p.1 #1 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
I know the title exaggerates a bit, but I'm envious of Canon and Nikon users. Canon's focus guide shows when the focus is in front of or back to the subject, and a green box of focus confirmation appears when the focus is right on the subject. Nikon ZF recently also introduced the green box focus confirmation. But Sony only has peaking, and peaking is regarded as not accurate.
This is ironic since Sony appears to have the largest supply of new and adapted MF lenses and people like to use MF lenses on their Sony. When will Sony have the same feature? I know the most precise method for manual focus is to magnify the screen, but it is slow and applies better to shooting stationary subjects.
p.1 #3 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
foto16 wrote:
I know the title exaggerates a bit, but I'm envious of Canon and Nikon users. Canon's focus guide shows when the focus is in front of or back to the subject, and a green box of focus confirmation appears when the focus is right on the subject.
It's even in conjunction with eye recognition, so when there's an eye in the frame you will get a tiny box on that eye. foto16 wrote:
Nikon ZF recently also introduced the green box focus confirmation. But Sony only has peaking, and peaking is regarded as not accurate.
This is ironic since Sony appears to have the largest supply of new and adapted MF lenses and people like to use MF lenses on their Sony. When will Sony have the same feature? I know the most precise method for manual focus is to magnify the screen, but it is slow and applies better to shooting stationary subjects.
p.1 #5 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
My biggest problem with manual focus has been the sun. I’ve recently been trying to use the LCD screen on my A7CR and my photochromic glasses lens make it difficult to see the screen, even when set to “Sunlight”. If I could get past this, I would also like to see a more modern treatment of the manual focus display. I habitually use the EVF, but recently I’ve been taking photos from a low vantage point with a bad back.
p.1 #6 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
I think Sony is sleeping on this because historically they had the best manual focus tools. I don’t see what (aside from patent issues) they couldn’t implement similar solutions. Their monitor app even allows for false colors which is a slightly more accurate (and distracting) version of peaking.
On my A1 (with the EVF set to high) I can manually focus remarkably accurately though so that’s something. I’d still like to see better tools and the explosion of e-mount Cine lenses makes me think I’m not the only one.
p.1 #7 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
I love the manual focus capabilities of my a7riva using Sigma Lenses. While looking at the LCD screen, I use the peaking, hit the focus magnifier button, use the joystick to position the point, hit the select button and focus away. The position of the peaking highlight tells me right where the plane of focus is. The accuracy is spot on. It works well for me with my Canon TS-E lenses, but I wish there was a way to get them to stop down...
The only better system was my Wisner 8x10. Now that was a fine ground glass...
p.1 #9 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
There will always be better in life. I want to always see the point of focus on the subject. It could be refined, certainly. But Sony has millions of AF lenses to sell you, and they don't produce manual focus lenses. You get better at magnify with practice, and you can often shortcut focus to get it done quicker.
I've shot hundreds of MF portraits of strangers using Sonys, like this one below. It was taken with a 100mm lens wide open, admittedly a good film era one. MF lenses vary widely in focus verification, some fall into clear focus immediately, others less so. I expect future MF lenses to be poorer at this vital ability, because of the focus aids put into cameras these days. 'Trust the camera'. The older lenses are much better for MF because they had to be used with OVFs, as that is all we had at the time.
p.1 #10 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
philip_pj wrote:
I expect future MF lenses to be poorer at this vital ability, because of the focus aids put into cameras these days. 'Trust the camera'. The older lenses are much better for MF because they had to be used with OVFs, as that is all we had at the time.
MF aids rely on the same properties your eyes do when focusing manually (e.g. contrast or is it phase-detect?), so that's unlikely to happen I'd say...
p.1 #11 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
I remember when I used to shoot nikon (last camera I had in the system was a D700) and you would get a little red led come on when the object in the little box in the centre of the viewfinder was in focus. I always found this more reliable than the Sony system
p.1 #12 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
I beg to differ here I have shot manual focus for over 50 years and when the A7R came out and saw focus peaking I sold every Nikon I had . A light up system tells you nothing but what the camera feels in focus. Focusing peaking is actually seeing your subject come into focus. On my new A7CR for instance I put a manual focus lens on hit the focusing ring I immediately go into focus magnify with peaking on usually in low setting for outside light . I focus on the exact area I want hit shutter and go back to normal viewing. It's fast, precise and deadly accurate. I want ME to decide what's in focus not some light up led that is suspect if I have the area I want in focus. Bottom line trust your eyes
p.1 #13 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
GMPhotography wrote:
I beg to differ here I have shot manual focus for over 50 years and when the A7R came out and saw focus peaking I sold every Nikon I had . A light up system tells you nothing but what the camera feels in focus. Focusing peaking is actually seeing your subject come into focus. On my new A7CR for instance I put a manual focus lens on hit the focusing ring I immediately go into focus magnify with peaking on usually in low setting for outside light . I focus on the exact area I want hit shutter and go back to normal viewing. It's fast, precise and deadly accurate. I want ME to decide what's in focus not some light up led that is suspect if I have the area I want in focus. Bottom line trust your eyes...Show more →
Have you used the Nikon system on the current Z63/ZF/Z8 ?
