Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9

Autofocus Settings
PUBLISHED ON DECEMBER 19, 2019
BY MATHIEU
LAST UPDATE: AUGUST 11, 2022

The autofocus of your Sony A7 III is among the best you can find
today but it is far from the only Sony model that can claim that
statement. In fact, all recent Sony E-mount cameras perform really
well, with the Sony A9 setting the benchmark in the mirrorless
category.

If you look inside the menu, you may feel overwhelmed by the
sheer number of settings. I created this article to guide your
through them, help you understand what they do, and explain how
to use the autofocus of your Sony A7 III, or other A7 model, at its
very best.

The A7 I and A7 II series use an older menu system so there are

bigger differences.
Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Best Autofocus
Settings
This article describes all the autofocus settings you can find on your
Sony Alpha camera. Let’s begin with a quick recap of the best
autofocus settings to use. All of them are explain in-depth further
down in the article.

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Best AF Settings:

Button Setup
Below is a suggestion on how to configure the buttons of your A7 III
and A7R III for general AF settings.

 C1: Focus Mode (AF-S, AF-C etc.)

 C2: Focus Area (Wide, Zone etc.)
  Multi-Slc Center Btn (joystick): Focus Standard (this
allows you to reset the focus point at the centre of the
frame when pressing the joystick)
 Center Button: Focus Magnifier assist (useful when
focusing manually)
 Down Button: AF Area Registration (to quickly change a
focus area that you use frequently)
 AEL: AF On (Back Button Focus, see chapter further
down)
 AF-ON: Eye AF
 Focus Hold Button (on selected lenses): Focus Hold

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Best AF Settings:

Back Button Focus
I focus with the AEL button on the rear rather than half-pressing
the shutter button. This is known as the Back Button
Focus method. That way I can keep the focus and shutter release
separate.

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Best AF Settings:

Continuous AF
I set the Focus Mode to C-AF most of the time. With Continuous
AF, the camera priorities phase detection which is faster and more
reliable. The Back Button Focus method allows me to precisely
control when I want the camera to focus and when I want it to stop.
In a way, it is like having S-AF and C-AF all in one.

I leave the AF Track Sens to 3 (Standard) most of the time and raise
it to 5 (Responsive) for birds in flight.
Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Best AF Settings:
Focus Areas
When I need a small focus area, I use the Expand Flexible Spot,
which I found to be the most reliable.

For action such as sports or birds in flight, I switch to Zone Area.

If I’m focusing with a very fast aperture (shallow depth of field) or

doing macro, I select the Flexible Spot S (Small) area, or use AF in
Magnification mode.

What’s more, you can save a specific focus area to a custom button
at any time (once AF Area Regist. is set up), which is quite a handy
option to have at your fingertips in order to quickly switch from one
area to the other.

A7R IV, A9 and A9 II owners can take advantage of the Real-Time

Tracking mode as well, which is very reliable.

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Best AF Settings: Eye

AF
For pictures of people, there is nothing better than Eye AF, Sony’s
eye detection system. It is the best you can find, all brands and
system considered. I have Eye AF assigned to a custom button, so
that I can activate it whenever I want, regardless of the focus area
used, and without the need to have Face AF active.

Sony Hybrid AF and Autofocus Points

Over the years, Sony has introduced various improvements to
increase the autofocus performance of its mirrorless cameras. As a
result, there are key differences between all the models, both older
and more recent.

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Hybrid AF

Hybrid AF means that the camera uses contrast and phase detection
autofocus. Most A7 cameras have a hybrid AF. The only models to
use contrast detection exclusively are the A7R, A7S and A7S II.

With Contrast, the camera moves the lens elements back and forth
while searching for the best contrast in the image.

With Phase, there are tiny sensors that work in pairs to analyse the
incoming light, establish the phase difference and allow the camera
to calculate accurate focus. Unlike Contrast, Phase AF requires
physical sensors on the image sensor. It is faster and more reliable
with moving subjects.

Note: phase detection points are not cross-type (horizontal and

vertical detection), unlike the ones you find on DSLRs.

