10 Surprising Features on sony alpha cameras you might not know about
From back button focus and time-lapse shooting, to clear image zoom and focus peaking, here’s a rundown of 10 useful sony alpha camera features which you might not be taking advantage of.
If you’re anything like me, camera user manuals probably aren’t your idea of a exciting read. While most of us have a pretty goodbasic understanding of our camera’s functions, a lot of great potential lies in some of the more advanced features.
In this blog, I’m going to look at 10 useful but often overlooked capabilities of Sony Alpha cameras. Whether you're capturing fast-moving wildlife, creating time-lapses, or want to shoot in complete silence, these advanced settings will help you get the most out of your gear.
Here’s a quick rundown of what we’ll cover:
Real-Time Eye Autofocus for Animals
Pixel Shift Multi Shooting
Interval Shooting for Time-Lapses
Touch Tracking
Silent Shooting Mode
Customisable Buttons
Focus Peaking
Back Button Focus
Clear Image Zoom
Switching to APS-C Mode
Although this blog covers features on the Sony Alpha range of cameras, users of other camera brands will have access to many of the same tools covered here as well.
1. Real-Time Eye Autofocus for Animals
Sony's Real-Time Eye Autofocus uses AI algorithms to detect and lock onto the eyes of subjects with amazing precision. This feature was once only available for human subjects, but now includes a range of animal species, including birds, making it invaluable for wildlife photographers.
By enabling Animal Eye AF in the menu, your camera can distinguish between various animal species, tracking their eyes even in complex environments.
This level of autofocus performance ensures your wildlife images are consistently sharp, even when shooting fast-moving or unpredictable animals, significantly improving your keeper rate in challenging shooting conditions.
A red kite photographed using Animal Eye Auto Focus. Photograph: Matt Garnett, 2023.
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Sony's Real-Time Eye Autofocus for Animals is a great tool that makes it easier than ever to capture sharp, detailed images of wildlife.
Let’s have a closer look at some of the possibilities available:
1. Customisation for Different Species:
Different animals have varying eye shapes, sizes, and colors. Sony's algorithm is optimised for a wide range of species, but you can fine-tune your settings based on the specific wildlife you're photographing. For instance, smaller birds with rapid movements might require more sensitive tracking settings compared to larger mammals.
2. Combining with Other AF Modes:
To maximise focus accuracy, consider combining Animal Eye AF with other autofocus modes such as Zone AF or Wide AF. Zone AF allows you to restrict the focus area to a specific part of the frame, making it easier to track animals in dense environments like forests or jungles.
3. Eye Start AF:
If your camera model supports Eye Start AF, enable this function to initiate autofocus as soon as you bring the camera to your eye. This reduces the lag time and ensures the camera is already focusing by the time you're ready to shoot.
4. Focus Area Customisation:
Advanced You can create custom focus areas tailored to their shooting style. This is particularly useful in scenarios where animals move unpredictably or when shooting in cluttered environments. Setting up a custom focus area helps the camera prioritise certain parts of the frame, enhancing tracking performance.
5. Tracking Sensitivity:
Adjust the tracking sensitivity settings to control how responsive the autofocus is to changes in subject movement. For erratic movements, a higher sensitivity setting ensures the camera quickly adapts to new positions, while a lower sensitivity is beneficial for smoother, more predictable movements.
6. Using Fast Frame Rates:
Pair Animal Eye AF with high-speed continuous shooting modes. Cameras like the Sony A9 II or A1 can shoot at up to 20 frames per second, ensuring you capture every fleeting moment with precision. This is especially useful for fast-moving subjects where each frame can make a difference.
7. Low Light Performance:
In low light conditions, where autofocus traditionally struggles, Sony's Animal Eye AF maintains its effectiveness. Utilise this feature alongside high ISO performance and fast lenses (with wide apertures) to capture well-exposed, sharp images even at dawn, dusk, or in dense foliage.
8. Firmware Updates:
Regularly check for firmware updates from Sony. These updates can enhance autofocus algorithms and overall camera performance, ensuring your gear is always at its best.
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Access the Menu:
Press the ‘Menu’ button on the back of your camera.
Navigate to the AF/MF Settings:
Use the control wheel or joystick to scroll through the menu tabs. Look for the ‘Camera Settings’ tab, which is typically represented by a camera icon. Find the sub-menu related to Autofocus/MF (AF/MF).
