Focusing automatically on a subject

Adjust the [Focus Mode] setting to suit subject movement.

[Single-shot AF]

Locks the focus once the subject is in focus after you press the shutter button halfway down. Recommended for landscapes or snapshots, with stationary subjects.

[Automatic AF]

The camera determines to switch between [Single-shot AF] and [Continuous AF] according to the movement of the subject.
When the shutter button is pressed halfway down, the camera locks the focus when it determines that the subject is motionless, or continues to focus when the subject is in motion. During continuous shooting, the camera automatically shoots with [Continuous AF] from the second shot.

[Continuous AF]

Keeps subjects in focus as long as you hold the shutter button halfway down. Recommended for moving subjects, as when shooting sports scenes or animals.
In [Continuous AF] mode, there is no beep when the camera focuses.

Choose the best focus area based on subject position or size.

Only [Wide], [Zone], [Flexible Spot: L], [Tracking: Zone], and [Tracking: Flexible Spot L] are displayed as options in the default settings. To select other types of focus areas, add a check mark to the focus areas you want to use with the [Focus Area Limit] function.

[Wide]

Focuses on subjects across the entire monitor. Effective for erratic subjects such as children, animals, or athletes.
When you press the shutter button halfway down in the still image shooting mode, a green frame is displayed around the area that is in focus.

[Zone]

Automatically focuses within your selected focusing zone on the monitor. [Zone] is divided into nine focusing areas, which makes it effective for focusing on moving subjects within these specific areas.

[Center]

Focuses on subjects centered on the monitor. When used with focus-lock, effective for shots with your preferred composition.

[Flexible Spot] [Expand Flexible Spot]

Focuses on very small subjects or narrow areas in a frame that you can move freely on the monitor. Choose a small, medium, or large focusing frame. [Expand Flexible Spot] expands the focus area around the [Flexible Spot] if focusing is not possible within your selected spot.

[Tracking]

When the shutter button is pressed and held halfway down, the camera tracks the subject within the selected autofocus area. This setting is available only when the focus mode is set to [Continuous AF].

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

For [Flexible Spot], the subject should be large enough to cover the whole Focus Area (as a guideline). Having the subject at this size prevents the focus from drifting to the background.

For [Expand Flexible Spot], the focus area including the expanded area should just about overlap with the subject (as a guideline).

Even when you are shooting the same skating scene, the optimal Focus Area size depends on the subject size on screen.

[Flexible Spot: M] is recommended for focusing on the subject’s (skater’s) face. If set to [Zone], other features such as line marks on the skating rink will fall inside the area and the camera might focus on those features 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].

To quickly switch to the types of focus areas you use most often, first select these areas in [Focus Area Limit]. By assigning [Switch Focus Area] to a custom key, you can switch to your other selected focus areas one after another each time you press that key.

Setting the camera

• MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Focus Area Limit] → add check marks to focus areas you will use, and then select [OK].

• After selecting MENU → (Camera Settings2) → [Custom Key], select [Switch Focus Area] for the button to assign.

When [Focus Area] is set to [Zone], [Flexible Spot], [Expand Flexible Spot], [Tracking: Zone], [Tracking: Flexible Spot, or [Tracking: Expand Flexible Spot], the triangles are displayed on the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the focusing frame. The focusing frames can be moved by using the top/bottom/left/right sides of the control wheel.

Focusing frame is ready to move (When [Flexible Spot] is selected)

To center a focusing frame on the screen, press the (Delete) button.

Focusing frame in the upper left

Centers the focusing frame

Press the center button to lock the focusing frame position.

Focusing frame is locked (When [Flexible Spot] is selected)

Either select [Zone], [Flexible Spot], or [Expand Flexible Spot] in [Focus Area] again or use the custom key to which you have assigned the [Focus Standard] function. Once you have assigned the [Focus Standard] function to a custom key, you can move the focusing frame by simply pressing the assigned key.