Is Sony autofocus THAT much better than Fuji? (A7c ii vs X100vi)

[LoudBork]

Trying to decide between the A7c ii with Sony FE 40mm 2.5 or the Fuji X100vi.

Is the autofocus in the Sony significantly better?

 

[enigmatico]

Trying to decide between the A7c ii with Sony FE 40mm 2.5 or the Fuji X100vi.

Is the autofocus in the Sony significantly better?

This is not an easy question to answer accurately because "THAT much better is so subjective" and it varies with each user depending on what they are expecting the cameras to do in specific situations.

I have the X-T5 (similar AF behaviour to the X-100VI I presume), and the Sony A7cR. If you are trying to track a slow moving subject in good light, the Fuji system will do remarkably well and you could achieve a 90% - 95% success rate or even higher, with the 23mm f2 lens that is the equivalent to the one on the X100VI.

If you are in dim light, if your subjects are moving fast and erratically, (as in a fast dance or a soccer game) or if your subject is turned to the side or back turned to the camera - that's when the Sony is in a league of its own. In fact the Sony system never ceases to wow me with what it can find and stick onto in a scene.

That doesn't mean the Sony is 100% perfect every time. Sometimes something catches it out, but this is rare. I have photographed people in the street for example, with a poster in the background somewhere that contains a picture of a person - and the camera will focus on the face in the poster. I say this to just be clear that nothing is perfect.

But to answer your question I can say that the AF system in the A7cII will be similar to the X100VI (or very slightly better) in easy situations. But the Sony will be significantly better in challenging situations.

 

[panther fan]

Trying to decide between the A7c ii with Sony FE 40mm 2.5 or the Fuji X100vi.

Is the autofocus in the Sony significantly better?

This is not an easy question to answer accurately because "THAT much better is so subjective" and it varies with each user depending on what they are expecting the cameras to do in specific situations.

I have the X-T5 (similar AF behaviour to the X-100VI I presume), and the Sony A7cR. If you are trying to track a slow moving subject in good light, the Fuji system will do remarkably well and you could achieve a 90% - 95% success rate or even higher, with the 23mm f2 lens that is the equivalent to the one on the X100VI.

Sadly not equivalent in focus.

The XF-23mm F2 has internal focus with a linear VCM drive

The X-100VI has "whole unit" focus, moving the entire lens assembly in and out, which is significantly slower, especially with eratic subjects.

The Sony 40mm F2.5 G, has very fast internal linear motors.

If you are in dim light, if your subjects are moving fast and erratically, (as in a fast dance or a soccer game) or if your subject is turned to the side or back turned to the camera - that's when the Sony is in a league of its own. In fact the Sony system never ceases to wow me with what it can find and stick onto in a scene.

That doesn't mean the Sony is 100% perfect every time. Sometimes something catches it out, but this is rare. I have photographed people in the street for example, with a poster in the background somewhere that contains a picture of a person - and the camera will focus on the face in the poster. I say this to just be clear that nothing is perfect.

But to answer your question I can say that the AF system in the A7cII will be similar to the X100VI (or very slightly better) in easy situations. But the Sony will be significantly better in challenging situations.

I agree.

The Sony is better, but it doesn't matter in the situations where the Fuji is good enough

 

[superspartan]

Trying to decide between the A7c ii with Sony FE 40mm 2.5 or the Fuji X100vi.

Is the autofocus in the Sony significantly better?

Don't get any Fuji Camera if you care about Video Auto Focus! I started with the Fuji X-S10 to shoot videos at the gym, the AF was horrible. Then I upgraded to the Fuji X-H2s which is even slightly better than the X-H2 for video, it had better AF with subject detection but the AF wasn't as sticky as I would've liked it to be no matter what settings I changed in the camera (ie. decreasing the sensitivity/speed and whatnot). For example, if I am shooting my subject while they're working out, the moment anything comes in the scene the camera would lock on to that or it would do a lot of focus breathing. At the time I didn't want to buy Sony because I had initially wanted to go with Fuji for their color science and their film simulations thinking that getting a photo with a certain look/effect out of the camera would save me the hassle of editing in post but what use is all that when you can't even get the focus right? I never felt like wanting to take my camera out and shoot anymore it was just sitting there collecting dust so I eventually sold it and thought let me just shoot videos with my Galaxy S23 Ultra and be done with this. A few months later I was at a shop and I tried the A6700 and the a7C II and both of them had insanely quick accurate and sticky AF I was blown away! They both have the same AF system with Sony's new AI Autofocus so you can't go wrong with any of them. I went with the a7C II as I felt the quality of the images/video was slightly better (probably due to it being full-frame).

 

[ricktachtig]

If autofocus is one of the main things you find important. Get the Sony!

 

[MattPointZero]

Trying to decide between the A7c ii with Sony FE 40mm 2.5 or the Fuji X100vi.

Is the autofocus in the Sony significantly better?

Yes it is

Fuji and others quite usable in most general photography situations, but Sony AF is the best.