Select Face/Eye AF Settings:
In the AF/MF settings menu, Find and select ‘Face/Eye AF Settings’. This will open up more detailed options for face and eye autofocus.
Enable Eye AF:
Within the ‘Face/Eye AF Settings’ menu, you should see an option for ‘Eye AF’. Ensure that this is set to ‘On’.
Choose Animal Mode:
Next, look for the ‘Subject Detection’ option within the same menu. This option allows you to choose between human and animal eye detection. Select ‘Animal’.
Adjust Sensitivity and Tracking Options:
Navigate to ‘AF Tracking Sensitivity’ within the autofocus settings to adjust how responsive the tracking is to movement. Set it according to the subject's behavior you're photographing.
Confirm and Exit:
Once you’ve selected ‘Animal’ and adjusted your settings, press the ‘Menu’ button again to exit the menu. Your camera is now set to prioritise detecting and focusing on the eyes of animals.
Test the Settings:
Point your camera at an animal subject and half-press the shutter button to activate autofocus. You should see the camera detecting and tracking the animal’s eye with a focus box.
Animal Eye Autofocus can really enhance your enjoyment of wildlife photography by ensuring consistently sharp focus, even in tricky shooting conditions such as low light or capturing birds in flight. Go out and give it a try!
2. Pixel Shift Multi Shooting
Pixel Shift Multi Shooting enhances image resolution and colour accuracy by capturing four or sixteen separate images, each with a slight sensor shift of one pixel. You can then combine these images using Sony’s Imaging Edge software to produce a single high-resolution file of 240.8 MP!
Imaging Edge is free, and you can download it here.
To get the most out of Pixel Shift Multi Shooting, use a tripod and a remote shutter realease (or your camera’s internal timer) to avoid any camera movement during your capture sequence. As this process takes multiple images with a short time-lag in between, any movement in your scene will result in some motion blur. So, unless this is effect you’re looking for, it’s best to use Pixel Shift Multi Shooting to photograph static subjects like architecture, still lifes, and landscapes.
This mode captures incredible detail and resolution, but is best used on stationary subjects. Photograph: Matt Garnett, 2023.
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Pixel Shift Multi Shooting provides a powerful tool to achieve unparalleled image quality. Here’s an in-depth look at how to use this feature:
1. Understanding Pixel Shift Technology:
This technology moves the sensor in one-pixel increments to capture multiple images, each with different sub-pixel information. When combined, these images result in a file 240.9 MP file with higher resolution and more accurate color representation than a single shot can achieve.
2. Practical Applications
Landscape Photography: Capture expansive scenes with incredible detail and color fidelity, ideal for printing large format images.
Architectural Photography: Reduce moiré patterns and capture fine architectural details with enhanced accuracy, making it perfect for professional documentation and artistic projects.
Product Photography: Achieve highly detailed product shots with accurate colors, useful for commercial photography where product representation is crucial.
3. Optimising the Capture Process:
Use a Tripod: To ensure perfect alignment of the sensor shifts, mount your camera on a tripod.
Remote Shutter Release: Minimise camera shake by using a remote shutter release or the camera’s built-in timer function.
Stabilise the Environment: Ensure there is no movement in the scene, as even slight changes can disrupt the alignment of the multiple captures.
4. Post-Processing with Imaging Edge:
Import the Images: Transfer the captured images to your computer and open Sony’s Imaging Edge software.
Combine the Shots: Use the software’s Pixel Shift Multi Shooting feature to combine the images into a single high-resolution file. The software aligns and processes the images, enhancing detail and color accuracy.
Fine-Tune the Result: Adjust the final image for exposure, white balance, and sharpness as needed to achieve your desired look.
5. Advanced Techniques:
Manual Exposure Adjustments: For more control, manually adjust the exposure settings between captures if the lighting conditions change.
Custom White Balance: Set a custom white balance before capturing the series of images to ensure consistent color across all shots.
Bracketed Shots: Consider taking multiple Pixel Shift sequences with different exposure settings to create HDR images with even greater dynamic range.
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Access the Menu:
Press the ‘Menu’ button on the back of your camera.
Navigate to the Pixel Shift Settings:
Use the control wheel or joystick to scroll to the ‘Camera Settings’ tab.
Select Pixel Shift Multi Shooting:
Find the ‘Pixel Shift Multi Shooting’ option in the menu. Choose either the 4-shot or 16-shot mode depending on your desired level of detail and color accuracy.
