A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
p.1 #1 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
You guys are my last hope. I'm losing my mind over this issue.
For months (that is not an exaggeration) I've been trying to figure out a solution for my A1 ii and the 200-600 G lens (SEL200600G) as it relates to autofocus. Yes. I know "Update the firmware and it should fix everything!". Except it didn't.
Lets start with the specs in case there's a hidden cause there:
A1 ii
SEL200600G lens
memory card: Lexar Professional CF Express A, 1 TB.
Body Firmware Version: 4.0
Lens Firmware Version: .04
Optical Steady shot switch on lens: on
Mode: 1
Focus Mode: Continuous AF
Priority Set in AF-C: AF
AF Lvl for Crossing: 2
AF Trk for Spd Chng: Responsive
SUBJECT RECOGNITION REMAINS TURNED OFF WHILE SHOOTING
Mechanical Shutter shooting only as electronic shutter has a chance to create rolling shutter on car wheels and ruin a photo
HI drive mode (continuous shooting)
Steadyshot: On
SteadyShot Adjust: Auto
I shoot motorsports. Primarily scenarios where the speeds average 100 mph - 200 mph. For years I shot with the A7IV and loved it. Great camera all around. I moved to an a1 ii late last year and was looking forward to race season this year. My primary lenses are the SEL200600G and the SEL50150GM. Without fail this camera has a problem with autofocus when I use it. On the A7IV I pretty much exclusively used Wide, Zone or Center Fix focus areas while shooting with back button focus held down and never had a problem. On the A1 ii, however, I hold the back button while trying to place autofocus on the subject and, as its moving, either the mass of green squares or the solid green square (varies based on focus area mode in use) tries to detect the subject as it moves. However on this camera it seems to get very confused between background, subject and foreground and jump around to anything other than the subject. I have noticed that this is consistently worse the further away from the subject that I am. If I am zoomed to 600m and I am standing 100' away from the subject on a hill, for instance, it has a much, much harder time of detecting the subject.
Now I understand that atmospheric conditions may be adding difficulty to that detection at such a distance given the heat of the US Southeast this time of year and heat emanating from the asphalt but I can, and have, pulled out the a7iv and swap the SEL200600G to it and not have that issue. Standing in the exact same spot at the moment I encountered the issue. Did it this past weekend shooting super bikes in fact. It gets worse if Subject Recog in AF is turned on. So I keep that off, I don't really need it anyway.
I know someone's going to inquire about my used focus modes so here goes: I have used every focus mode in the a1 ii on the track this year and none of them seem to be any better. Wide seems to have the greatest issues with detection. Someone over on Reddit suggested using Tracking: Wide or Tracking: Spot and I found both to be equally bad at detection. It would, I would say, more often jump to the background and try to lock on things like the top edge of a chain link fence or corner of a barrier while I'm doing a pan shot. The issue is definitely linked to rate of motion. Superbikes pushing 200 mph on a straight away give it hell whereas slower moving cars in Rallycross (I shoot rally and rallycross on occasion too) give it less of a challenge. However in the latter, its always trying to lock onto the dust or dirt coming off the tires and not the car. Reddit said to change AF Lvl for Crossing and Af Trk for Speed change and I see absolutely no difference in performance before or after
I was set on this being a camera body issue exclusively until a few months ago I went to an air show to shoot that. The venue wouldn't permit lenses greater than 200mm so I took the SEL50150GM. I expected the same BS I'd encountered the rest of the year and to my surprise it functioned like a normal camera. Like it was supposed to. Like it was promised to work. It was snappy. It was beautifully fluid. And I have to imagine that jets are moving a tad bit faster than super bikes so that threw my speed theory out the window. Which is leading me to think that this is a lens specific problem.
In my six months of periodically scouring the first 20 page of google trying to find someone experiencing my niche issue I came across a number of persons saying that the SEL200600G specifically hates this camera body. That handful later remarked that the .04 lens patch fixed that. Well I have both devices on current firmware and I'm not experiencing that myself. The challenge to all of this is that I simply cannot go outside and shoot moving cars to test the camera and it be remotely similar to a high performance race on a track. The closest I have to a real race track event is the interstate highway and I can tell you from experience that the highway patrol gets very edgy if a fella shows up on an overpass with a long lens. This is the kind of thing that you play around with, pray and then show up to the track in the hopes that the issue doesn't persist.
I have the largest race of the year this weekend and I am dreading what's going to happen. I hope, sincerely, one of you is going to read that and say "oh that idiot forgot to check that one setting" and I do and a flood of relief washes over me. I'm not exaggerating when I say this has been a stressor for me for the entire year. Anyway, sorry for such a long post but I'm praying someone here can give me some sort of insight that doesn't lead to selling off the camera body. Thanks in advance for any insight.
For months (that is not an exaggeration) I've been trying to figure out a solution for my A1 ii and the 200-600 G lens (SEL200600G) as it relates to autofocus. Yes. I know "Update the firmware and it should fix everything!". Except it didn't.
Lets start with the specs in case there's a hidden cause there:
A1 ii
SEL200600G lens
memory card: Lexar Professional CF Express A, 1 TB.
