G7 and Olympus 9-18 Focus Issues

And I might also look at another side.

Might I ask how you shoot for the AF image?

• Had you used a single focus point in its smallest size? It is the focusing mode that allows the smallest area for the camera to lock on a focus (usually on the highest contrast point inside that box). If a larger size of focusing box be used, it might focus at the back of your aimed object or its neighboring object. In your case, likely the camera for whatsoever reason put the focus on the sky, making the entire frame OOF.

BTW, if a single focusing point be used but controlled by touch AF, I personally might not be able to put the focus point precisely on an aimed small far away object. It might also make the camera to AF on some other place else.

How you shoot?

• Very often for certain reason we have to hit the shutter in one go to take a picture. As no matter how fast AFS of our camera could be, it still needs time to find the focus, lock on it, drive the lens to focus on that point and shoot. I found after we half hit the shutter and the AF confirmation beep/green spot be head/seen, hold the shutter in half pressed condition for an extra brief moment than 99% we can get a good focused image.

Finally, if you wish to test the AF performance of your combo, I might test it with something bigger, closer under better lighting condition. Like a pot of flower on a table under plenty of light 5~10 feet away...