Set the Interval:
Adjust the interval between shots if needed. A longer interval might be necessary to allow for stabilisation between captures.
Mount the Camera on a Tripod:
Ensure your camera is securely mounted on a tripod to prevent any movement during the capture sequence.
Use a Remote Shutter Release:
Connect and use a remote shutter release to minimise camera shake.
Capture the Sequence:
Press the shutter button to start the Pixel Shift sequence. The camera will take the designated number of shots with slight sensor shifts between each capture.
Transfer and Process the Images:
Import the images into Sony’s Imaging Edge software. Use the Pixel Shift feature to combine the images into one high-resolution file.
Pixel Shift Multi Shooting can help you achieve exceptional image quality with enhanced detail and colour accuracy.
This feature is particulary useful for high-resolution photography needs, providing a level of detail that surpasses standard single-shot captures.
3. Interval Shooting for Time-Lapses
Sony’s interval shooting feature is an easy way to create stunning time-lapse videos. You can set the shooting interval (the amount of time between each shot), number of shots, and start delay, all directly from the camera menu.
The individual images can then be processed into a time-lapse video using software like Sony’s Imaging Edge or Adobe Photoshop, letting you create dynamic time-lapses capturing changing urban environments, natural landscapes, or astrophotography scenes.
Star trails captured using interval shooting. Photo credit: Pexels.com, 2023.
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Interval shooting for time-lapses provides extensive creative possibilities. Let’s look at how to use and set up this feature:
1. Understanding Interval Shooting
Interval shooting captures a series of images at set intervals over a specified duration. These images are then combined to create a time-lapse video, which compresses hours of real-time into seconds or minutes of playback.
2. Practical Applications
Urban Environments:
Capture the hustle and bustle of city life, showing the dynamic flow of traffic, crowds, and changing lights.
Natural Landscapes:
Document natural phenomena such as sunsets, cloud movements, or blooming flowers.
Astrophotography:
This technique is great for creating astrophotography time-lapses such as star trails or capturting the movement of the Milky Way across they night sky.
3. Optimising the Capture Process
Use a Stable Tripod:
Ensure your camera is mounted on a tripod to avoid any movement between shots.
Use an External Power Source:
Connect your camera to an external power source to prevent battery depletion during long shooting sessions.
Manual Focus:
Set your lens to manual focus to avoid focus hunting between shots, ensuring consistent sharpness.
4. Post-Processing with Imaging Edge
Import the Images:
Transfer the captured images to your computer and open Sony’s Imaging Edge software.
Create the Time-Lapse:
Use the software’s time-lapse creation feature to compile the images into a video. Adjust playback speed, frame rate, and other settings as needed.
Fine-Tune the Video:
Use additional editing software if desired to add music, transitions, and other effects to enhance your time-lapse video.
5. Advanced Techniques
Exposure Smoothing:
Enable exposure smoothing in your camera settings to reduce flickering caused by changes in lighting conditions.
Bulb Ramping:
For day-to-night transitions, use bulb ramping techniques to gradually adjust exposure settings over time.
ND Filters:
Use neutral density (ND) filters to control exposure during bright daylight, allowing for longer shutter speeds and smoother motion in your time-lapse.
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Access the Menu:
Press the ‘Menu’ button on the back of your camera.
Navigate to the Interval Shooting Settings:
Use the control wheel or joystick to scroll to the ‘Camera Settings’ tab, then find the ‘Interval Shooting’ option.
Enable Interval Shooting:
Set ‘Interval Shooting’ to ‘On’.
Set Shooting Interval:
Adjust the interval between shots (e.g., 1 second, 5 seconds, etc.).
Set Number of Shots:
Define the total number of shots to be taken.
Set Start Delay:
Optionally, set a start delay if you want the shooting to begin after a specific period.
Mount the Camera on a Tripod:
Ensure your camera is securely mounted on a tripod to prevent any movement during the capture sequence.
Manual Focus and Exposure:
Set your lens to manual focus and adjust exposure settings to ensure consistency across all shots.
Start the Sequence:
Press the shutter button to begin the interval shooting sequence.
Using Interval Shooting to make you’re own time-lapses is a really fun way to capture movement and change over time, and creates a sense of depth and atmosphere that static images and regular video can‘t always convey.
4. Touch Tracking
Touch Tracking allows you to use your camera's touchscreen to select and track subjects in real-time. By tapping the LCD screen, the camera locks focus on the chosen subject and continues to track it as it moves across the frame.
