Focus Setting Guide

Use the size of the subject on screen as a rough guide to decide the size of the focus area, such as [Spot] .

For [Spot], the subject should be large enough to cover the whole focus area. Having the subject at this size avoids the focus drifting to the background.

For [Expand Spot], the focus area including the expanded area should just about overlap with the subject.

The optimal Focus Area size for the same skating scene depends on the subject size on screen.

[Spot: M] is recommended for focusing on the subject’s face. If set to [Zone], other features such as line markings on the skate rink will be inside the area and the camera might focus on these instead of on the skater.

To target a fast-moving subject at this size using a long focal length, try a wider setting such as [Zone]. If the situation requires switching between holding the camera horizontally and vertically, set [Switch V/H AF Area] to [AF Point Only].

American football and ice hockey may look like they need similar settings, but there are subtle differences in how to better shoot them.

In American football and rugby, where players come together and clash, [Expand Spot] will pinpoint the subject more accurately.

For sports like ice hockey where the subject is moving fast, try keeping the Focus Area to the same size as a player (M in the example above). If the area is too large and includes several players, the camera may not focus on the right one.

If a subject is moving slowly or predictably, a small-area setting like [Expand Spot] will focus accurately on the target position. If a subject is moving at high speed or unpredictably, a wider focus area setting such as [Wide] maintains focus while allowing the composition to be adjusted.

• When the Focus Area is set to [Wide] or [Zone] in the AF-C setting:
  [Wide]: We recommend placing the subject at or near the center of the screen before focusing.
  [Zone]: We recommend placing the subject at or near the center of the zone area before focusing.
  For both cases of [Wide] and [Zone], once the focus is confirmed and the focus indicator is lit, the subject will remain in focus within the focusing area, allowing greater flexibility in your composition.
• [Spot: S] is good for focusing within an extremely narrow area, but it can be difficult to focus on some subjects. [Expand Spot] has the same area size as S, and if the camera cannot focus inside that area it automatically focuses in the expanded area.

AF-C Focus Mode has five levels of focus tracking.

[1(Locked on)] to [2]: Low tracking sensitivity (prioritizes stability)
Focus position is stable and stays locked on to the selected subject.

[4] to [5(Responsive)]: High tracking sensitivity (prioritizes responsiveness)
The camera focuses quickly on nearby subjects instead of tracking a single subject.

As a rough guide, this setting should be [2] when tracking a specific player in a sport like American football where players are close together, or [3(Standard)] if someone is passing in front of the subject.
In soccer, the players are generally farther apart so [4] is the most suitable setting as it prioritizes responsiveness over lock-on. When set to [4], the focus will not shift if another player’s arm passes in front of the subject, but the focus will move to another player if their whole body blocks the original subject.

Try [Balanced Emphasis], which provides a good balance between the existing [AF] and [Release] settings. This function is useful for maintaining accurate focus while catching a crucial moment when shooting a moving object.