DPReview TV: This is how you set up Sony's 'Real-Time' autofocus tracking

I’m not sure what you’re saying doesn’t exist in Mirrorless.
D5 level 3D tracking exists and on the A9 and certainly A9II it’s as effective. And you can program all the BBF buttons you want.

What’s missing????

Nikita you can do one better. Press and hold to enable AF-C and tracking and release to return to AF-S with a half press if you want.
You really can set it up however you like.

It's not a matter of being lazy for a lot of folks out there. First, virtually everyone is too busy with their lives...work, children, relationships, etc. For many they don't want any hassle when trying to capture memories. Hence one big reason why smartphones are so popular.

Second, a lot of people are frustrated and even a bit afraid of technology. I know some people like this and I bet you do too. Yet these people are also customers and it's up to companies to try to win them over if they want their business.

So sure, if one spends some time fiddling around with the camera, or going through the very obtuse instruction manual, then one can get to what they want.

But in the era of smartphones, most people don't want to do that. That doesn't make them lazy; I've met a neurosurgeon who didn't want to fiddle around with tech after a long day operating on people. It's just real life. And again, if you want their money, you need to make it easy for them.

Marco I agree that if you are using a camera for professional use, then by all means one should invest whatever time and effort to learn.

But my point is more about the average consumer, not the pro. Consumers have to choose to buy a dedicated camera; they don't have to own one. And in today's world, thanks to the smartphone, for the first time one doesn't even need a dedicated camera to take really good photos and capture the moments of your life.

For most of the history of the camera, if one wanted photos, then one had to buy the camera of their choice and learn at least something about how to use it. The choice was between having photos or not having them. That is no longer true.

The smartphone alters that equation. One now can just easily say, I'll rely on my smartphone. And of course that's what the majority of people are doing.

So if a company wants someone to buy a camera outside of their smartphone they better make it easy to use.

Seriously man. My God... you have to put the camera in AF-C first. That’s like impossible to figure out.

Seriously. Sony engineers should all be fired for such terrible logic.

Or perhaps if you can’t figure out the camera should be in a continuous focus mode to use tracking, well then I don’t think it matters which camera brand you choose.

Obviously, it's not that obvious or else why would DPR feel compelled to make an instructional video on it?

And if you read the comments below you will read one comment "It took me a long time to figure it out..."

It's not enabled by default...and for a more novice user who hears the marketing term of "Real Time" AF, it would be nice to have an actual setting using that term.

But Sony does this with all sorts of stuff...for instance with Time Lapse, they label it "Intvl.Shoot.Func." I'm sorry but that's just poor.

Face it: Sony has some brilliant engineers who get the tech stuff done very well, but their UI group really lacks any feel for real world users. They've been this way for along time with all sorts of products.

BTW, there's a fascinating article, Is Sony's Pace of Innovation Actually Hurting the Photo Industry:
https://petapixel.com/2019/07/19/is-sonys-pace-of-innovation-actually-hurting-the-photo-industry/

One interesting passage:
"They [Sony] understand technology and consumer trends better than Nikon, Canon, or any of the more “traditional” camera companies. They understand specs, they understand marketing, and they certainly understand sensors, but they don’t understand photography and photographers as well. As a result, they’ve created incredibly powerful cameras and quickly gained market share, but those cameras tend to lack exactly where you would expect them to."

Sony needs to put more focus on usability; hire some outside experts, do something.

@Thoughts R Us
The a6400 gives you the possibiltiy to set up pretty much everything the way you want it. The only thing needed is a bit of time in the beginning to get familiar with it, but once you've set the camera up according to your preferences, it is a joy to use.

Really no big deal at all, if only you bother to do your homework.

@quatpat: any piece of tech can be said to be easy or no big deal if you take sufficient time to learn. The key, if you want to appeal to a broader market, is making it easy to use right out of the box.

Here's the reality: most people are very busy, probably too busy, with their lives. They want to capture memories along the way, but don't want a lot of hassle in doing so. That's not a poor reflection on them: I've met many great and skilled professionals in other areas of life who don't want to hassle too much learning tech outside of their job.