This feature is particularly useful in video recording and high-speed photography, as it helps you maintain continuous focus on subjects even when they move in unexpected ways.
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Touch Tracking offers dynamic control over autofocus, enhancing your ability to capture sharp, in-focus images and videos.
Here’s a more detailed guide on how to use Touch Tracking:
1. Understanding Touch Tracking
Touch Tracking allows for immediate subject selection and tracking by simply tapping the touchscreen. This functionality uses advanced algorithms to maintain focus on the selected subject, even as it moves within the frame.
2. Practical Applications
Video Recording:
Use Touch Tracking to maintain focus on moving subjects during video shoots. This is particularly useful for documentary filmmaking, vlogs, and sports events where subjects move unpredictably.
Wildlife Photography:
Track animals as they move through their natural habitat, ensuring sharp focus without needing to manually adjust focus points.
Street Photography:
Capture candid moments in bustling urban environments, tracking subjects as they move through crowded scenes.
3. Optimising Touch Tracking Performance
Use Real-Time Tracking AF:
Combine Touch Tracking with Real-Time Tracking AF for enhanced subject recognition and focus accuracy. This combination uses AI to understand and predict subject movement.
Adjust AF Tracking Sensitivity:
Navigate to the autofocus settings and adjust the tracking sensitivity to control how quickly the camera responds to changes in subject movement. Higher sensitivity is ideal for fast-moving subjects, while lower sensitivity suits smoother, more predictable movement.
4. Fine-Tuning Focus Area
Flexible Spot AF:
Use Flexible Spot AF in conjunction with Touch Tracking to fine-tune the focus area, ensuring precise control over which part of the subject remains in focus.
Zone AF:
For broader focus coverage, use Zone AF. This setting allows the camera to track subjects within a designated zone, providing more flexibility in dynamic shooting environments.
5. Advanced Techniques
Combine with Face/Eye Detection:
Enhance portrait photography and video recording by combining Touch Tracking with Face/Eye Detection AF. This ensures that the camera prioritises the subject’s face and eyes, maintaining sharp focus on the most important features.
Customise Touch Sensitivity:
Adjust the touch sensitivity settings to ensure the touchscreen responds accurately to your inputs, reducing the risk of accidental selections or missed taps.
Multi-Point Touch Tracking:
For complex scenes with multiple moving subjects, use multi-point touch tracking to simultaneously track different subjects, ensuring comprehensive focus coverage.
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Access the Menu:
Press the ‘Menu’ button on the back of your camera.
Navigate to Touch Operation Settings:
Use the control wheel or joystick to scroll to the ‘Custom Settings’ tab (usually represented by a gear icon).
Enable Touch Operation:
Find and enable ‘Touch Operation’ if it’s not already turned on.
Select Touch Tracking Mode:
In the same menu, find the ‘Touch Tracking’ option and set it to ‘On’. This will activate the touch tracking functionality.
Select a Subject:
Frame your shot and tap on the LCD screen to select your subject. The camera will lock focus on the chosen subject and track it as it moves.
Monitor the Tracking:
Use the electronic viewfinder or LCD screen to monitor the focus tracking, ensuring it remains accurate.
Give Touch Tracking a go and you’ll see how it really does help you keep focus on difficult moving subjects, whether you’re capturing stills or recording video.
5. Silent Shooting Mode
Now, on to one of my personal favourites, especially when I’m photographing wildlife. Silent Shooting mode employs an electronic shutter to eliminate the noise produced by the mechanical shutter, making it ideal for environments where being quiet is the goal, such as weddings or when photographing wildlife.
Silent shooting mode helps you avoid disturbing wildlife, like this black woodpecker, when you’re in sensitive locations. Photograph: Matt Garnett, 2023.
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Silent Shooting Mode offers unique advantages and specific considerations that can enhance your shooting experience. Here’s a more advanced look at how to use this feature:
1. Understanding Silent Shooting Mode
Silent Shooting Mode uses an electronic shutter instead of a mechanical one, which completely eliminates the sound produced when taking a photo. This is particularly beneficial in quiet environments where even the slightest noise can be disruptive.
2. Practical Applications
Weddings and Ceremonies:
Capture intimate moments without disturbing the ambiance, ensuring that the sound of the shutter does not interrupt the event.
