Problem with autofocusing

[alphagirl]

Hello all, I'm new here, and just got my Alpha 200 recently.

I have major problems with autofocusing and it is always hunting especially in lower light conditions, so much so I got so frustrated I just use manual focusing. And as such, my pictures are always soft and not sharp enough.

Does anyone else have this problem? Cheers!~

[Squid]

Welcome to Clubsnap.

You may refer to an on-going discussion thread at link below with last posting 5 days ago. It is also discussing low-light focusing for alpha camera

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=429845

[Rashkae]

Hmmm... Isn't the flash supposed to pop up and strobe to act as contrast-detect aid?

either way, budget DSLR cameras, no matter the brand, are usually not AF kings... So you'd either need to get a brighter lens, or make sure you're focusing on a target with enough contrast.

[ninelives]

Originally Posted by alphagirl Hello all, I'm new here, and just got my Alpha 200 recently. I have major problems with autofocusing and it is always hunting especially in lower light conditions, so much so I got so frustrated I just use manual focusing. And as such, my pictures are always soft and not sharp enough. Does anyone else have this problem? Cheers!~

by default, the setting on Sony DSLR is on the soft side, you need to adjust it , go to creative style, you will see some icons ; contrast, saturation and sharpness. adjust the sharpness, i always push it to 3 when shooting birds.

hope this help.

[sm489]

Originally Posted by alphagirl Hello all, I'm new here, and just got my Alpha 200 recently. I have major problems with autofocusing and it is always hunting especially in lower light conditions, so much so I got so frustrated I just use manual focusing. And as such, my pictures are always soft and not sharp enough. Does anyone else have this problem? Cheers!~

I am also a A200 user. Give us what are the equipment u r using.
Alternatively, sign up for the free class organised by Sony for DSLR user.
Ask the instructor who may be able to answer your qn better.
After all, they are supposed to be the Sony professional.
For the record, I bought my A200 in Mar this year.
And I have shot more than 20,000 photos already.

Hope this is helpful.

[alphagirl]

thanks guys.
i'm using the kit lens and nothing else.. and btw the class is not free anymore but $85.

ooh I'll try changing the settings.. cheers.

[Rashkae]

Originally Posted by alphagirl thanks guys. i'm using the kit lens and nothing else.. and btw the class is not free anymore but $85. ooh I'll try changing the settings.. cheers.

Oh? I thought it was a constant promo... If you register your DSLR on sonystyle.com you should get the class for free.

[Galdor]

Do join us for outings and we'll be able to share more with you.

[TME]

Originally Posted by alphagirl Hello all, I'm new here, and just got my Alpha 200 recently. I have major problems with autofocusing and it is always hunting especially in lower light conditions, so much so I got so frustrated I just use manual focusing. And as such, my pictures are always soft and not sharp enough. Does anyone else have this problem? Cheers!~

There are 4 possible reasons for this:

1) As Rashke said, entry level DSLRs do not have very fast and accurate AF modules, especially in low light, so it take a bit of time for the camera to lock focus.

2) Your lens, being an entry level lens, has a slow aperture and this affects the speed at which the camera can autofocus. The maximum aperture is f/3.5 which allows less light in compared to a lens with larger aperture like f/2.8. So the AF module receives less light under low light situations, leading to the hunting... although the difference is less than one stop, it makes a significant difference also because the more expensive lenses have better glass, coatings that allow light in better with more contrast.

3) You may have focused on things which are of low contrast. Examples include a blank wall, the cheeks of a person, hair, table, even a cake covered entirely in smooth brown chocolate... as long as the part of the image does not have clear lines, edges, or features, even top end cameras will tend to find it difficult to focus, although the success rate for a positive focus lock for a top end camera like an A900 would be much better than a A200...