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Autofocus Points

Over the years, Sony has added more AF points that cover a larger
portion of the sensor. The more AF points there are, the more
precise the camera can be, especially with the help of its 4D Focus
technology that concentrates as many points as needed on the
subject.

More points also means that they are distributed across a larger
area of the frame, so the camera can track a subject no matter
where its position is. For example, the phase detection points found
on the A7 III and A9 series cover 93% of the sensor’s surface,
whereas on the A7R II and A7R III they cover a smaller portion.

693 phase detection points (A7 III, A9 series)

399 phase detection points (A7R II, A7R III)

Contrast detection areas are available across a good part of the
sensor surface.
425 contrast detection points (A9 series, A7 III, A7R III, A7R IV)
Below you can see the number of points for every full frame
mirrorless E-mount camera released by Sony to date.

Phase Contrast

A7, A7 II 117 25

A7R, A7S – 25

A7S II – 169

A7R II 399 25

A7R III 399 425

A7R IV 567 425

A7 III, A9, A9 II 693 425

Sony A9, A9 II Autofocus Speed
Sony doesn’t always disclose the specifications of focus acquisition
speed, or how fast the system works per second.

We know that the Sony A9 and A9 II are the fastest Sony cameras
currently on the market. They can calculate AF at 60 times per
second without interruption while focusing or releasing the shutter.

Such data is not available for other cameras, but we know first hand
that models such as the A7 III, A7R III and A7R IV perform really well
when it comes to autofocus. The only products that feel older in this
regard is the original A7 series, as well as the A7 II, and the A7S II

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Autofocus

Modes
You can select five Focus Modes on your Sony camera. You can
change them in Camera Settings 1 / AF1 (page 5/14), although it
makes more sense to have this setting linked to a custom button or
in the Fn Menu.

Sony Autofocus Modes: AF-S (Single-Shot AF)

With AF-S, your camera engages the AF only once when half-
pressing the shutter button (or pressing the back button focus), and
then locks the focus.
Sony Autofocus Modes: AF-A (Automatic AF)
With AF-A, your camera switches from single to continuous
autofocus automatically when it detects that the subject is moving.
This is useful for unpredictable subjects that may move at any time
without warning.

On recent models, it is reactive and reliable enough, but it is not a

setting I use often because of how I’ve configured my cameras (C-
AF and Back Button Focus, more on this further down)

Sony Autofocus Modes: AF-C (Continuous AF)

Your camera continues to focus while the button is pressed. This is
the must-have setting for any movement involved in your scene.
Sony Autofocus Modes: DMF (Direct Manual
Focus)
After focusing automatically, you can fine-tune the focus point
manually by turning the focus ring of your lens while the shutter
button is half pressed. It is useful for macro shooting.

Sony Autofocus Modes: MF (Manual Focus)

Focus must be set manually by rotating the focus ring of your lens.
Various Focus Assists are available to help you.

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Autofocus

Points / Areas
Focus Areas activate a set number of AF points among the ones
available on the sensor. Sony cameras offer six different focus areas.
Some are larger while others are smaller.

You can set the focus area in Camera Settings 1 / AF1 (page
5/14), but again you’re better off having this setting assigned to a
custom button or in the Fn Menu.

Sony Autofocus Points: Wide Area

All the points available on your camera are active. The camera picks
the number needed according to your scene and subject.

Sony Autofocus Points: Zone Area

The same concept as Wide but it works on a smaller area. The
camera selects the AF points needed within that zone.

I use it all the time for sports and birds in flight because although it
provides a smaller area than Wide, it is enough for the job. By
limiting the number of points the camera can pick, there is less
chance of it being confused and choosing random points at the
edges. Zone Area can be moved around in your frame but I always
keep it at the centre.
Sony Autofocus Points: Centre Area
A fixed small area at the centre. This can be useful if you like to
focus and recompose rather than moving the focus point.

Tip: if you focus and recompose, remember to keep the shutter

button half-pressed while recomposing. If you release it, the camera
will refocus next time you press it. An alternative way is to use the
Back Button Focus method, or have Focus Hold assigned to a
custom button to stop the camera from focusing again.

Sony Autofocus Points: Flexible Spot Area

A single area with three sizes available. It can be moved anywhere
across the screen.