Wildlife Photography:
Shoot animals in their natural habitat without startling them, allowing you to get closer and capture more authentic behaviors.
Live Performances:
Document concerts, theater productions, and other performances without distracting the performers or audience with shutter noise.
3. Optimising Image Quality
Eliminating Shutter-Induced Vibrations:
The absence of mechanical movement in the electronic shutter helps reduce vibrations, which is especially beneficial for high-resolution photography where even minor vibrations can affect image sharpness.
Using a Tripod:
For maximum stability, especially in low light or high-resolution settings, mount your camera on a tripod to further reduce any potential for movement.
4. Addressing Rolling Shutter Artifacts
Understanding Rolling Shutter:
Rolling shutter artifacts occur when different parts of the image are exposed at different times, which can distort fast-moving subjects or scenes with rapid movement.
Minimising Artifacts:
To minimise these effects, avoid using Silent Shooting Mode in situations with fast-moving subjects or rapid camera movements. If necessary, switch to the mechanical shutter for these scenarios.
5. Advanced Techniques
Combine with Continuous Shooting:
Use Silent Shooting Mode in combination with high-speed continuous shooting to capture a series of images without any noise, perfect for moments where silence and rapid capture are both required.
Custom Function Assignment:
Assign Silent Shooting Mode to a custom button for quick activation and deactivation, allowing you to switch modes seamlessly based on the shooting situation.
Silent Shooting in Bulb Mode:
For long exposure photography where shutter vibration can be a concern, Silent Shooting Mode can be used in bulb mode to ensure maximum sharpness.
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Access the Menu:
Press the ‘Menu’ button on the back of your camera.
Navigate to Shutter/SteadyShot Settings:
Use the control wheel or joystick to scroll to the ‘Camera Settings’ tab.
Select Silent Shooting:
Find the ‘Silent Shooting’ option in the menu and set it to ‘On’. This will activate the electronic shutter for silent operation.
Test the Settings:
Frame your shot and take a photo to ensure that Silent Shooting Mode is active and no shutter sound is produced.
Of course, the click of a camera shutter is one of the greatest sounds there is! But for situations where you need to go unnoticed, Silent Shooting mode is the perfect solution.
6. Customisable Buttons
The high level of button customisation on Sony Alpha cameras allows you to modify your camera controls to your individual shooting style. Functions such as AF-ON, focus mode switching, and exposure adjustments can be assigned to various buttons.
You can also apply your preferred customisations to the My Menu feature, where you can group your frequently used settings together for quick access. This can help you shoot more quickly and intuitively, especially in fast-paced environments where fast adjustments are needed.
Adding custom buttons from the menu on the Sony A7III.
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Customisable buttons provide significant advantages, offering personalised control over camera functions to streamline the shooting process.
Here’s a closer look at the possibilities that come with this feature:
1. Understanding Customisable Buttons
Customisable buttons allow you to assign specific camera functions to various buttons on the camera body. This lets you quickly access and adjust settings without delving into the menu, which is especially beneficial in dynamic shooting scenarios.
2. Activating and Customising Buttons
Access the Menu:
Press the ‘Menu’ button on the back of your camera.
Navigate to Custom Key Settings:
Use the control wheel or joystick to scroll to the ‘Custom Settings’ tab, often represented by a gear icon.
Select Custom Key:
Find the ‘Custom Key’ option, which will allow you to assign functions to the customisable buttons.
3. Assigning Functions to Buttons
AF-ON Button:
Assign the AF-ON function to a convenient button for back button focusing, which separates focusing from the shutter release.
Focus Mode Switching:
Assign a button to toggle between different focus modes (e.g., AF-S, AF-C, MF) for quick adjustments based on your shooting needs.
Exposure Adjustments:
Assign buttons for ISO, white balance, or exposure compensation to make rapid exposure adjustments without taking your eye off the viewfinder.
Custom Functions:
Assign other custom functions such as peaking level, zebras, or grid lines to buttons that suit your workflow.
4. Optimising Custom Key Settings for Different Scenarios
Wildlife Photography:
Assign frequently used functions such as Animal Eye AF, silent shooting mode, and focus area selection to easily accessible buttons.
Sports Photography:
Customise buttons for continuous shooting mode, tracking sensitivity, and AF-C mode to quickly adapt to fast-paced action.
Portrait Photography:
Set buttons for Eye AF, face detection, and exposure compensation to capture perfect portraits with minimal distraction.
