Z9 AF Area Mode issue

If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).

Tree2tree

Tree2tree

Member
Member's gallery
I have my Z9 set so the AF-ON button uses WIDE-L as its area mode for BBAF. Then I have Fn1 and Fn2 programmed to give me other area modes. Fn3 is subject detection on/off.

Every now and then, I'll turn on the camera, press the AF-ON and it has reset to single point area mode. I have been trying to see if it preceded by the same action on my part, but so far I have not seen a trend. Anyone else seeing this? Am I doing something to cause this?
 
Member's gallery
Do you have single point focus mode programmed to any particular button? And what do you have a5 set to? The only thing I can think of if you have a5 set to focus point + AF area and you ended your last session in single point. So when you start up again it should revert back to single point, or at least that is how I think it works.
 
Member's gallery
I get this intermittently since mine was new in Jan. Firmware updates have yet to address it. It's been very random, hard to say if there are a specific sequence of button pushes that enable it.
 
Member's gallery
Maybe if you have a5 set to Focus Point and AF area-mode and you set that area mode when the camera was horizontal and you turned the camera to vertical it reset the area mode to what was set when horizontal (or vice versa)? I think that's what Fishboy1952 might be referring to. Maybe change a5 to just focus point only.
 
Member's gallery
a5 is set to "Focus Point and AF-area mode". That's the way I expect to function, but will try focus point only to check.
(I tried to quote James and Fishboy, but goofed)
 
Member's gallery
Steve said:
If you are accidentally turning the AF ring as you press the button, it'll go to single point. That's all I can think of off the top of my head.
Click to expand...
I tried that and I see the area mode temporarily change to single point, but revert to Wide L when I let go the focus ring.
 
Last edited:
Member's gallery
Warren D said:
I get this intermittently since mine was new in Jan. Firmware updates have yet to address it. It's been very random, hard to say if there are a specific sequence of button pushes that enable it.
Click to expand...
Me too! like you, intermittent… so really hard to work out if there is a constant action causing it.
 
Member's gallery
I had similar but it was starting up in a dynamic AF area when my default was AF Wide L. It was occasional and seemingly random. The only common action that I could discern was that it happened immediately after turning the camera on. It never happened at any other time other than turning the camera on.
 
Member's gallery
TonyF said:
I had similar but it was starting up in a dynamic AF area when my default was AF Wide L. It was occasional and seemingly random. The only common action that I could discern was that it happened immediately after turning the camera on. It never happened at any other time other than turning the camera on.
Click to expand...
My experience also - only after turning on.
 
Member's gallery
Yes, and the other thing I seemed to notice is it happened more often after turning the camera off with the lcd in playback. However when I try to replicate it, it doesn't happen. Only seems to be when I turn the camera on and I'm in a hurry because something cool is happening.
 
Member's gallery
The plot thickens, but I may have stumbled upon the reason:! It just happened again, this morning. Interesting thing is that Wide-L is shown as called for in the i menu, but Single Point shows up in the view-finder and rear screen. Here's a few screen shots:
Rear screen, shows Single Point
Screen 1.jpg
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.


i Menu
Screen 2.jpg
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

Calls for Wide-L
Screen 3.jpg
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.


Then I noticed I have the lens set on Manual Focus. Could it be this simple? I'll watch for it to happen again, to see if it occurs with a lens set to auto-focus.
 
Member's gallery
Tree2tree said:
The plot thickens, but I may have stumbled upon the reason:! It just happened again, this morning. Interesting thing is that Wide-L is shown as called for in the i menu, but Single Point shows up in the view-finder and rear screen. Here's a few screen shots:
Rear screen, shows Single Point
View attachment 48697

i Menu
View attachment 48698
Calls for Wide-L
View attachment 48699

Then I noticed I have the lens set on Manual Focus. Could it be this simple? I'll watch for it to happen again, to see if it occurs with a lens set to auto-focus.
Click to expand...
Manual focus will do it - it always shows just a single AF point in that mode.
 
Member's gallery
That happened to me last week. I was in Wide small and looked in the viewfinder and saw I was now in manual focus. The I menu still showed Wide small. I started looking and found that the lens function button was programmed to put the camera in MF. But I never programmed it! The lens is the 500mm PF. I must have inadvertently pressed the L-fn button. I changed the L-fn button to off…problem fixed. I think I may have programmed the lens for MF when I used it on my D850. Could it carry over to the new camera?
 
Member's gallery
Fishboy1952 said:
That happened to me last week. I was in Wide small and looked in the viewfinder and saw I was now in manual focus. The I menu still showed Wide small. I started looking and found that the lens function button was programmed to put the camera in MF. But I never programmed it! The lens is the 500mm PF. I must have inadvertently pressed the L-fn button. I changed the L-fn button to off…problem fixed. I think I may have programmed the lens for MF when I used it on my D850. Could it carry over to the new camera?
Click to expand...
Fishboy1952, Tree2tree and others: The last couple of posts in this thread refer to the behavior of custom setting a11 - Focus Point Display and the apparent mystery as to the sudden appearance of, or change to, the single AF point.

If the selection at the top of custom setting a11, "Manual Focus Mode" (the very top menu choice of a11) is set to "ON" you will see the single AF point even when the camera/lens is in Manual Focus mode. This can confuse you into thinking that the camera is in AF Mode - Single Point, but is really in Manual Focus mode. So, the remedy (to not have any confusion) is to have the selection set to "OFF". Then if you are in Manual Focus mode, regardless of whether you set a lens switch to M (instead of A) or you have temporarily overriden AF by some other means, the single point square will NOT be shown. No focus mode indicator(s) will be visible. This is useful in that it reminds you that you are in MF mode, eliminating any consternation as to what might be wrong with you camera. So, suggest a11, first line item be set to OFF.
 
Last edited:
Member's gallery
Thanks James. Although now that I know what to look for, I'll keep a11 top item as "ON" to assist with manual focus - red small square turns to green. And if I expect Wide-L and see single point, I will check for MF on the lens.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top