The smallest Flexible Spot is useful for macro photography, or when

using a very fast aperture where you need to very precise in setting
the focus point.
Sony Autofocus Points: Expand Flexible Spot
Area
It uses a small flexible spot and additional points around it to
improve accuracy and speed if the camera cannot focus with the
central point.

It is my go-to setting for static subjects because it is like having

multiple sizes in one. If the small point at the centre doesn’t work,
the camera will pick the one next to it.

Sony Autofocus Points: Lock-on AF / Tracking

This is a tracking mode and is available in AF-C only. When focusing
on a subject, the camera starts tracking it and follows it no matter
its position in the frame. It will also vary the focus area size
accordingly.
You can start tracking with any focus area described on this list
(scroll left or right when Lock-on AF is selected), but to be more
accurate and make sure tracking starts where you want, I advise you
to use it with Expand Flexible Spot.

On the A9, A9 II and A7R IV, these modes are called Tracking. You
can read more about this further down.

Note: There is another setting called Centre Lock-on AF which

works in a slightly different way.

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 AF-On Button /

Back Button Focus
I’ve mentioned the Back Button Focus method many times already
in this article, so let me explain a bit better what it is.

By default, when you unbox your camera and turn it on, you engage
focus by half-pressing the shutter release button. You then take the
shot by pressing the same button fully. There is nothing wrong with
this method and that’s probably how most people use their
cameras.

Using the shutter button to focus can have some limitations

however.

Every time the shutter button is triggered, the camera will refocus.
Even if your composition stays the same and you take multiple
shots, the camera refocuses every time. This is unnecessary, and can
occasionally lead to mis-focused shots (particularly when using S-AF
where Contrast Detection is prioritised with certain Focus Areas).

In other situations, separating focus from the shutter button allows

you to control when one and the other happens with added
precision.
I find this useful for birds in flight and sports. I follow the subject,
start focusing and then take the shot when I feel it is the right
moment. This way I don’t end up taking images by mistake. It
becomes especially useful in the winter when wearing gloves,
because the sensitivity of your finger on the shutter button is
reduced.

But my favourite reason to use the Back Button Focus method is

that I can leave the camera to AF-C, where phase detection AF is
prioritised at all times, without having to focus continuously. Even
for a landscape image, I can press the back button to focus quickly
then lift my finger. It’s basically combining Single and Continuous
AF into one solution: you press the button once for S-AF, you press
and hold for C-AF.

If any of these reasons have convinced you, here is how to set up

your A7 III with the back button focus.
1. Enter the menu and go to Camera Settings 1 / AF2
(page 6/14)
2. Choose AF w/shutter and select Off
3. Navigate to Camera Settings 2 / Custom Operation1
(page 8/9)
4. Choose the first Custom Key entry (with the picture icon)
5. Choose a button in the list
6. Scroll left until you reach AF3 (page 6/23) and select AF
On
Note: on select cameras, AF On is assigned by default to the AF-On
button which of course makes sense. Personally I find that button
too close to the EVF and a bit uncomfortable to reach because I use
my left eye to compose. The AEL button is further away from the
EVF and easier for me to use.

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 AF Track Sens

When setting your Sony A7 III in continuous autofocus mode, you
can control the sensitivity of the focus acquisition. The setting
you’re looking for is called AF Track Sens, and is found in Camera
Settings 1 / AF2 (page 6/14).

This setting can be adjusted in five levels from 1 (Locked on) to 5

(Responsive).

Locked on means that the camera won’t react right away when a
person passes in front of your subject. A typical scenario is a group
sport such as football. You’re following a single player when a
second player appears in front of him. With AF Track Sens set to 1
or 2, your A7 III won’t try to refocus as soon as the second player
enters your focus area, unless he stays in front of him for too long
(more than a few seconds).

A9,
1/500, f/5.6, ISO 6400 – FE 100-400mm GM

A9, 1/500,
f/5.6, ISO 6400 – FE 100-400mm GM
However having the sensitivity at 1 or 2 means that the camera is
slower at continuously changing focus. That is not good if a subject
is moving very fast, possibly towards you. In that case, you want the
best sensitivity there is so choose 4 or 5. (The latter is the one I use
for birds in flight.)