5. Using My Menu for Quick Access
Set Up My Menu:
In the ‘Menu’ settings, find the ‘My Menu’ option. Here, you can add frequently accessed menu items for quick access.
Customise My Menu:
Add functions such as image quality settings, format card, or interval shooting settings to your My Menu for streamlined navigation.
Access My Menu:
Once set up, you can quickly access My Menu by pressing the dedicated button or navigating to it through the main menu, reducing the time spent searching for settings.
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Access the Menu:
Press the ‘Menu’ button on the back of your camera.
Navigate to Custom Key Settings:
Use the control wheel or joystick to scroll to the ‘Custom Settings’ tab, often represented by a gear icon.
Select Custom Key:
Find the ‘Custom Key’ option, which will allow you to assign functions to the customisable buttons.
Assign Functions:
Select a button you want to customise and choose from the list of available functions. Assign the desired function to this button.
Repeat for Other Buttons:
Continue assigning functions to other customisable buttons based on your shooting preferences.
Test the Settings:
Use the buttons during a shooting session to ensure they perform the assigned functions as expected.
Using customisable buttons means that your most important functions will always be within easy reach, regardless of the shooting environment.
7. Focus Peaking
Focus Peaking makes manual focus easier by highlighting the in-focus areas of your scene with a coloured overlay, selectable in red, yellow, or white.
This feature is especially useful for macro photography, videography, and situations requiring precise focus control. You can adjust the peaking sensitivity to suit your preferences and shooting conditions, making it easier to get perfect focus in situations where you want to use manual focus.
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Focus Peaking provides a powerful tool to ensure precise manual focus. Let’s look at this fucntion in more depth:
1. Understanding Focus Peaking
Focus Peaking uses edge detection to highlight the areas of the image that are in sharp focus. This visual aid makes it easier to achieve and confirm critical focus, especially when shooting manually.
2. Practical Applications
Macro Photography:
Achieve precise focus on small subjects where depth of field is extremely shallow, ensuring that the critical parts of the subject are sharp.
Videography:
Maintain focus on moving subjects without relying on autofocus, which can be slower and less reliable in certain situations.
Portrait Photography:
Fine-tune focus on the subject’s eyes or other key features, especially when using fast prime lenses with narrow depth of field.
3. Optimising Focus Peaking Performance
Adjust Peaking Sensitivity:
Set the peaking sensitivity to ‘High’ for more aggressive highlighting, or ‘Low’ for a subtler effect. This can be adjusted depending on the complexity of the scene and your personal preference.
Use with Manual Focus Assist:
Combine Focus Peaking with Manual Focus Assist, which magnifies the image in the viewfinder or on the LCD screen to provide an even closer view of the focus area.
Check Peaking Visibility:
Ensure that the peaking color you choose stands out against your subject. Red or yellow often provides the best contrast, but this can vary based on the scene.
4. Advanced Techniques
Combine with Magnification:
Activate focus magnification to zoom in on the focus area while using Focus Peaking. This dual approach provides a highly detailed view, ensuring pinpoint accuracy.
Use in Low Light:
Enhance manual focusing in low-light conditions where autofocus may struggle. Focus Peaking can highlight the sharpest areas even when the scene is dimly lit.
Focus Stacking:
In macro photography, use Focus Peaking to identify the different focal planes. Capture multiple images at different focus distances to combine them later in post-processing for extended depth of field.
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Access the Menu:
Press the ‘Menu’ button on the back of your camera.
Navigate to Focus Peaking Settings:
Use the control wheel or joystick to scroll to the ‘Custom Settings’ tab (often represented by a gear icon).
Enable Focus Peaking:
Find the ‘Peaking Level’ option and set it to ‘High,’ ‘Mid,’ or ‘Low’ based on your preference.
Select Peaking Color:
Choose the ‘Peaking Color’ option and select a color (red, yellow, or white) that provides the best contrast against your subject.
Test the Settings:
Frame your subject and adjust the focus manually. The in-focus areas should be highlighted in your chosen color, indicating the points of sharpest focus.
With Focus Peaking you can significantly improve your manual focusing accuracy, making it a great tool for when you want to get creative with your focusing.
8. Back Button Focus
Our next feature is one that can really transform the way you thnk about using your camera. Back Button Focus removes the autofocus function from the shutter button, assigning it to a dedicated button, such as AF-ON, which you can find on the back of your camera.