4) The light level might be really too low for the camera to actually find enough light to focus... try raising the built-in flash in such situations. The flash will strobe the subject and help to focus the camera... what happens is that the flash will fire pulses of light (very brief) to illuminate what you're trying to focus on and give the camera enough light to 'see' what you want so that it can find a place to focus on. Sometimes, the flash illuminator (what the strobing built-in flash function is called, also seen as a green light or orange light in point-and-shoot cameras) can be very irritating cos of the sudden intense white pulses of light. To work around this problem, an external flash can be fitted to help with focussing. For the 42, 56 & 58 flashes, they come equipped with a built-in infra-red flash illuminator. If you take a careful look at the flashes, you will find that the front of the camera body under the swivel head is a red patch. It actually contains an IR lamp that will fire an IR pattern in the dark and enable the camera to focus. In such a case, the camera can focus even in total darkness... if you have a chance to play with such a flash... just cover the lens with the lens cap, and switch on the camera, leaving the flash off. If you put your hand in front of the flash and half-press the shutter button, you will see on your hand the IR pattern that helps the camera to focus under total darkness... of course this also has a distance limitation... works up to 1-2m or so only I think...

I hope this helps consolidate what all others have been trying to contribute...

[Mirez]

I've had this prob in the past..

My remedy:

1) Set the AF area to wide, best at a wider focal range like 18mm~ (you'll have more luck locking on even w the slightest of light)
2) I bring a small flash light in the bag at all times. illuminate your subject from head to toe and this will aid the AF to lock on.
3) Position your subject in such a way that even a hint of lighting will be able to help focus lock.

Ps. I've tried this during strobing sessions with almost pitch black conditions. 95% success rate Xp

[MontoyaSG]

maybe to start off you could get yourself a small upgrade to one of the tamron F2.8 lens?? it does help out quite a bit with the larger aperture size

[boombox]

1. Raise the Flash for Strobe Focus Aid

2. Manual Focus - if Manual Focus isn't precise enough, can try adjusting Diopter - get a Viewfinder Enlarger for more precision.

3. If you have any Flash Gun mounted (even without switching on the Flash Gun) the camera will engage a patterned red light built into the Flash gun that aids focusing - and it's extremely effective from my experience - even in pitch dark, on solid walls, and faces that has no patterns showing Contrast. (The A700/A900 has one of this patterned red lamps built into the body - which further boosts the ability to lock focus in pitch dark conditions - a possible reason to make you upgrade in the future - Higher Models have more sensitive Focusing Sensors)

4. (credits to Mirez) - Get a Flash Light to Illuminate the Subject for better focusing hit-rates.

5. Even though it's dark, attempt to searching for areas inside your frame with some contrast - Your camera's Focus Sensor needs some bit of line contrast - edges and boundaries, patterns to determine whether or not things are in focus... e.g. Eyes are Easier to focus than the a smooth looking face.

[alphagirl]

Hey thanks for all the tips guys. WIll try all that in future. I now try trial and error... when I cannot autofocus I try focusing on different things till the af locks, and it does work mostly!

Glad I came in here, because thanks to the recommendation, I finally went for the free alpha workshop and learnt heaps there.

Cheers!

[Peekayoh]

Originally Posted by ninelives by default, the setting on Sony DSLR is on the soft side, you need to adjust it , go to creative style, you will see some icons ; contrast, saturation and sharpness. adjust the sharpness, i always push it to 3 when shooting birds. hope this help.

Is it better to adjust the sharpness in camera or in Photoshop?.

[Rashkae]

Originally Posted by Peekayoh Is it better to adjust the sharpness in camera or in Photoshop?.

If you don't mind the extra investment of time, Photoshop does things better.

[Peekayoh]

Thanks for that. Would you say that also applied to contrast and saturation?

[Rashkae]

Originally Posted by Peekayoh Thanks for that. Would you say that also applied to contrast and saturation?

Yes, you have much finer control in Photoshop.

[Peekayoh]

Thanks Rashkae, that's pretty much what I thought but I'm new to this new-fangled digital hardware and need the advice.