A
9, 1/3200, f/8, ISO 3200 – 100-400mm GM + TC 1.4x
The level 3 (Standard) is usually a good compromise and in many
cases you want to leave it there. Even for sports, I often find that I
don’t need to lower the sensitivity that much but of course every
situation is different.

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Autofocus

Tracking / AF Lock-on
I’ve touched upon tracking already in the article, but let’s talk about
it a bit more in-depth because there are some differences
depending on the specific camera you use.
Sony Center Lock-on AF and Lock on AF
Valid for all A7 series cameras except the A7R IV, A9 and A9 II

Lock-on is the way Sony calls autofocus tracking: you acquire focus
on a specific area of the screen, and the camera will then glue the
AF to that area no matter its position in the frame. It may also
enlarge or reduce that area depending on your subject’s position
and distance. The camera tracks the subject based on things like its
colour.

On your A7 III, Lock-on is found in two different positions in the

camera menu, and can therefore be activated in two different ways.

Sony Lock-on AF with Focus Area

You can select Lock-on AF from the normal Focus Area list, which is
useful because you can start tracking anywhere on the screen. Once
you start focusing, the camera will continue to track the subject
even if it moves away from the focus area.

1. Choose AF-C in Focus Mode

2. Go to Camera Settings 1 / AF1 (page 5/14) and
select Focus Area
 3. Scroll down to the last option called Lock-on AF
4. Scroll left or right to choose a focus area as a starting
point. To be more precise, use a small area such as
Flexible Spot and move it to the portion you want to
track. Once tracking has started, it will work anywhere on
the screen.
5. Start focusing and tracking will be activated.
6. To cancel tracking, stop pressing the focus button

Lock-On
AF is displayed with a double line green rectangle.

Sony A7 III, A7R III Center Lock-on AF

The principal is the same, but the difference is that you can only
start tracking from the centre of the frame.

1. Set the Focus Area to Wide

2. Go to Camera Settings 1 / AF2 (page 6/14)
3. Select Center Lock-on AF and choose On: a square will
appear in the middle of the screen. Move your camera so
that the square overlays your subject, then press the
centre button. The camera will start tracking.
4. To cancel tracking, press the centre button again or
touch the small icon on the top right part of the LCD
screen (for touch sensitive cameras).
Tip: depending on your camera setup, you may find that the only
way to use Centre Lock-on AF again is to go back into the menu
and turn it off and on again. A quicker solution is to assign
the Focus Standard option to a custom button (AF1 page 4/23).
That way you can press it to reactivate tracking without going into
the menu.
The advantage of center lock-on autofocus on your A7 III and other
A7 cameras is that:

 it works in S-AF and C-AF modes, whereas the Lock-On

Focus Area setting is only available in C-AF
 it can be activated with the touch screen (on compatible
cameras)
 it remains active even when you’re not focusing. With the
other Lock-on method, if you stop focusing tracking is
lost.

Sony Real-Time Tracking AF

Valid for the A9 series and A7R IV

Starting with the A6400 APS-C camera, Sony introduced a new

generation of autofocus algorithm, and one of the main
improvements is called Real-Time Tracking.

Once the mode is activated, the camera analyses brightness,

patterns, colours, faces, eyes and depth to track the subject more
accurately, and uses AI technology to recognise the subject faster.

For the A9 series and A7R IV, the terms Lock-on and Center Lock-on
have been replaced by Tracking. The concept remains the same.
You can select it in the Focus Area setting, by touching the screen
or by assigning it to a custom button.

To select Tracking using the Focus Area setting (C-AF only):

1. Go to Camera Settings 1 / AF1 (page 5/14) and

select Focus Area (or use a custom button)
2. Scroll down to the last option called Tracking
 3. Scroll left or right to choose a focus area as a starting
point. Again, use a small area such as Flexible Spot and
to be more precise.
4. Start focusing and tracking will be activated.
5. Remember that if you stop focusing, tracking is
deactivated.