This technique allows you to maintain continuous focus on a subject without re-engaging autofocus each time the shutter is pressed. It's particularly useful in wildlife photography, where your subjects are often moving unpredictably.
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Back Button Focus offers greater control and flexibility in various shooting scenarios. Here’s a look at how you can make the most of this feature:
1. The Advantages of Back Button Focus
Precision Control:
Unassigning autofocus from the shutter button allows you to lock focus on a subject and recompose your shot without the camera trying to refocus when you hit the shutter button to take your shot.
Continuous Focus:
Maintain continuous focus on moving subjects by holding down the back focus button, ideal for tracking fast-moving subjects in sports and wildlife photography.
Separation of Focus and Exposure:
By separating focus from the shutter button, you can control when to focus independently from when you take the shot, offering greater control over exposure and composition.
2. Practical Applications
Wildlife Photography:
Track animals through dense foliage or quickly moving subjects by holding down the back focus button, keeping them in sharp focus even as they move unpredictably.
Portrait Photography:
Lock focus on your subject’s eyes, then recompose the shot for better framing without losing focus.
3. Combining with Other Autofocus Modes
Continuous AF (AF-C):
Use Back Button Focus in combination with Continuous AF mode for subjects that are constantly moving. This keeps the subject in focus as long as the back focus button is pressed.
Single-Shot AF (AF-S):
For stationary subjects, use Back Button Focus with Single-Shot AF. Press the back focus button to lock focus, release it, and then recompose and shoot without the camera refocusing.
4. Customising Focus Area
Adjust the focus area to match your subject’s movement.
Options like Zone AF or Flexible Spot AF provide targeted focusing, which is particularly useful for erratic subjects in dynamic environments.
5. Advanced Techniques
Focus Peaking:
Enable Focus Peaking for manual focus assistance, which highlights in-focus areas with a colored overlay, providing visual confirmation of focus accuracy.
AF Tracking Sensitivity:
Adjust AF tracking sensitivity to fine-tune how quickly the autofocus system responds to changes in subject distance, optimising performance based on the speed of the subject.
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Access the Menu:
Press the ‘Menu’ button on the back of your camera.
Navigate to Custom Key Settings:
Use the control wheel or joystick to scroll to the ‘Custom Settings’ tab, often represented by a gear icon. Find the ‘Custom Key Settings’ submenu.
Assign AF-ON:
In the ‘Custom Key Settings’ menu, find the button you wish to assign the autofocus function to (typically the AF-ON button). Select ‘AF/MF Control Hold’ or ‘AF On’ to assign the autofocus function.
Disable Shutter AF:
Navigate to the ‘AF w/ shutter’ option in the autofocus settings and set it to ‘Off’. This ensures that the shutter button no longer controls autofocus.
Test the Settings:
Point your camera at a subject, press the back focus button to achieve focus, then release it. The focus should remain locked even if you press the shutter button or recompose your shot.
Using Back Button Focus gives you extra creative control over your camera’s autofocus system, allowing you to focus on your subject first and then try out different compositions.
9. Clear Image Zoom
The Clear Image Zoom feature effectively doubles the focal length of your lens, making it a great tool for extending your reach without carrying additional lenses around.
When using Clear Image Zoom, your camera first zooms optically to the maximum optical magnification of your lens, then enlarges the image by another 2x, producing sharp images even with the increased zoom. The one drawback of this feature is that it only works when your image quality is set to JPEG, and not RAW or RAW & JPEG.
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Clear Image Zoom is a powerful feature that allows you to achieve greater focal length without the need for additional lenses or significant image degradation.
Here’s a how you can make the most out of this feature:
1. Using Clear Image Zoom in Different Shooting Modes
Clear Image Zoom can be used in both still and video modes. In video mode, it provides additional reach without the quality loss that typically accompanies digital zoom, making it ideal for capturing distant subjects in high detail.
2. Combining Clear Image Zoom with Optical Zoom
Clear Image Zoom can be combined with the optical zoom range of your lens. For instance, if your lens has a 3x optical zoom, using Clear Image Zoom can extend the total zoom range to 6x without significant loss of quality.
3. Practical Applications
Wildlife Photography:
When you’re photographing animals from a distance, Clear Image Zoom allows you to fill the frame with your subject without disturbing them by moving closer.
4. Optimising Image Quality
For the best results, combine Clear Image Zoom with in-camera stabilisation (IBIS) to minimise any potential blur from camera shake.