Voigtlander 50 1.0 nails the focus wide open- Every time with the green box-
Don't want to use the green box and focus on the eye of your subject, let Nikon recognize the eye for you, and magnify to the eye so YOU can tell whats in focus.
Its a much better system and you have options to use green box, focus peaking, magnification, Auto eye magnification with or without green box etc etc etc etc. So all the Sony options plus all the other more 2024 options.
Its a better system that allows you to MF how you like to, but also gives the photographer many other (in most opinions) better options. Its ok if other systems have things Sony doesn't. Not everything needs to be a brand battle. Lets not pretend that a feature Nikon has with focus peaking plus other options, Sony is somehow better in that regard.
p.1 #14 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
My path was:
Film: OM2N 1978
digital canon aps-C, Canon 5DII with diagonal spilt prism.
5DII was very heavy so interest in A7 started when it was announced.
got Sony APS-C and adapter, found focus peaking was good. Sony A7.
Now have A7IV A7RIII and A9 not used with MF much, and a 5DII
I think I agree with GMPhotography that it is good enough.
p.1 #15 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
RustyRus wrote:
Have you used the Nikon system on the current Z63/ZF/Z8 ?
Voigtlander 50 1.0 nails the focus wide open- Every time with the green box-
Don't want to use the green box and focus on the eye of your subject, let Nikon recognize the eye for you, and magnify to the eye so YOU can tell whats in focus.
Its a much better system and you have options to use green box, focus peaking, magnification, Auto eye magnification with or without green box etc etc etc etc. So all the Sony options plus all the other more 2024 options.
Its a better system that allows you to MF how you like to, but also gives the photographer many other (in most opinions) better options. Its ok if other systems have things Sony doesn't. Not everything needs to be a brand battle. Lets not pretend that a feature Nikon has with focus peaking plus other options, Sony is somehow better in that regard. ...Show more →
Zero interest in Nikon and Canon they lost me a long time ago.
p.1 #16 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
Slalom wrote:
My path was:
Film: OM2N 1978
digital canon aps-C, Canon 5DII with diagonal spilt prism.
5DII was very heavy so interest in A7 started when it was announced.
got Sony APS-C and adapter, found focus peaking was good. Sony A7.
Now have A7IV A7RIII and A9 not used with MF much, and a 5DII
I think I agree with GMPhotography that it is good enough.
It’s a matter of users comfort levels d experience using it. I simply don’t miss
p.1 #17 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
Nikon's MF assist on the MILC uses the same phase-detect focus sensing mechanism that's used by the camera's AF system, so the green box confirmation for MF is as precise as if you used autofocus on the subject. In other words, very good. It's also why the feature is only available for lenses with electrical contacts (or adapters that simulate them), since the sensing mechanism needs knowledge of the lens's exit pupil distance in order to properly evaluate the focus phase.
p.1 #19 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
snapsy wrote:
Nikon's MF assist on the MILC uses the same phase-detect focus sensing mechanism that's used by the camera's AF system, so the green box confirmation for MF is as precise as if you used autofocus on the subject. In other words, very good. It's also why the feature is only available for lenses with electrical contacts (or adapters that simulate them), since the sensing mechanism needs knowledge of the lens's exit pupil distance in order to properly evaluate the focus phase.
Are you sure about that exit pupil distance?
Some "dumb" VM lenses work with focus confirmation via a "smart" adapter, but the adapter doesn't know anything about the lens it's attached to I'd think...
Oct 21, 2024 at 11:35 AM
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p.1 #20 · Does Sony have the worst manual focus assist
j4nu wrote:
Are you sure about that exit pupil distance?
Some "dumb" VM lenses work with focus confirmation via a "smart" adapter, but the adapter doesn't know anything about the lens it's attached to I'd think...
I think the "smart," adapter is telling the camera that it is a lens which it actually isn't. If it has a similar exit pupil that may not matter, but if the exit pupil is quite different I suppose there is potential to mess up the focus confirmation.