To select Tracking using the touch screen:

1. Make sure that the Touch Operation is On in Setup 2

(page 2/7)
2. Go to Camera Settings 2 / Custom Operation2 (page
10/14)
3. Scroll down to Func. of Touch Operation and
choose Touch Tracking
4. Touch anywhere on the screen to start tracking your
subject
To select Tracking with a custom button (works in C-AF only):

1. Go to Camera Settings 2 / Custom Operation1 (page

8/9)
2. Enter in the first Custom Key setting
3. Choose a custom button
4. Assign the function Tracking On to it (AF2 page 5/25)
5. When pressing the custom button, the camera will start
tracking and override the Focus Area mode
Wide Area or Tracking: which is best?
Modern Sony cameras (A9, A7 III, A7 IV series) are better at
detecting where and what the subject is, even if we don’t give it a
hint. I am often surprised by how well the camera picks out my
subject straight away when I test the Wide Focus Area mode.

The autofocus is intelligent enough that you could probably leave it

to Wide on many occasion, but of course it cannot be 100% trusted.
There might be a few situations where it fails, or focuses on
something else because of a change of light, or if the subject’s
colour matches the colour of the background for example.

So while Wide can be useful at times, Lock-On AF / Tracking allows

you to tell the camera what your subject of interest is, thus lowering
the chance of the camera misbehaving. Of course even Lock-On AF
can fail occasionally, but it doesn’t happen often, especially with the
new Real Time Tracking mode of recent Sony cameras.
Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Eye AF and
Face AF
Eye AF is perhaps the best autofocus setting you can find on
modern Sony cameras. It is a huge ally when taking pictures of
people. The camera will use a single point and place it on the eye of
your subject automatically. Whether you’re taking professional
portraits or pictures of your kids and pets, this function is very
useful.

To find out more about how to use Eye AF for portraits of people, or
for taking pictures of animals, please check the two articles below.
Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Touch Screen
Autofocus
Not available on the A7 I and A7 II series

After enabling Touch Operation in the Menu Setup 2 page, you

can tap anywhere with your finger on the LCD to activate touch
screen focus on your A7 III & co.

If you’re using a large focus area such as Wide or Zone, touching

the screen will override that setting and the camera will focus on
the area you touched with your finger. If you’re using a single focus
area (Flexible Spot, Expand Flexible Spot), you can use the touch
screen to move that point around.

Normal AF with Wide Area: the camera picked the doll in the
foreground (green squares).
Touch focus: I selected the action figure in the background, the area
is shown with the small orange rectangle. (Note that it turns grey
after a few seconds.)
Important: when you touch the screen, the camera activates the
focus area but doesn’t focus automatically. You need to press the
shutter button halfway or press the back button focus in order for
the camera to perform autofocus.

How to enable real “Touch to Focus” on the

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9
If you want a real “touch focus” function, where tapping the screen
forces the camera to autofocus just like it does when you press the
shutter button, turn On the Centre Lock-On AF (Camera Settings
1 / AF2 page 6/14). Then, on any area of the monitor you touch,
the camera won’t just select the focus area but will also start
tracking and focusing on that area.

With the A7R IV, A9 and A9 II, you can do the same thing with
the Touch Tracking setting.

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Touchpad

Settings
Not available on the A7 I and A7 II series

In Menu Setup 3, there are additional options to control the A7 III

touch screen:

 Touch Panel / Pad: you can choose in which situation

the touch screen is active (when using the EVF, the LCD,
or both)
  Touch Pad Settings: you can customise how the Touch
Pad function works.

The Sony A7 III Touch Pad allows you to use the touch screen to
move the AF point while composing with the viewfinder. It is an
alternative to the AF Joystick found on the rear.

Once you’ve entered the Touch Pad Settings, you’ll see three
options:

 Operation in V Orient.
 Touch Pos. Mode
 Operation Area
The first, Operation in V Orient., allows you to enable or disable
the Touch Pad when working in vertical orientation (portrait mode).
Unless you have a clear reason to disable it, leave it On.

The second, Touch Pos. Mode, has two settings: Absolute Position

or Relative Position.

Absolute position means that the focus point will go wherever you

touch the screen. This can be useful to go quickly from one area to
the other, like for example from the top right to the bottom left
zone of the frame.

