Sony a6400 Focusing help - Complete Newbie

[KMY415]

Hi all,

I hate to even post this since I know I'll probably get shamed for asking such a silly question, but I just got a sony a6400 w/ Sigma 16 1.4.

I am new to Mirrorless/DSLR but have been watching youtube videos non-stop for the past 6 months trying to learn (camera settings, exposure triangle, etc.).

Everything seems to be out of focus unless directly in front of the camera regardless if wide open at 1.4 or 16 (though obviously dark). The camera/lens is not hunting at all, it only focuses on whats directly in front of the camera.

Am I completely missing something here? even at F/8, 10, 12 etc. it is just completely blurry. When I try to manual focus it just zooms in quite a bit and no matter how much I turn the focus ring it just stays the same. Literally no difference other than the focusing meter on the screen moving from side to side as I rotate the ring.

Again - apologies for such a beginner question but I am just really confused/frustrated and I have been trying to google help articles and came across this site.

Would appreciate any advice.

Thanks and Happy New year

 

[JaneB]

I'm sure no-one would shame you for asking for help.

I tend to just check into this forum once a day, so I may not see your answer.... but what do you mean by focusing on what is "directly in front of the camera"? Do you mean it is very close to the camera or that it is right in the middle of the viewfinder?

I'm hoping someone else will chime in with an answer for you, but I don't like to see you feeling silly for asking. Asking the question to try to get to the bottom of the problem is not silly.

 

[dgsjsj]

Hi all,

I hate to even post this since I know I'll probably get shamed for asking such a silly question, but I just got a sony a6400 w/ Sigma 16 1.4.

I am new to Mirrorless/DSLR but have been watching youtube videos non-stop for the past 6 months trying to learn (camera settings, exposure triangle, etc.).

Everything seems to be out of focus unless directly in front of the camera regardless if wide open at 1.4 or 16 (though obviously dark). The camera/lens is not hunting at all, it only focuses on whats directly in front of the camera.

Am I completely missing something here? even at F/8, 10, 12 etc. it is just completely blurry. When I try to manual focus it just zooms in quite a bit and no matter how much I turn the focus ring it just stays the same. Literally no difference other than the focusing meter on the screen moving from side to side as I rotate the ring.

Again - apologies for such a beginner question but I am just really confused/frustrated and I have been trying to google help articles and came across this site.

Would appreciate any advice.

Thanks and Happy New year

1. Need to figure out how the camera focuses with other lenses?
2. How does 16mm F1.4 focus on another camera?
Provided, of course, if there is such a possibility.
If not, then immediately to the service center with a camera and lens and a memory card on which, in your opinion, defective pictures.
SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary 017, if it works, is one of the best wide-angle lenses in terms of optical performance. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is sharp at an open aperture of 1.4 at any distance.
Best full-field resolution at 5.6 aperture
Do not pinch harder unless you deliberately shoot against the sun.
Next time you need to post pictures for a substantive discussion of the problem.

f1.4

f5.0

f5.6

 

[idsurfer]

This sounds like some minor user error.

Are you using center point focus area? If that is the case it'll focus on what is right in the center (right in front of the camera). IEverything in that focal plane will be in focus.

I say put it in aperture priority, f/5.6, choose an appropriate ISO and shoot a few shots and post here.

 

[Martin_99]

Hi all,

I hate to even post this since I know I'll probably get shamed for asking such a silly question, but I just got a sony a6400 w/ Sigma 16 1.4.

I am new to Mirrorless/DSLR but have been watching youtube videos non-stop for the past 6 months trying to learn (camera settings, exposure triangle, etc.).

Everything seems to be out of focus unless directly in front of the camera regardless if wide open at 1.4 or 16 (though obviously dark). The camera/lens is not hunting at all, it only focuses on whats directly in front of the camera.

Am I completely missing something here? even at F/8, 10, 12 etc. it is just completely blurry. When I try to manual focus it just zooms in quite a bit and no matter how much I turn the focus ring it just stays the same. Literally no difference other than the focusing meter on the screen moving from side to side as I rotate the ring.

Again - apologies for such a beginner question but I am just really confused/frustrated and I have been trying to google help articles and came across this site.

Would appreciate any advice.

Thanks and Happy New year

It's not a silly question. Everybody started somehow.

You reported problem with focusing, but provided absolutely no information about your focusing setting to help you. Chosen aperture is only slightly related with this topic.

What kind of focus area you use? wide/spot/center?

What kind of focus mode? AF-S, AF-C?

Do you use some subject detection?

What is your tested subject? landscape?

 

[Bento2]

This is a really good video to help you.

https://www.dpreview.com/videos/9512513321/dpreview-tv-how-to-set-up-sony-s-real-time-autofocus-tracking

Bookmark it. Because if you ever need to reset the camera you will forget how it was all set up and need to do it all over again.

 

[Gizm0m0]

Everything seems to be out of focus unless directly in front of the camera regardless if wide open at 1.4 or 16 (though obviously dark). The camera/lens is not hunting at all, it only focuses on whats directly in front of the camera.

Am I completely missing something here? even at F/8, 10, 12 etc. it is just completely blurry. When I try to manual focus it just zooms in quite a bit and no matter how much I turn the focus ring it just stays the same. Literally no difference other than the focusing meter on the screen moving from side to side as I rotate the ring.

Would appreciate any advice.

Thanks and Happy New year

Happy New Year. I have never had this problem problem before. I didn’t understand what you mean by manual focus and it zooms in - were you using clear image zoom? What was the focus mode you were using?

Could the lens be foggy from weather? The lens may fog up if you are trying to shoot indoor after being outdoor in the cold with the glass exposed to the environment. Could also be because you were too close to the subject? If you are closer to the subject than the MDF (minimum focus distance) then you won’t really be able to focus on anything. How close were you to your subject?

 

[Gizm0m0]

I'm sure no-one would shame you for asking for help.

I tend to just check into this forum once a day, so I may not see your answer.... but what do you mean by focusing on what is "directly in front of the camera"? Do you mean it is very close to the camera or that it is right in the middle of the viewfinder?

I'm hoping someone else will chime in with an answer for you, but I don't like to see you feeling silly for asking. Asking the question to try to get to the bottom of the problem is not silly.

Agree. Asking for help is never a silly thing.

 

[Joachim Wulfers]

Hi all,

I hate to even post this since I know I'll probably get shamed for asking such a silly question, but I just got a sony a6400 w/ Sigma 16 1.4.

I am new to Mirrorless/DSLR but have been watching youtube videos non-stop for the past 6 months trying to learn (camera settings, exposure triangle, etc.).

Everything seems to be out of focus unless directly in front of the camera regardless if wide open at 1.4 or 16 (though obviously dark). The camera/lens is not hunting at all, it only focuses on whats directly in front of the camera.

Am I completely missing something here? even at F/8, 10, 12 etc. it is just completely blurry. When I try to manual focus it just zooms in quite a bit and no matter how much I turn the focus ring it just stays the same. Literally no difference other than the focusing meter on the screen moving from side to side as I rotate the ring.

Again - apologies for such a beginner question but I am just really confused/frustrated and I have been trying to google help articles and came across this site.

Would appreciate any advice.

Thanks and Happy New year

Look for something like an e-book for the A6400 by Mark Galer or other Sony ambassadors. These are very helpful tutorials. I am sure there is also an ILCE-6400_4DFOCUS Camera Setting Guide.

Are you in A-mode, S-Mode-, A-Mode or in manual settings. It sounds like your lens is not focusing automatically.? Give us some information on your camera settings/. Good luck and don't be ashamed to ask for help