Any company needs to make their product as easy to use and intuitive as they can, out of the box. Ironically, if they do so, then the customer will feel the satisfaction that motivates them to go deeper and then really learn the equipment.

But it's widely acknowledged that Sony cameras are among the worst in terms of menu, ergonomics, and general ease of use. They are a pain to get to know.

@Thoughts R Us:
See, it's very simple: If you are too busy or too lazy to learn using your camera, then you should stick to smartphone photography. You'll always have it with you, and the only thing you need to do is to press a button. If you want to do real photography on the other hand, then you'll have to learn using your camera no matter which brand or model. Some are easier to use and some more demanding, but all of them need some work, and have, apart from that, an auto mode for the lazy ones.

It's not just because YOU don't want to bother to learn using your tool, that the tool is bad.

An analogy: Years ago..the Apple vs. the PC crowd. Artists, photographers, graphic designers and art directors preferred Apples UI, design etc... Still do.

With APPLE:

1. Slide a CD or DVD into drive
2. An Icon automatically pops up on desk top
3. Double click, files open in the program they were written in.

With PC:

1. Slide CD or DVD into drive
2. Nothing happens
3. Click on "My Computer"
4. Scroll down to CD/DVD
5. Double click on CD/DVD
6. Asks: " Would you like to open the CD/DVD?"
7. Click "Yes"
8. Asks: "Would you like to open in the program it was written in?"
9. Click "Yes"
10. Some would even follow with: "Would you like to open it now?"
11. Click "Yes"

....could not stand this whole process. Some PC users absolutely loved all the "options/choices". Myself.. Less is more.

Sony = PC
Canon, Nikon, Fuji etc = APPLE

@AlexLex.. does this mean I have a "lower IQ"?
@quatpat.. does this mean I am "too lazy"?

To each their own...

@cbphoto123: Go figure... I am an Apple user myself, with several generations of imacs, G3-4-5, mac pros, etc, iPads, iPhones... and yet, I like using my a6400. Maybe there's something wrong with me? I find the camera no more confusing than my Nikon D7500, with the main difference being that you have to get used to a different menu architecutre.

Also, I wonder who elected YOU to be the judge about which of the camera brands is supposed to be "PC" and who's "Apple"? Maybe for me "Apple" is Sony and PC is some other brand. In other words, what's right for me doesn't have to be right for you, and vice versa. Think about it.

Oh, and about whether or not you are a lazy person, you might be the better judge of that. :-)

If Center Spot Tracking is enabled in AF-C, you can lock on to an object then re-compose with the shutter release half pressed (or AF button). You can also use the DMF or AF-S mode to focus and compose, with any spot.

You can also use the joy stick to place the spot anywhere in the FOV and it will stay. Use this for portraits, where the face is off center and either you or the subject is moving around.

To recenter the spot, press the joy stick in the center. If you haven't re-assigned it, you can also use the Erase button to recenter the spot.

Actually, there is an option to leave the focus spot in the last used position. I find that feature a royal PITA, so I don't use it. I also turn the touch screen off unless I'm using the camera on a tripod or for video. My nose is not the best way to select the focus spot.

@mosswings: I don't think that there is this possibility, that after a tracking is finished, the focus point stays there after the capture, unless you have moved it there before manually. Allthough it could be usefull, I don't know any other camera that would do that.

The A7Riii tracks in Animal AF mode in wide or spot mode. I would be surprised if the A7Riv did otherwise. the A9 does likewise, only better, cleaner and faster.

It is 1. much better and 2. automatically switches between tracking, face tracking and eye tracking without needing user input

You're literally commenting on a video whose sole existence is to answer your question. You could also watch the A6400 Review on this site.

Tracking in 6500 - is the lock-on tracking which is far, far, far worse than Real Time Tracking. 6500's version can't keep object focused, misses it very frequently and changes subject randomly. Unfortunately.