Absolute position
Relative position means that you can control the focus point by
touching a different position than the focus point location. For
example you might find it easier to touch the bottom right part of
the screen rather than move your finger across the entire surface of
the LCD panel.

Relative position
Honestly, you need to try to understand what works best for you. I
think relative position can be better for small adjustments, but if
you need to shift the focus point from one side to the other,
Absolute position works best.

The last setting found in Touch Pad Settings is called Operation

Area. You can make the entire screen sensitive, or just half, or just
the bottom right corner. There are nine options in total. This is
useful to avoid having your nose touch the screen and move the
focus point when the entire screen is active. Again, you need to
figure out which options work best for you.
Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 AF with
Magnification
Focus Magnifier is one of the manual focus assists available on your
Sony camera. Recent models also allows you to engage the
autofocus while magnification is active. This can be very useful for
macro photography when you need to focus on a very precise zone.

1. Go to Camera Settings 1 / Focus Assist (page 13/14)

2. Select On for AF in Focus Mag.
3. Go to Camera Settings 2 / Custom Operation 1 (page
8/9)
4. Select the first Custom Key entry
5. Choose a custom button and assign the Focus
Magnifier option (Focus Assist page 12/23)
6. Select the AF-S Focus Mode
7. Press the custom button you configured to activate
magnification. You’ll see a small cross in the middle of
the screen.
8. Move the magnified area with the control wheel or the
joystick to have the cross on the exact area you want in
focus.
9. Press the focus button (shutter release half way or back
button focus). The cross becomes green once focus is
acquired successfully.
Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Autofocus
Sound / Beep
By default, your A7 III emits a sound when focusing. You can disable
this in two ways.

1. Activate Silent Shooting in Camera Settings 2 /

Shutter SteadyShot (page 4/9).
2. Turn Off Audio Signals in Camera Settings 2 / Custom
Operation2 (page 9/9). This method allows you to get
rid of your Sony A7 III AF beep completely no matter
which settings you use.

Note: be aware that the Silent Shooting function uses the electronic
shutter and there can be some banding or distortion issues in
certain conditions (read more about this in the Photography
Settings guide below).

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 AF Illuminator

As with the AF sound, by default your A7 III AF illuminator will turn
on when focusing. It usually activates when there isn’t a lot of light
in your scene.
If you are in a pitch dark conditions, this function can be very useful,
but otherwise it can draw some attention or even annoy your
subjects.

If you want to deactivate the AF Assist beam of your Sony A7 III or

other A7 / A9 model:

1. Go to Camera Settings 1 / AF2 (page 6/14)

2. Turn Off the AF Illuminator

Note: the AF Illuminator doesn’t work with a flash unless the latter
has an AF Illuminator function.

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Eye Start AF

and Pre AF
I’ve talked about two different ways of engaging autofocus on your
Sony camera: half-pressing the shutter release button or using the
Back Button Focus method. But there are two additional options.
Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Pre AF
When this setting is enabled, the camera adjusts focus constantly,
even when the shutter button or the back button focus are not
pressed.

To activate Pre AF:

1. Go to Camera Settings 1 / AF3 (page 7/14)

2. Turn Pre-AF On

The advantage is that the camera is always ready for focus

acquisition, which means if you see something, all you have to do is
to take the shot (in theory).

In practice, I find it to lack some reactivity most of the time. Keep in

mind that it works better if your composition is more or less ready,
otherwise the camera might focus on something completely
different. Also, this function will drain the battery life more quickly.
Personally, I’ve never found the need to use it.
Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Eye Start AF
This setting is potentially more useful. If you use your viewfinder a
lot, you can engage focus when you bring the camera to your eye.
The sensor below the EVF that triggers the live view switch from
LCD to EVF will also trigger the autofocus.

Unfortunately, it only works when an A-mount lens is attached with

the LA-EA2 or LA-EA4 adapter which is a shame. But if you still want
to know where it is, you can find it in Camera Settings 1 / AF3
(page 7/14).

Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Autofocus:

additional settings
If you thought that this article was already long enough as it is, I’m
sorry to say there is more!