Body Firmware Version: 4.0
Lens Firmware Version: .04
Optical Steady shot switch on lens: on
Mode: 1
Focus Mode: Continuous AF
Priority Set in AF-C: AF
AF Lvl for Crossing: 2
AF Trk for Spd Chng: Responsive
SUBJECT RECOGNITION REMAINS TURNED OFF WHILE SHOOTING
Mechanical Shutter shooting only as electronic shutter has a chance to create rolling shutter on car wheels and ruin a photo
HI drive mode (continuous shooting)
Steadyshot: On
SteadyShot Adjust: Auto
I shoot motorsports. Primarily scenarios where the speeds average 100 mph - 200 mph. For years I shot with the A7IV and loved it. Great camera all around. I moved to an a1 ii late last year and was looking forward to race season this year. My primary lenses are the SEL200600G and the SEL50150GM. Without fail this camera has a problem with autofocus when I use it. On the A7IV I pretty much exclusively used Wide, Zone or Center Fix focus areas while shooting with back button focus held down and never had a problem. On the A1 ii, however, I hold the back button while trying to place autofocus on the subject and, as its moving, either the mass of green squares or the solid green square (varies based on focus area mode in use) tries to detect the subject as it moves. However on this camera it seems to get very confused between background, subject and foreground and jump around to anything other than the subject. I have noticed that this is consistently worse the further away from the subject that I am. If I am zoomed to 600m and I am standing 100' away from the subject on a hill, for instance, it has a much, much harder time of detecting the subject.
Now I understand that atmospheric conditions may be adding difficulty to that detection at such a distance given the heat of the US Southeast this time of year and heat emanating from the asphalt but I can, and have, pulled out the a7iv and swap the SEL200600G to it and not have that issue. Standing in the exact same spot at the moment I encountered the issue. Did it this past weekend shooting super bikes in fact. It gets worse if Subject Recog in AF is turned on. So I keep that off, I don't really need it anyway.
I know someone's going to inquire about my used focus modes so here goes: I have used every focus mode in the a1 ii on the track this year and none of them seem to be any better. Wide seems to have the greatest issues with detection. Someone over on Reddit suggested using Tracking: Wide or Tracking: Spot and I found both to be equally bad at detection. It would, I would say, more often jump to the background and try to lock on things like the top edge of a chain link fence or corner of a barrier while I'm doing a pan shot. The issue is definitely linked to rate of motion. Superbikes pushing 200 mph on a straight away give it hell whereas slower moving cars in Rallycross (I shoot rally and rallycross on occasion too) give it less of a challenge. However in the latter, its always trying to lock onto the dust or dirt coming off the tires and not the car. Reddit said to change AF Lvl for Crossing and Af Trk for Speed change and I see absolutely no difference in performance before or after
I was set on this being a camera body issue exclusively until a few months ago I went to an air show to shoot that. The venue wouldn't permit lenses greater than 200mm so I took the SEL50150GM. I expected the same BS I'd encountered the rest of the year and to my surprise it functioned like a normal camera. Like it was supposed to. Like it was promised to work. It was snappy. It was beautifully fluid. And I have to imagine that jets are moving a tad bit faster than super bikes so that threw my speed theory out the window. Which is leading me to think that this is a lens specific problem.
In my six months of periodically scouring the first 20 page of google trying to find someone experiencing my niche issue I came across a number of persons saying that the SEL200600G specifically hates this camera body. That handful later remarked that the .04 lens patch fixed that. Well I have both devices on current firmware and I'm not experiencing that myself. The challenge to all of this is that I simply cannot go outside and shoot moving cars to test the camera and it be remotely similar to a high performance race on a track. The closest I have to a real race track event is the interstate highway and I can tell you from experience that the highway patrol gets very edgy if a fella shows up on an overpass with a long lens. This is the kind of thing that you play around with, pray and then show up to the track in the hopes that the issue doesn't persist.
I have the largest race of the year this weekend and I am dreading what's going to happen. I hope, sincerely, one of you is going to read that and say "oh that idiot forgot to check that one setting" and I do and a flood of relief washes over me. I'm not exaggerating when I say this has been a stressor for me for the entire year. Anyway, sorry for such a long post but I'm praying someone here can give me some sort of insight that doesn't lead to selling off the camera body. Thanks in advance for any insight.
Aug 18, 2026 at 05:58 AM
p.1 #2 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
Weird one, are you using a CPL filter on the lens?
Aug 18, 2026 at 06:15 AM
p.1 #3 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
I absolutely am. The Helix maglock Circular Polarizer, which I can't link because my account is new and links are blocked. But do you think a polarizer can affect that? I used the same on on the a7iv for years with no issue. I'd not even considered a filter as a possible vector for the problem to be honest.
Aug 18, 2026 at 06:25 AM
p.1 #4 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
It's fairly common to have issues with front filters on long teles if they are not truly flat and aligned.
I've had isses with the 200-600 on an a7rV with a substandard filter for example.
EBH
I've had isses with the 200-600 on an a7rV with a substandard filter for example.
EBH
Aug 18, 2026 at 06:42 AM
p.1 #5 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
A few thoughts to try.
1. The CPL is certainly suspect.
2. The combination of settings seems suspect as well. The 200-600 is known to have slow focus to the point that it can have issues with focus on R series cameras when shooting action like birds in flight. The usual recommendation is to step up to an a9 or a1 series if this is a critical problem for you. You are shooting in mechanical shutter. So the shutter closes, and the sensor does not have the opportunity to provide continuous high speed focus commands to the lens. With this I would expect it to operate more like an R series camera in focus ability. You also have the subject recognition turned off, seems like that would disable the fancy AI tracking that you are paying for.
If it were me, I would take off the CPL. Shoot electronic shutter, shoot AF-C tracking with a focus box you find useful. Priority set in AF-C balanced. Subject: Car/Plane, change to a more persistent tracking so as not to jump to the background.
If that doesn't work, I would try a rented different 200-600. If that doesn't work, get a long lens with linear XD motors, 300GM and a set of TCs.
1. The CPL is certainly suspect.
2. The combination of settings seems suspect as well. The 200-600 is known to have slow focus to the point that it can have issues with focus on R series cameras when shooting action like birds in flight. The usual recommendation is to step up to an a9 or a1 series if this is a critical problem for you. You are shooting in mechanical shutter. So the shutter closes, and the sensor does not have the opportunity to provide continuous high speed focus commands to the lens. With this I would expect it to operate more like an R series camera in focus ability. You also have the subject recognition turned off, seems like that would disable the fancy AI tracking that you are paying for.