Try using a tripod or monopod when possible to ensure steady shots, particularly when zooming in at maximum range.
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To enable Clear Image Zoom, press the ‘Menu’ button and navigate to the ‘Camera Settings’ tab.
Then, find the ‘Zoom Setting’ option.
Within this menu, select ‘Clear Image Zoom’. You can then set the zoom range.
On most Sony Alpha cameras, this feature can extend the zoom range by up to 2x. For example, a 100mm lens will function as a 200mm lens with Clear Image Zoom activated.
Clear Image Zoom can give you greater flexibility and reach in your photography without the need for extra lenses. This feature is particularly useful when you need to travel light or shoot in situations where changing lenses isn’t practical.
10. Switching to APS-C Mode
And this last one is also one of my personal favourites. Switching to APS-C mode on full-frame Sony Alpha cameras crops the sensor to APS-C size, providing a 1.5x crop factor that extends the effective focal length of your lenses.
This mode is accessed through the camera's menu and is useful for increasing reach without changing lenses, effectively turning a 200mm lens into a 300mm equivalent, for example. While this reduces the resolution of your image by around a half, it retains high image quality, particularly if you’re using a camera with a high megapixel count such as the Sony A7RIII, A7 IV, A7V, or A1. With these camera models you’ll still have an image resoluton of at least 18 megapixels or higher, which is more than enough for most applications.
This is a great option in wildlife photography, where that bit of additional additional reach is often a big help.
Switching to APS-C mode allows you to zoom in closer to subjects than your lens would otherwise allow. Photograph: Matt Garnett, 2023.
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APS-C mode can be a great tool to extend the capabilities of your full-frame camera. Here’s a deeper dive into how you can take advantage of this feature:
1. Understanding the Crop Factor:
The 1.5x crop factor means that your field of view is reduced, effectively increasing the apparent focal length of your lens. For example, a 50mm lens will provide a field of view equivalent to a 75mm lens on a full-frame sensor.
2. Impact on Resolution
When switching to APS-C mode, the camera uses a smaller portion of the sensor, reducing the megapixel count of the images. For instance, a 42MP sensor will capture images at around 18MP in APS-C mode. While this is a reduction, it’s still sufficient for most applications, especially for web and print use.
3. Practical Applications:
Wildlife Photography:
You can extend the reach of your lenses to capture distant subjects without physically moving closer, which is particularly useful for photographing animals that are sensitive to human presence.
Macro Photography:
You can increase the magnification effect for close-up shots of small subjects without needing a dedicated macro lens.
4. Some More Benefits
Faster Burst Rates:
Some Sony cameras can achieve higher burst rates in APS-C mode because the reduced resolution requires less data processing.
Smaller File Sizes:
Images captured in APS-C mode have smaller file sizes, which allows for more shots to be stored on your memory card and reduces the time required for file transfers and post-processing.
5. Optimising Image Quality
High ISO Performance:
Full-frame sensors typically have better high ISO performance compared to APS-C sensors. When using APS-C mode, the camera retains its full-frame sensor’s superior noise control, allowing for cleaner images in low light.
Lens Compatibility:
You can use APS-C lenses on your full-frame camera without vignetting, making your lens collection more versatile.
Monitor the Results:
Use the electronic viewfinder or LCD screen to frame your shot. You’ll notice the field of view is cropped, simulating a longer focal length.
Fine-Tune Settings:
Adjust other settings such as ISO, shutter speed, and aperture as needed to compensate for the reduced resolution and make sure you get the best image quality.
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Access the Menu:
Press the ‘Menu’ button on the back of your camera.
Navigate to Image Size Settings:
Use the control wheel or joystick to scroll to the ‘Camera Settings’ tab.
Find APS-C/Super 35mm:
Look for the ‘APS-C/Super 35mm’ option. This is often found in the submenu related to image size or sensor settings.
Select APS-C Mode:
Choose ‘On’ to enable APS-C mode. Your camera will now use a cropped portion of the sensor.
By understanding when and how to APS-C mode in your photography, you can extend the reach of your existing lenses and really enhance your camera’s versatility.
Of course, not all of these features might be right for you or your shooting style. The most important thing is to enjoy the time you spend using your camera and not get bogged down with technicalities that don’t improve your craft. But I hope one or two of these features might help you get more out of your camera and add to your enjoyment of photography.
