Auto-focus problem (1 Viewer)

[Western Tanager]

Hello all, my camera does not always focus on the bird I am trying to photograph. It often focuses on something beyond the bird and so I miss many good photo opportunities.

My camera is a Sony RX10 MK IV and I have the focus set to Expand Flexible Spot. I wonder if I would be better off with it set to Flexible Spot (or some other setting).

My assumption has been that the camera would focus on what is closest to me and if the bird is not obstructed it would focus on the bird. Instead what sometimes happens is that the camera focuses on leaves or limbs etc that are beyond the bird.

I would appreciate any tips you could provide to help me get photos that too often are escaping me. Thanks so much!

 

[MalR]

It's a long shot, but have you got the focus limiter on the lens set on 3m to infinity? If so, then the lens won't focus on anything closer than 3m.

Admittedly, this is usually more of an issue of you're photographing plants or insects etc, as you're rarely going to be that close to a bird. But it could be worth checking.

I have the RX10 IV and I tend to use Flexible Spot Medium for static birds, sometimes switching to Small. But I do get focus misses from time to time, and often I don't know why.

Malcolm

 

[njlarsen]

Could you upload one or two examples where the camera was off?
Niels

 

[Western Tanager]

I will have to look but I doubt it. I am pretty sure that I deleted all of them as they seemed worthless to me at the time.