If it were me, I would take off the CPL. Shoot electronic shutter, shoot AF-C tracking with a focus box you find useful. Priority set in AF-C balanced. Subject: Car/Plane, change to a more persistent tracking so as not to jump to the background.
If that doesn't work, I would try a rented different 200-600. If that doesn't work, get a long lens with linear XD motors, 300GM and a set of TCs.
Aug 18, 2026 at 07:09 AM
p.1 #6 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
I would try it without. Long teles are super picky. I just picked up a b+w for a 70-200mm that couldn't nail focus at infinity with another brand. If you can try on a bird or something else fast and fairly erratic, that might just be your issue.
bobwhite wrote:
I absolutely am. The Helix maglock Circular Polarizer, which I can't link because my account is new and links are blocked. But do you think a polarizer can affect that? I used the same on on the a7iv for years with no issue. I'd not even considered a filter as a possible vector for the problem to be honest.
bobwhite wrote:
I absolutely am. The Helix maglock Circular Polarizer, which I can't link because my account is new and links are blocked. But do you think a polarizer can affect that? I used the same on on the a7iv for years with no issue. I'd not even considered a filter as a possible vector for the problem to be honest.
Aug 18, 2026 at 07:35 AM
p.1 #7 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
A1 11 with Sigma 500 with a clear filter Hoya Nano makes focus crazy . I just use lens hood on it.
Aug 18, 2026 at 09:05 AM
RoamingScott
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p.1 #8 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
A tale as old as time. If you have having issues while using a filter, re-test in the same conditions without the filter.
Aug 18, 2026 at 09:12 AM
p.1 #9 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
Just gonna shoot in order of replies
tschopp wrote:
2. The combination of settings seems suspect as well. The 200-600 is known to have slow focus to the point that it can have issues with focus on R series cameras when shooting action like birds in flight. The usual recommendation is to step up to an a9 or a1 series if this is a critical problem for you. You are shooting in mechanical shutter. So the shutter closes, and the sensor does not have the opportunity to provide continuous high speed focus commands to the lens. With this I would expect it to operate more like an R series...Show more →
I...have stepped up to an A1 series camera. Additionally, tracking and AI subject detection are two different features on the A1 II. One can be disabled while the other remains operational. Tracking modes have been a feature on on Sony cameras for awhile. Essentially I'm not really in it for the AI....I paid for the megapixels. As far as the shutter closing, by that logic the a7 iv wouldn't have the opportunity to provide continuous high speed focus commands to the lens and it does. And does very well.
tschopp wrote:
If it were me, I would take off the CPL. Shoot electronic shutter, shoot AF-C tracking with a focus box you find useful. Priority set in AF-C balanced. Subject: Car/Plane, change to a more persistent tracking so as not to jump to the background.
The challenge here is that you cannot, or should not, shoot motorsports with electronic shutter. The rolling shutter issue is still present and rotating tires are where it happens. I understand that most photographers who do not typically photograph rotating objects like to point, quite often, to the electronic shutter and tell me to use it but I can tell you from a decade of experience that nothing hurts the soul worse than a great shot getting ruined by oblong cartoonish wheels. Outside of that, the AI on the a1 ii doesn't work well with machines so car/plane is not a great solution because "persistent tracking" has not remotely been my, nor many other motorsports photographers, experience with it.
TheEmrys wrote:
I would try it without. Long teles are super picky. I just picked up a b+w for a 70-200mm that couldn't nail focus at infinity with another brand. If you can try on a bird or something else fast and fairly erratic, that might just be your issue.
I have tried it without. As I said I've been running a 50-150 GM with no issue. Which included using that lens to shoot jets in an airshow. Jets move considerably faster than cars or superbikes. That's how I've come to believe that the combination of the body and the lens is likely root of the issue.
RoamingScott wrote:
A tale as old as time. If you have having issues while using a filter, re-test in the same conditions without the filter.
I hear ya, I do. And you're largely correct. But these are $300 maglock helix CPL filters and both the 50-150 GM lens and the 200-600 G lens have identical models. Hot swapping the 50-150 lens onto the a1 ii camera body with the filter attached yields no issue. In fact, that lens operates perfectly in every way. Additionally, using the 200-600 on the a7 IV yields no issue. Works great just like it has for the last 6 or 7 years. I will, of course, take the filter off and test next time I'm at the track but I have decent reason to believe that it's not the filters that is the issue. Although hope you're right, I'm certainly skeptical in this case.
tschopp wrote:
2. The combination of settings seems suspect as well. The 200-600 is known to have slow focus to the point that it can have issues with focus on R series cameras when shooting action like birds in flight. The usual recommendation is to step up to an a9 or a1 series if this is a critical problem for you. You are shooting in mechanical shutter. So the shutter closes, and the sensor does not have the opportunity to provide continuous high speed focus commands to the lens. With this I would expect it to operate more like an R series...Show more →
I...have stepped up to an A1 series camera. Additionally, tracking and AI subject detection are two different features on the A1 II. One can be disabled while the other remains operational. Tracking modes have been a feature on on Sony cameras for awhile. Essentially I'm not really in it for the AI....I paid for the megapixels. As far as the shutter closing, by that logic the a7 iv wouldn't have the opportunity to provide continuous high speed focus commands to the lens and it does. And does very well.
tschopp wrote:
If it were me, I would take off the CPL. Shoot electronic shutter, shoot AF-C tracking with a focus box you find useful. Priority set in AF-C balanced. Subject: Car/Plane, change to a more persistent tracking so as not to jump to the background.
The challenge here is that you cannot, or should not, shoot motorsports with electronic shutter. The rolling shutter issue is still present and rotating tires are where it happens. I understand that most photographers who do not typically photograph rotating objects like to point, quite often, to the electronic shutter and tell me to use it but I can tell you from a decade of experience that nothing hurts the soul worse than a great shot getting ruined by oblong cartoonish wheels. Outside of that, the AI on the a1 ii doesn't work well with machines so car/plane is not a great solution because "persistent tracking" has not remotely been my, nor many other motorsports photographers, experience with it.