 

[alphaZ]

Trying to decide between the A7c ii with Sony FE 40mm 2.5 or the Fuji X100vi.

Is the autofocus in the Sony significantly better?

The issue you will have with the Fuji X100vi is not so much the af its the combination of everything else that is bad, the lens, xtrans, diffraction, af, everything. The Fuji X100vi much like its predecessors are a masterclass in style over substance, a retro look that adorns the user. Well done to Fuji for such a marketing triumph, but honestly in photographic technical terms, buyer beware is all I will say.

Personally, I'd avoid this camera like nothing else ever before and I'm sorry to say I don't have a lot of good things to say about the a7cii either, but if I had to choose there is only 1 winner here, the a7cii, hands-down, its in another league to the X100vi on every level.

 

[Morgenstond]

It depends on what you want to do with the camera.

If you want to take pictures of your kids or pets in action the X100VI wil not be able to do that. Especially with targets coming towards you. The lens can't keep up with the motion of the subject and you will get mostly back focused shots. The A7C II by contrast wil do this very well, especially with the native 40mm lens.

For less hectic subjects/situations the X100VI does very well. Face and eye detection works reliably. It locks on well even in low light (after some hunting in AF-S though, AF-C is faster and more reliable). But overall less confident than the Sony.

General tracking also works well. It's sufficient for many cases. The Sony does those cases just as well, or better.

So like I said, it comes down to what you need from the camera.

 

[dwalme]

Trying to decide between the A7c ii with Sony FE 40mm 2.5 or the Fuji X100vi.

Is the autofocus in the Sony significantly better?

Yes Sony is that much better.

The slow focusing motors in the lens is the weakest link in the X100VI.

I have one in my hands and when it's not good enough it can be annoying. After using several generations of Sony cameras I've been spoiled by great AF.

If the A7CII or A7CR had a tilt screen I'd own of those instead of the X100VI.

 

[4863 Media]

Trying to decide between the A7c ii with Sony FE 40mm 2.5 or the Fuji X100vi.

Is the autofocus in the Sony significantly better?

Don't get any Fuji Camera if you care about Video Auto Focus! I started with the Fuji X-S10 to shoot videos at the gym, the AF was horrible. Then I upgraded to the Fuji X-H2s which is even slightly better than the X-H2 for video, it had better AF with subject detection but the AF wasn't as sticky as I would've liked it to be no matter what settings I changed in the camera (ie. decreasing the sensitivity/speed and whatnot). For example, if I am shooting my subject while they're working out, the moment anything comes in the scene the camera would lock on to that or it would do a lot of focus breathing. At the time I didn't want to buy Sony because I had initially wanted to go with Fuji for their color science and their film simulations thinking that getting a photo with a certain look/effect out of the camera would save me the hassle of editing in post but what use is all that when you can't even get the focus right? I never felt like wanting to take my camera out and shoot anymore it was just sitting there collecting dust so I eventually sold it and thought let me just shoot videos with my Galaxy S23 Ultra and be done with this. A few months later I was at a shop and I tried the A6700 and the a7C II and both of them had insanely quick accurate and sticky AF I was blown away! They both have the same AF system with Sony's new AI Autofocus so you can't go wrong with any of them. I went with the a7C II as I felt the quality of the images/video was slightly better (probably due to it being full-frame).

Concur. I took a bit of a gamble and got an FX3 for video as I was really unimpressed by the X-H2's AF. Using it for the first time last weekend for a concert I was blown away by how much better the Sony AF is. But the thing is, I wasn't blown away *at the time* because for the first time I didn't think about AF at all while I was working. The Sony AF just nailed it every time to the extent that I forgot about it, whereas with the XH2 I always have to be watching very closely and be ready to override the AF if it gets stuck on the wrong thing (it loves to grab mics rather than faces). I'm on the fence about giving up Fuji entirely, since I do love the XH2 for photos, but if I'm being honest Fuji's AF is also really subpar for photography too.

 

[José B]

Trying to decide between the A7c ii with Sony FE 40mm 2.5 or the Fuji X100vi.

Is the autofocus in the Sony significantly better?

Most likely. I don't have an A7CII but my A6700's eye-AF tracking is outstanding. Still just like a lot of people who pre-ordered I'm waiting patiently for my X100VI to be delivered.

 

[Derek 1906]

I kinda feel like the cameras are for entirely different purposes. In typical well lit snap shot document your life types of things, they both do fine, and you'd probably be happier with fuji for all the stylistic and size reasons.

If it's something moving, dimly lit, etc the sony is well ahead.

So it depends on what you want. If it's your kids standing at a soccer game, pick the one you like better, kids playing soccer, sony.

 

[surfoxy]

It's been some time, but I moved from Fuji ILC to Sony ILC because of Auto Focus. I needed a camera which worked for surfing, mountain biking, and skiing photos. The X-T4 I tried at the time (was the latest and greatest) wasn't even close. Now of course the A9II is an autofocus monster, but the difference was night and day.

Felt like a different activity with the Sony. Totally freed me up to concentrate on other aspects of photography.

