p.1 #1 · Functionality of the Full Time DMF switch when Full Time DMF is enabled in menu.
I shared this post on another forum but I figured I would ask here too since people on this forum seem to be extremely knowledgeable.
I’ve noticed a strange interaction between my A1II and lenses that have dedicated Full Time DMF switches such as the 100mm f2.8 GM Macro, 50-150 f2 GM and 400-800 G.
I also noticed this same behavior on my old A7RV so I’m pretty sure it works this way on every camera with a full time DMF menu setting.
When Full Time DMF is enabled in the camera’s menu the switch on the lens does nothing.
IE:
Full time DMF on in camera - lens switch disabled
Full time DMF off in camera - lens switch enabled
This seems backwards to me.
I feel like it should behave just like the AF/MF switch.
The AF/MF switch works as follows:
AF on in camera - lens switch enabled
MF on in camera- lens switch disabled
This functionality makes sense since most of the time the camera is set to AF and if you want to use MF you either flip the switch on the lens or turn it on in the menu system. Essentially AF is treated as the default.
The camera seems to treat DMF off as the default which seems backwards to me since it means if you wan’t to use DMF with lenses that don’t have a DMF switch you have to turn it on in menu but then if you want to be able to turn it on and off with a lens that does have a switch you have to go into the menu and turn the setting off.
I feel like the way it should work is as follows:
Full time DMF on in camera - lens switch enabled
Full time DMF off in camera - lens switch disabled
This would mirror the behavior of the AF/MF switch.
Does anyone know if there’s a way to modify this functionality? I haven’t been able to find anything in the instructions or menu system.
p.1 #2 · Functionality of the Full Time DMF switch when Full Time DMF is enabled in menu.
Good question. I always assumed switching to MF on the lens or on the camera always resulted in MF, i.e. one or both were sufficient. Now I need to go and test!
p.1 #3 · Functionality of the Full Time DMF switch when Full Time DMF is enabled in menu.
rob_ww wrote:
Good question. I always assumed switching to MF on the lens or on the camera always resulted in MF, i.e. one or both were sufficient. Now I need to go and test!
Yeah it only goes one way. Turning MF on in camera overrides the lens’s AF/MF switch. As does turning off Steady Shot.
Effectively it seems like there is a default state which allows the buttons and switches on the lens to have control and an off state that overrides the lens switches.
AF on in camera - switches work
Steadyshot on in camera - switches work
DMF off in camera - switches work
MF on in camera- switches disabled
Steadyshot off in camera - switches disabled
DMF on in camera - switches disabled
Focus and Steadyshot behavior makes sense but DMF behavior seems backwards.