TheEmrys wrote:
I would try it without. Long teles are super picky. I just picked up a b+w for a 70-200mm that couldn't nail focus at infinity with another brand. If you can try on a bird or something else fast and fairly erratic, that might just be your issue.
I have tried it without. As I said I've been running a 50-150 GM with no issue. Which included using that lens to shoot jets in an airshow. Jets move considerably faster than cars or superbikes. That's how I've come to believe that the combination of the body and the lens is likely root of the issue.
RoamingScott wrote:
A tale as old as time. If you have having issues while using a filter, re-test in the same conditions without the filter.
I hear ya, I do. And you're largely correct. But these are $300 maglock helix CPL filters and both the 50-150 GM lens and the 200-600 G lens have identical models. Hot swapping the 50-150 lens onto the a1 ii camera body with the filter attached yields no issue. In fact, that lens operates perfectly in every way. Additionally, using the 200-600 on the a7 IV yields no issue. Works great just like it has for the last 6 or 7 years. I will, of course, take the filter off and test next time I'm at the track but I have decent reason to believe that it's not the filters that is the issue. Although hope you're right, I'm certainly skeptical in this case.
Aug 18, 2026 at 01:44 PM
p.1 #10 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
bobwhite wrote:
The challenge here is that you cannot, or should not, shoot motorsports with electronic shutter. The rolling shutter issue is still present and rotating tires are where it happens. I understand that most photographers who do not typically photograph rotating objects like to point, quite often, to the electronic shutter and tell me to use it but I can tell you from a decade of experience that nothing hurts the soul worse than a great shot getting ruined by oblong cartoonish wheels.
The A1's electronic shutter readout rate is 1/256, which is close to the travel speed of many mechanical shutters I've measured. I haven't measured the A1's mechanical shutter speed but if it's within the ballpark of most cameras then you shouldn't get any more rolling shutter distortion from the A1's electronic shutter than you do its mechanical.
That said, in remote situations where there is even a small amount of rolling shutter at these speeds (1/256) for both electronic and mechanical (for example, high-speed PWM LED lightning), it'll appear a bit less harsh on the mechanical due to the softening effect of the traveling edges of the mechanical curtains.
The challenge here is that you cannot, or should not, shoot motorsports with electronic shutter. The rolling shutter issue is still present and rotating tires are where it happens. I understand that most photographers who do not typically photograph rotating objects like to point, quite often, to the electronic shutter and tell me to use it but I can tell you from a decade of experience that nothing hurts the soul worse than a great shot getting ruined by oblong cartoonish wheels.
The A1's electronic shutter readout rate is 1/256, which is close to the travel speed of many mechanical shutters I've measured. I haven't measured the A1's mechanical shutter speed but if it's within the ballpark of most cameras then you shouldn't get any more rolling shutter distortion from the A1's electronic shutter than you do its mechanical.
That said, in remote situations where there is even a small amount of rolling shutter at these speeds (1/256) for both electronic and mechanical (for example, high-speed PWM LED lightning), it'll appear a bit less harsh on the mechanical due to the softening effect of the traveling edges of the mechanical curtains.
Aug 18, 2026 at 02:06 PM
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p.1 #11 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
Maybe the a9 3 is a better solution for your auto racing images to eliminate the rolling shutter. I've never noticed it with my a1 but I don't shoot fast cars. I do shoot fast ball sports, but I imagine they are not moving as fast as racing car wheels.
bobwhite wrote:
Just gonna shoot in order of replies
I...have stepped up to an A1 series camera. Additionally, tracking and AI subject detection are two different features on the A1 II. One can be disabled while the other remains operational. Tracking modes have been a feature on on Sony cameras for awhile. Essentially I'm not really in it for the AI....I paid for the megapixels. As far as the shutter closing, by that logic the a7 iv wouldn't have the opportunity to provide continuous high speed focus commands to the lens and it does. And does very well.
The challenge here is that you...Show more →
bobwhite wrote:
Just gonna shoot in order of replies
tschopp wrote
2. The combination of settings seems suspect as well. The 200-600 is known to have slow focus to the point that it can have issues with focus on R series cameras when shooting action like birds in flight. The usual recommendation is to step up to an a9 or a1 series if this is a critical problem for you. You are shooting in mechanical shutter. So the shutter closes, and the sensor does not have the opportunity to provide continuous high speed focus commands to the lens. With this I would expect it to operate more like an R series camera in focus ability. You also have the subject recognition turned off, seems like that would disable the fancy AI tracking that you are paying for..tschopp wrote
If it were me, I would take off the CPL. Shoot electronic shutter, shoot AF-C tracking with a focus box you find useful. Priority set in AF-C balanced. Subject: Car/Plane, change to a more persistent tracking so as not to jump to the background.TheEmrys wrote
I would try it without. Long teles are super picky. I just picked up a b+w for a 70-200mm that couldn't nail focus at infinity with another brand. If you can try on a bird or something else fast and fairly erratic, that might just be your issue.RoamingScott wrote
A tale as old as time. If you have having issues while using a filter, re-test in the same conditions without the filter.Aug 18, 2026 at 03:30 PM
p.1 #12 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
bobwhite wrote:
Just gonna shoot in order of replies
I...have stepped up to an A1 series camera. Additionally, tracking and AI subject detection are two different features on the A1 II. One can be disabled while the other remains operational. Tracking modes have been a feature on on Sony cameras for awhile. Essentially I'm not really in it for the AI....I paid for the megapixels. As far as the shutter closing, by that logic the a7 iv wouldn't have the opportunity to provide continuous high speed focus commands to the lens and it does. And does very well.
