the 350) in the center of the Nav ring to choose 'AF Area'. I then use it to choose LOCAL. I have to hit the center button again to set that choice and exit.

Only after that can I select the focus point. Looking in the viewfinder, pushing various points on the Nav ring turns the selected point red. In Live View, a green box appears around it when you get Focus Cinfirm, and a 3x3 array in the lower right shows which point is selected.

I hope this helps. I sounds like you're aborting the process before locking in the choice of local.

Dusty

[Kappelmeister]

David
Bingo!! we are getting there. I can now select any of the 5 inner squares in the focus field with the camera in 'LV' and 'OVF' operating modes. Thanks for getting me there. The last remaining problem is how can I select the four focus squares in the four corners of the Focus field?

[Kappelmeister]

Dusty
Thanks for your comments. I think you are telling me the same cure as David is. If you have any suggestions for selecting the other four points in the focus field I will be delighted to hear them.