Priority Setting in AF-S / AF-C

Camera Settings 1 / AF1 (page 5/14)

Choose whether the camera gives priority to focus or shutter

release:

 With AF priority, the camera won’t take the image until

focus is acquired. This is the setting I use all the time
because it allows me to assess the accuracy of the
autofocus of the camera I am testing.
 With Release priority, the camera will take the shot even
if the photo is not in focus. Sports photographers often
prefer this setting because they don’t want the risk of
missing an important moment. Theoretically, if the AF is
good enough, it should cope and guarantee accurate
 focus. But if you find that is not the case, switch back to
AF priority.
 The third option is called Balanced Emphasis and it kind
of sits in the middle. I honestly don’t know how the
camera chooses to take the picture or wait for focus
acquisition with this setting, so I just tend to ignore it.

Sony Switch Vertical / Horizontal AF area

Camera Settings 1 / AF1 (page 5/14)

If you often change camera orientation between horizontal and

vertical framing, this setting allows you to change the focus area
and/or the focus position automatically when rotating the camera.

For example, you may want Flexible Spot on the right in Horizontal
mode, and Zone Area on top in vertical mode. This function lets you
do exactly that. Just set the area and position you want for each
orientation and the camera will memorise them.
AF Area Registration
  Camera Settings 1 / AF3 (page 7/14)

Not available in the A7 I and A7 II series

This function allows you to save a specific focus area to a custom

button. This way, you can recall it quickly when necessary.

For example when shooting wildlife, you may use Zone Area for
birds in flight, but if a bird settles down on a branch, it is better to
use a smaller focus area such as Expand Flexible Spot. Being able to
activate the latter with a custom button rather than scrolling
through the Focus Area list is definitely quicker.

Furthermore, registering and overwriting an AF Area is a very quick

process so you may find yourself using this feature quite a lot in
various situations.
To use the AF Area Registration setting:

1. Go to Camera Settings 1 / AF3 (page 7/14)

2. Highlight AF Area Regist. and choose On
3. Exit the menu and choose your focus area
4. Press and hold the Fn button on the rear to memorise
the focus area. The camera will give you confirmation on
the screen.
5. Go to Camera Settings 2 / Custom Operation 1 (page
8/9)
6. Enter the first Custom Key setting
7. Choose a button, then navigate to AF2 (page 5/23)
8. Select Regist. AF Area hold or Regist. AF Area tggle.
With the former, you need to press and hold the button
to change the area, whereas with the latter you press
once to change, you press a second time to go back to
the previous focus area.
9. If you want to delete the registered area, you can
overwrite it by choosing another one and
pressing/holding the Fn button. Alternatively, go
to Camera Settings 1 / AF3 (page 7/14) and
choose Del. Reg. AF Area.
AF Area Auto Clear
Camera Settings 1 / AF3 (page 7/14)

If set to On, the focus area will disappear shortly after focusing
(when keeping the shutter release button half-pressed, or holding
down the back button focus). I always leave this to off because I like
to see the focus points at all time.
Display Contrast AF area
Camera Settings 1 / AF3 (page 7/14)

When this setting is turned off, the focus area won’t become green
when focus is acquired in continuous AF. I always leave it on
because I like the visual confirmation once again.

Phase Detection Area

Camera Settings 1 / AF4 (page 8/14)

It displays the area of your frame in the live view where the phase
detection points are located.
AF Micro Adjustment
Camera Settings 1 / AF4 (page 8/14)

When adapting Sony DSLR lenses with the LA-EA2 or LA-EA4

adapter which have a separate focus sensor inside, you can use the
AF micro adjustment setting on your A7 III to adjust the autofocus
position if the lens has front or back focus problems.

Aperture Drive in AF
Camera Settings 1 / AF4 (page 8/14)

You can make the sound of the aperture iris more silent with
compatible lenses, which is useful for video recording.

AF/MF Control Hold or Ctrl Toggle

AF1 (page 4/23) in the list of options to assign to a custom key
These options can be assigned to a function button to switch
between Auto and Manual focus modes. If the lens you use has an
AF/MF switch, it is not necessary.

Focus Hold (AF Lock)

AF3 (page 6/23) in the list of options to assign to a custom key

Once this function is assigned, pressing the button will stop the
camera from focusing. By default it is configured to the function
button of select Sony lenses.

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