This forum has pages upon pages dedicated to how to fix 200-600 focus on high resolution bodies, mostly the a7Riv. I don't recall discussions about problems on lower resolution like a7iii or a7iv. Focus requirements are significantly harder on a high resolution body. I also don't recall any easy fix involving an AF setting or other simple setting. Some people had more difficulty than others, maybe some individual lens body combinations were better or worse than others. Movement to an a9 or a1 seemed to be the most reliable fix to poor focus on 200-600.
So yes, I understand you are on A1ii, but it is worth looking at what are the differences between an a1 or a9 and a modern a7R. The main consensus on why focus is significantly better is because there is no blackout on the sensor due to the shutter. The sensor can continuously update the lens focus settings, this allows it to lock and track a target significantly better. In order to get this significant improvement in focus you need to shoot electronic shutter. As Snapsy pointed out there is very little difference in rolling shutter between mechanical on an a7iv and electronic on an a1. If you found rolling shutter acceptable on the a7iv you should at least try electronic on the a1.
The AI tracking is more than just choosing the subject for you. At least for people it is used to determine the position of the person and anticipate the movement, Sony refers to this as 4d tracking. I don't know if this is implemented in cars/planes, but that is the reason you might want AI tracking over non-subject tracking on an a1ii even if you have no trouble selecting the target to track.
The CPL could be a factor, even if it works fine on your 50-150. The 50-150 has fast XD linear motors and it will be hard to make that lens miss focus. I find the same thing on the 135GM, it might focus on the wrong thing due to my fault, but I don't see it miss focus.
If you can't get 200-600 working to your satisfaction, then at some point getting a faster focusing lens is really the answer. If it were me, my first stop would be the 300GM with TC's as needed. The 100-400/4.5 might be worth a look, or even the 100-400 original GM.
Just gonna shoot in order of replies
I...have stepped up to an A1 series camera. Additionally, tracking and AI subject detection are two different features on the A1 II. One can be disabled while the other remains operational. Tracking modes have been a feature on on Sony cameras for awhile. Essentially I'm not really in it for the AI....I paid for the megapixels. As far as the shutter closing, by that logic the a7 iv wouldn't have the opportunity to provide continuous high speed focus commands to the lens and it does. And does very well.
This forum has pages upon pages dedicated to how to fix 200-600 focus on high resolution bodies, mostly the a7Riv. I don't recall discussions about problems on lower resolution like a7iii or a7iv. Focus requirements are significantly harder on a high resolution body. I also don't recall any easy fix involving an AF setting or other simple setting. Some people had more difficulty than others, maybe some individual lens body combinations were better or worse than others. Movement to an a9 or a1 seemed to be the most reliable fix to poor focus on 200-600.
So yes, I understand you are on A1ii, but it is worth looking at what are the differences between an a1 or a9 and a modern a7R. The main consensus on why focus is significantly better is because there is no blackout on the sensor due to the shutter. The sensor can continuously update the lens focus settings, this allows it to lock and track a target significantly better. In order to get this significant improvement in focus you need to shoot electronic shutter. As Snapsy pointed out there is very little difference in rolling shutter between mechanical on an a7iv and electronic on an a1. If you found rolling shutter acceptable on the a7iv you should at least try electronic on the a1.
The AI tracking is more than just choosing the subject for you. At least for people it is used to determine the position of the person and anticipate the movement, Sony refers to this as 4d tracking. I don't know if this is implemented in cars/planes, but that is the reason you might want AI tracking over non-subject tracking on an a1ii even if you have no trouble selecting the target to track.
The CPL could be a factor, even if it works fine on your 50-150. The 50-150 has fast XD linear motors and it will be hard to make that lens miss focus. I find the same thing on the 135GM, it might focus on the wrong thing due to my fault, but I don't see it miss focus.
If you can't get 200-600 working to your satisfaction, then at some point getting a faster focusing lens is really the answer. If it were me, my first stop would be the 300GM with TC's as needed. The 100-400/4.5 might be worth a look, or even the 100-400 original GM.
Aug 18, 2026 at 05:46 PM
p.1 #13 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
A few thoughts:
Already mentioned, A1 ES is no disadvantage regarding rolling shutter.
Speed of subject is mostly irrelevant, regarding AF.
Welcome swallows in flight is a challenging subject. Maybe 30mph?
Airshows with jets doing 500mph, very easy.
Motorsports, not as easy as jets but easier than small birds.
While there are lenses better for Swallows, the 200-600 manages fine.
You have said you will try without filter, smart move.
Unless you lens has a problem, the body and lens can do what you need.
Already mentioned, A1 ES is no disadvantage regarding rolling shutter.
Speed of subject is mostly irrelevant, regarding AF.
Welcome swallows in flight is a challenging subject. Maybe 30mph?
Airshows with jets doing 500mph, very easy.
Motorsports, not as easy as jets but easier than small birds.
While there are lenses better for Swallows, the 200-600 manages fine.
You have said you will try without filter, smart move.
Unless you lens has a problem, the body and lens can do what you need.
Aug 18, 2026 at 05:50 PM
p.1 #14 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
If you are unwilling to shoot without the cpl and at least try, then there is really no point trying to troubleshoot.
All you have to do is take two shots, one with and one without, and then compare. My focus would lock, but the images were completely out of focus, even though the body thought it was in focus.
It can really be this simple. And the experience with the 50-150/2 doesn't matter. It may not be a camera issue or a filter issue, just a combo of lens and filter. At least try, for the love of God. And show us the jpeg comparisons.
All you have to do is take two shots, one with and one without, and then compare. My focus would lock, but the images were completely out of focus, even though the body thought it was in focus.
It can really be this simple. And the experience with the 50-150/2 doesn't matter. It may not be a camera issue or a filter issue, just a combo of lens and filter. At least try, for the love of God. And show us the jpeg comparisons.
