In this lesson we’ll go over the specific settings I use and recommend for autofocusing with the Sony a7S and a7S II. Note: This is just a quick setup guide for those who already know everything about autofocus but just want to know how I have set it up. For detailed instructions on all the settings and why I chose the settings I have, please watch the next lesson.
The following video was made for the a7S, but the exact same settings apply to the a7S II, except one difference:
For a7S II users: Center Lock-on AF on the a7S II is much worse for some reason. I’ll check again but the only setting one can change that might affect this is Digital Zoom, which I tried turning off. Even changing the Focus Area settings doesn’t make things better.
Notes:
In the first customization option, I mention Focus Settings but use Focus Area instead. Both get me there in two clicks, so it’s not very different. Focus Settings is more intuitive, though for some strange reason you still need to click once to start moving the box – so there’s no speed advantage.
Quick Reference
Here’s a quick summary of how I recommend you use autofocus for best results:
| Setting | Value |
| Focus Mode | Continuous AF |
| Focus Area | Flexible Spot (M) |
| Focus Settings | Used to move the spot |
| AF Illuminator | Auto |
| Center Lock-on AF | On |
| Smile/Face Detect. | Off |
| MF Assist | On |
| Focus Magnif. Time | No Limit |
| Peaking Level | Mid |
| Peaking Color | Yellow |
| Pre-AF | On |
| AF w/shutter | On |
| AF Micro Adj. (Adjustment Set.) | Off |
| Rear Dial Bottom Button | Focus Area or Focus Settings |
| Rear Dial Center Button | Center Lock-on AF |
| Half Shutter Press | To autofocus |
| Focushold button | To hold focus, and activate manual focus |