Still love my X100V but it's a different activity. An absolutely fantastic travel camera plus more.

--
Chris
instagram.com/surfoxy
instagram.com/dirt.hofman

 

[enigmatico]

Trying to decide between the A7c ii with Sony FE 40mm 2.5 or the Fuji X100vi.

Is the autofocus in the Sony significantly better?

This is not an easy question to answer accurately because "THAT much better is so subjective" and it varies with each user depending on what they are expecting the cameras to do in specific situations.

I have the X-T5 (similar AF behaviour to the X-100VI I presume), and the Sony A7cR. If you are trying to track a slow moving subject in good light, the Fuji system will do remarkably well and you could achieve a 90% - 95% success rate or even higher, with the 23mm f2 lens that is the equivalent to the one on the X100VI.

Sadly not equivalent in focus.

The XF-23mm F2 has internal focus with a linear VCM drive

The X-100VI has "whole unit" focus, moving the entire lens assembly in and out, which is significantly slower, especially with eratic subjects.

That's interesting to know. The only reason I'd buy an X100VI is if the AF had improved in leaps and bounds over the V. If the lens motor design means its AF is still not up to that of an X-T5 with a 23mm f2 lens, that would be a deal breaker for me, especially at the asking price of the camera.

The Sony 40mm F2.5 G, has very fast internal linear motors.

If you are in dim light, if your subjects are moving fast and erratically, (as in a fast dance or a soccer game) or if your subject is turned to the side or back turned to the camera - that's when the Sony is in a league of its own. In fact the Sony system never ceases to wow me with what it can find and stick onto in a scene.

That doesn't mean the Sony is 100% perfect every time. Sometimes something catches it out, but this is rare. I have photographed people in the street for example, with a poster in the background somewhere that contains a picture of a person - and the camera will focus on the face in the poster. I say this to just be clear that nothing is perfect.

But to answer your question I can say that the AF system in the A7cII will be similar to the X100VI (or very slightly better) in easy situations. But the Sony will be significantly better in challenging situations.

I agree.

The Sony is better, but it doesn't matter in the situations where the Fuji is good enough

 

[Flying Fijian]

Trying to decide between the A7c ii with Sony FE 40mm 2.5 or the Fuji X100vi.

Is the autofocus in the Sony significantly better?

Short answer: Yes!

I've owned the XH2s (stacked sensor), X100V etc and Sony is way better in AF. Some of Fujis lenses are slow to focus (including X100V/X100VI).

There's not much difference in size between the two either...or even the cost plus it's much easier to find an A7cii in stock (even on sale).

 

[dwalme]

Trying to decide between the A7c ii with Sony FE 40mm 2.5 or the Fuji X100vi.

Is the autofocus in the Sony significantly better?

This is not an easy question to answer accurately because "THAT much better is so subjective" and it varies with each user depending on what they are expecting the cameras to do in specific situations.

I have the X-T5 (similar AF behaviour to the X-100VI I presume), and the Sony A7cR. If you are trying to track a slow moving subject in good light, the Fuji system will do remarkably well and you could achieve a 90% - 95% success rate or even higher, with the 23mm f2 lens that is the equivalent to the one on the X100VI.

Sadly not equivalent in focus.

The XF-23mm F2 has internal focus with a linear VCM drive

The X-100VI has "whole unit" focus, moving the entire lens assembly in and out, which is significantly slower, especially with eratic subjects.

That's interesting to know. The only reason I'd buy an X100VI is if the AF had improved in leaps and bounds over the V. If the lens motor design means its AF is still not up to that of an X-T5 with a 23mm f2 lens, that would be a deal breaker for me, especially at the asking price of the camera.

The Fuji XF 23mm f/2 lens is a lot faster to focus due to it's linear motor than the 23mm lens in the X100V/VI.

 

[alh00020]

Having owned a large number of different Sony and Fuji models, the Sony AF is FAR superior to the Fuji AF, especially in consistency of tracking and initial lock on. This is especially true with smaller, further away objects such as wildlife.



Right now, as much as I love the Fuji body design, I would only buy a Fuji camera to use with manual focus lenses or single point AF in relatively static subjects. I would use Sony AF for anything.

 

[Puppy2007]

Yes. And the Sony A9 III autofocus is simply mindblowing.

 

[alphaZ]

Yes. And the Sony A9 III autofocus is simply mindblowing.

The question was a7cii and X100vi not a9iii, that af is on another level to anything else commercially available! Ironically, Sony added new af box options to the a9iii, these are unique to that body incl. new x small and x large spot focus boxes for pin-point af, something I've been wanting for a long time! Fuji has had pin-point s-af or c-af for a long time, but the accuracy well ask Fuji users.

 

[pollup]

Trying to decide between the A7c ii with Sony FE 40mm 2.5 or the Fuji X100vi.

Is the autofocus in the Sony significantly better?

Yes, significantly better, to the point that you won't have to worry about AF anymore, and instead you can relax and focus on the composition and enjoy the experience.