Aug 18, 2026 at 05:52 PM
p.1 #15 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
I’m not a dedicated motorsports shooter but haven’t had rolling shutter issues with my A1 / A1 II or a9 II and only use e shutter on those bodies when shooting track days.
I prefer to pan and use a slower shutter speed for motion blur anyway though.
The filter sounds like the most likely culprit regardless.
I prefer to pan and use a slower shutter speed for motion blur anyway though.
The filter sounds like the most likely culprit regardless.
Aug 18, 2026 at 05:59 PM
p.1 #16 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
"I will, of course, take the filter off and test next time"
Post#9, last paragraph.
TheEmrys wrote:
If you are unwilling to shoot without the cpl and at least try, then there is really no point trying to troubleshoot.
All you have to do is take two shots, one with and one without, and then compare. My focus would lock, but the images were completely out of focus, even though the body thought it was in focus.
It can really be this simple. And the experience with the 50-150/2 doesn't matter. It may not be a camera issue or a filter issue, just a combo of lens and filter. At least try, for the love of God. And...Show more →
Post#9, last paragraph.
TheEmrys wrote:
If you are unwilling to shoot without the cpl and at least try, then there is really no point trying to troubleshoot.
All you have to do is take two shots, one with and one without, and then compare. My focus would lock, but the images were completely out of focus, even though the body thought it was in focus.
It can really be this simple. And the experience with the 50-150/2 doesn't matter. It may not be a camera issue or a filter issue, just a combo of lens and filter. At least try, for the love of God. And...Show more →
Aug 18, 2026 at 06:08 PM
p.1 #17 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
So this evening I set up a chair in my yard. My yard has about 150' of road frontage. Posted speed limit is 45 mph and the average driver is hitting 50-60 mph passing my home. I've only shot the a1 ii on-track with cars going 100+ mph on average. Bit of a speed difference here. My goal here was to sit for several hours and try the a1 ii/200-600mm combo with and without the CPL and take everything you've all said into consideration and try to see what I could discover. I have several observations.
Autofocus: absolutely no issues with any car for 3 solid hours. Autofocus lock was snappy regardless of Focus Area type that was used. I mean no issue at all. None. It grabbed, it locked, it worked exactly as it was supposed to. It was snappy and responsive and incredible, as it should be. Neither usage of the electronic shutter nor the mechanical shutter made any difference in the ability to lock on. I was absolutely unable to replicate the issues that I have at the track with this set of test conditions (my yard and cars moving 60mph or less).
Shutter Type: I used both electronic and mechanical shutter. I immediately got noticeable examples of rolling shutter on car rims. Swirling vortex patterns on rims around the center where lug nuts reside. It is subtle at these speeds but it is absolutely, without a doubt noticeable. I attempted to upload the images here but this forum has blocked my ability to do so.
I have tried twice to post links to these photos but this forum is blocking it because my account is new, so you're just going to have to take my word for this until it decides to stop preventing from from submitting links.
All photos were shot at 200mm, ISO 100, f/7.1 - f/13 and 1/80 - 1/100 sec. The shutter speed is fairly standard for a normal motorsports pan shot. Note the "liquid" vortex-ing and irregularity between rim spoke spacing in some. It's not world ending photo ruination in these pictures, I fully concede. But it is noticeable and, I suspect, it would be more pronounced on faster moving cars and resemble my prior experience with shooting electronic shutter in motorsports.
CPL Filter:
Many of you have had comments about the CPL. I want to point out that you do not use a CPL to keep glare off the lens itself. Yes a lens hood certainly works well for that. You use a CPL in motorsports to kill the glare off the glass. 2pm sunlight off an asphalt track will totally blow out a windshield or window in a car photo especially when they are moving. CPLs are absolutely critical in motorsports photo. That said, I did shoot with and without my usual expensive CPL filters. I have 3. I swapped all 3 out to test and then tested without a CPL. There was definitely no detectable effects on autofocus. As stated above, autofocus worked great. Impeccably so. With or without any one of my 3 identical make/model/mfg CPL filters.
My take away from this is that every issue I am having is occurring at the track with speed greater than what was present in this test case. I was utterly unable to replicate the issue with it locking on, or the green blocks jumping all over the place and grabbing the background ect. Something is happening with the combination of the body, the lens and the subject moving at great speed. And I need to find out what and how to resolve it.
That said, in order of replies:
timgangloff wrote:
Maybe the a9 3 is a better solution for your auto racing images to eliminate the rolling shutter. I've never noticed it with my a1 but I don't shoot fast cars. I do shoot fast ball sports, but I imagine they are not moving as fast as racing car wheels.
That is what I'm coming to as well and it kills me. Buying the A1 ii was a great feeling that happened after months of pouring over every motorsports blog, site and post I could find to try to find complaints or issues. The most I could find was from sports shooters that photograph humans complaining that the autofocus and the AI detection had challenges with people and jumping from one person to another when groups of people were clustered. I figured me not shooting humans made that a null issue.
tschopp wrote:
If you can't get 200-600 working to your satisfaction, then at some point getting a faster focusing lens is really the answer. If it were me, my first stop would be the 300GM with TC's as needed. The 100-400/4.5 might be worth a look, or even the 100-400 original GM.
A faster focus lens is definitely the ultimate answer but I'm praying its not the only one and that I can squeak out a win here by finding the culprit causing the issue and resolve it. The 300gm is damn pricey and my wife will bury an ice pick in my eye right now if I try something like that. I have, however, rented a 400 GM for this weekend and I'm going back to the same track where I always have this problem to test it versus the 200-600 and see. I'm hoping there is some sort of revelation there that will be useful. I doubt it. But at the worst I can say I shot on a 400 GM lol.
Choderboy wrote:
Speed of subject is mostly irrelevant, regarding AF.
My test detailed above seems to not support that sentiment. Speed seems to be creating an issue here.
TheEmrys wrote:
If you are unwilling to shoot without the cpl and at least try, then there is really no point trying to troubleshoot.
I'm not sure why you're under the impression that I'm unwilling. I detailed my findings above but I'd already said I was willing to try it, I was just skeptical given that these were not cheap filters and that I have 3 of them and I've had the same problem with all of them on the a1 ii. And that the same 200-600 lens placed on my a7 iv with the same 3 filters has no trouble at all.
liggy wrote:
I’m not a dedicated motorsports shooter but haven’t had rolling shutter issues with my A1 / A1 II or a9 II and only use e shutter on those bodies when shooting track days. I prefer to pan and use a slower shutter speed for motion blur anyway though. The filter sounds like the most likely culprit regardless.
Ok so you are the first and only motorsports shooter that I can find that's replied to me that has an 1 II and similar use cases and conditions. I'm very glad you're here and hope you can give more insight based on what I've said in my test case above. The filters do not seem to be the culprit unfortunately. I would throw the bastards into the sea if that turned out to be the case given how much consternation this whole situation has given me for the last 8 months or so. I too do a lot of pan shots for motion blur with speed 1/100 or lower (obviously that varies based on the car and its speed but you take my point). I've had problems with this thing locking on at all when something is moving fast. When I say "fast" I mean roughly at or above 100 mph. Ferraris, lamborghinis, mclarens, prototypes and that sort of thing.
Alright....I think that covers all the replies. And I want to underscore this: I'm not trying to be contrarian or a dick about this. I thank each and every one of you for coming here and commenting and sharing your insights and experiences. But we all know that each of us practices a different type of photography with different subject matters and different conditions and different light and so on. And that's what makes photo trouble shooting such a pain in the ass. I thank each and every one of you for trying to help and sharing information and I pray, god I pray, that I can somehow find the culprit and make this camera work with the 200-600 because I really, really liked that lens until it met this a1 ii and they decided not to get along. I'm hoping I can make this work and no have to sell one or both of them.
Autofocus: absolutely no issues with any car for 3 solid hours. Autofocus lock was snappy regardless of Focus Area type that was used. I mean no issue at all. None. It grabbed, it locked, it worked exactly as it was supposed to. It was snappy and responsive and incredible, as it should be. Neither usage of the electronic shutter nor the mechanical shutter made any difference in the ability to lock on. I was absolutely unable to replicate the issues that I have at the track with this set of test conditions (my yard and cars moving 60mph or less).
Shutter Type: I used both electronic and mechanical shutter. I immediately got noticeable examples of rolling shutter on car rims. Swirling vortex patterns on rims around the center where lug nuts reside. It is subtle at these speeds but it is absolutely, without a doubt noticeable. I attempted to upload the images here but this forum has blocked my ability to do so.
I have tried twice to post links to these photos but this forum is blocking it because my account is new, so you're just going to have to take my word for this until it decides to stop preventing from from submitting links.
All photos were shot at 200mm, ISO 100, f/7.1 - f/13 and 1/80 - 1/100 sec. The shutter speed is fairly standard for a normal motorsports pan shot. Note the "liquid" vortex-ing and irregularity between rim spoke spacing in some. It's not world ending photo ruination in these pictures, I fully concede. But it is noticeable and, I suspect, it would be more pronounced on faster moving cars and resemble my prior experience with shooting electronic shutter in motorsports.
CPL Filter:
Many of you have had comments about the CPL. I want to point out that you do not use a CPL to keep glare off the lens itself. Yes a lens hood certainly works well for that. You use a CPL in motorsports to kill the glare off the glass. 2pm sunlight off an asphalt track will totally blow out a windshield or window in a car photo especially when they are moving. CPLs are absolutely critical in motorsports photo. That said, I did shoot with and without my usual expensive CPL filters. I have 3. I swapped all 3 out to test and then tested without a CPL. There was definitely no detectable effects on autofocus. As stated above, autofocus worked great. Impeccably so. With or without any one of my 3 identical make/model/mfg CPL filters.
My take away from this is that every issue I am having is occurring at the track with speed greater than what was present in this test case. I was utterly unable to replicate the issue with it locking on, or the green blocks jumping all over the place and grabbing the background ect. Something is happening with the combination of the body, the lens and the subject moving at great speed. And I need to find out what and how to resolve it.
That said, in order of replies:
timgangloff wrote:
Maybe the a9 3 is a better solution for your auto racing images to eliminate the rolling shutter. I've never noticed it with my a1 but I don't shoot fast cars. I do shoot fast ball sports, but I imagine they are not moving as fast as racing car wheels.
That is what I'm coming to as well and it kills me. Buying the A1 ii was a great feeling that happened after months of pouring over every motorsports blog, site and post I could find to try to find complaints or issues. The most I could find was from sports shooters that photograph humans complaining that the autofocus and the AI detection had challenges with people and jumping from one person to another when groups of people were clustered. I figured me not shooting humans made that a null issue.
tschopp wrote:
If you can't get 200-600 working to your satisfaction, then at some point getting a faster focusing lens is really the answer. If it were me, my first stop would be the 300GM with TC's as needed. The 100-400/4.5 might be worth a look, or even the 100-400 original GM.
A faster focus lens is definitely the ultimate answer but I'm praying its not the only one and that I can squeak out a win here by finding the culprit causing the issue and resolve it. The 300gm is damn pricey and my wife will bury an ice pick in my eye right now if I try something like that. I have, however, rented a 400 GM for this weekend and I'm going back to the same track where I always have this problem to test it versus the 200-600 and see. I'm hoping there is some sort of revelation there that will be useful. I doubt it. But at the worst I can say I shot on a 400 GM lol.
Choderboy wrote:
Speed of subject is mostly irrelevant, regarding AF.
My test detailed above seems to not support that sentiment. Speed seems to be creating an issue here.
TheEmrys wrote:
If you are unwilling to shoot without the cpl and at least try, then there is really no point trying to troubleshoot.
I'm not sure why you're under the impression that I'm unwilling. I detailed my findings above but I'd already said I was willing to try it, I was just skeptical given that these were not cheap filters and that I have 3 of them and I've had the same problem with all of them on the a1 ii. And that the same 200-600 lens placed on my a7 iv with the same 3 filters has no trouble at all.
liggy wrote:
I’m not a dedicated motorsports shooter but haven’t had rolling shutter issues with my A1 / A1 II or a9 II and only use e shutter on those bodies when shooting track days. I prefer to pan and use a slower shutter speed for motion blur anyway though. The filter sounds like the most likely culprit regardless.
Ok so you are the first and only motorsports shooter that I can find that's replied to me that has an 1 II and similar use cases and conditions. I'm very glad you're here and hope you can give more insight based on what I've said in my test case above. The filters do not seem to be the culprit unfortunately. I would throw the bastards into the sea if that turned out to be the case given how much consternation this whole situation has given me for the last 8 months or so. I too do a lot of pan shots for motion blur with speed 1/100 or lower (obviously that varies based on the car and its speed but you take my point). I've had problems with this thing locking on at all when something is moving fast. When I say "fast" I mean roughly at or above 100 mph. Ferraris, lamborghinis, mclarens, prototypes and that sort of thing.
Alright....I think that covers all the replies. And I want to underscore this: I'm not trying to be contrarian or a dick about this. I thank each and every one of you for coming here and commenting and sharing your insights and experiences. But we all know that each of us practices a different type of photography with different subject matters and different conditions and different light and so on. And that's what makes photo trouble shooting such a pain in the ass. I thank each and every one of you for trying to help and sharing information and I pray, god I pray, that I can somehow find the culprit and make this camera work with the 200-600 because I really, really liked that lens until it met this a1 ii and they decided not to get along. I'm hoping I can make this work and no have to sell one or both of them.
Aug 18, 2026 at 06:51 PM
p.1 #18 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
bobwhite wrote:
I have tried twice to post links to these photos but this forum is blocking it because my account is new, so you're just going to have to take my word for this until it decides to stop preventing from from submitting links.
I just PM'd you my email address. If you email me the photo links I'll post them to this thread on your behalf.
I have tried twice to post links to these photos but this forum is blocking it because my account is new, so you're just going to have to take my word for this until it decides to stop preventing from from submitting links.
I just PM'd you my email address. If you email me the photo links I'll post them to this thread on your behalf.
Aug 18, 2026 at 07:00 PM
p.1 #19 A1 II Persistent Autofocus Issues
I own an A1 II and shoot plenty of motorsports. I used to own the 200-600mm as well, but I don't think I used it much with the A1 II before I sold it. Because I started using other lenses (300mm GM and 400-800mm)
I do remember the 200-600mm was a little slower at AF. So I did notice a slightly lower keeper rate. But shooting extra shots a given spot, I was able to get the shot I wanted
As far as the A1 II goes, I don't have the issues with subject detection you seem to be having. So I use it all the time on car subject detection. It detects cars fine for me. Even coming over ridges and around corners. I usually use it with either zone area or XL spot (no tracking on either) It even will go to the helmet on open wheeled cars. Also will detect motorcycles most of the time
I also use electronic shutter exclusively. No issues on panning shots. You may notice catch fence posts slightly askew sometimes. But you really have to look closely to see it. I use an A9 III now for panning shots (global shutter eliminates rolling shutter altogether) but I used to shoot most of my panning shots with an A9 before that (Slower sensor scan speed than A1 II) using electronic shutter without problems
Not really sure why your camera is having issues. Maybe the try without the CPL like others suggested and see if that helps. I would also try electronic shutter as that greatly increases panning keeper rate without the shutter vibration. But you seem to have very strong feelings about that. So I won't push it. But I never use Mechanical
Before I bought the A1 II and A9III with car subject detection I used zone, medium and large spot. I rarely used wide
Here's some examples with a variety of bodies and lenses. all using electronic shutter. You can also look at my gallery for more examples
I do remember the 200-600mm was a little slower at AF. So I did notice a slightly lower keeper rate. But shooting extra shots a given spot, I was able to get the shot I wanted
As far as the A1 II goes, I don't have the issues with subject detection you seem to be having. So I use it all the time on car subject detection. It detects cars fine for me. Even coming over ridges and around corners. I usually use it with either zone area or XL spot (no tracking on either) It even will go to the helmet on open wheeled cars. Also will detect motorcycles most of the time
I also use electronic shutter exclusively. No issues on panning shots. You may notice catch fence posts slightly askew sometimes. But you really have to look closely to see it. I use an A9 III now for panning shots (global shutter eliminates rolling shutter altogether) but I used to shoot most of my panning shots with an A9 before that (Slower sensor scan speed than A1 II) using electronic shutter without problems
Not really sure why your camera is having issues. Maybe the try without the CPL like others suggested and see if that helps. I would also try electronic shutter as that greatly increases panning keeper rate without the shutter vibration. But you seem to have very strong feelings about that. So I won't push it. But I never use Mechanical
Before I bought the A1 II and A9III with car subject detection I used zone, medium and large spot. I rarely used wide
Here's some examples with a variety of bodies and lenses. all using electronic shutter. You can also look at my gallery for more examples
ILCE-1M2 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports 025 lens 568mm f/4.0 1/400s 250 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-9M3 FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II lens 118mm f/16.0 1/50s 250 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-9M3 FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II lens 200mm f/10.0 1/50s 125 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-9 200mm f/11.0 1/50s 50 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-9 FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens 109mm f/11.0 1/60s 50 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1M2 FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS lens 735mm f/8.0 1/500s 200 ISO 0.0 EV
ILCE-1 FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS lens 159mm f/10.0 1/80s 50 ISO 0.0 EV
Aug 18, 2026 at 07:18 PM