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A7R Manual Focus Magnification?

gurtch

Well-known member
Just got the A7R. With the 35mm FE lens, I figured out how to use magnified view. I tried using several of my "A" mount lens with the LAEA3. Rather disappointing....maybe I need the LAEA4. I attached the sony A mount 28mm f2.8. It does NOT auto focus at all. I could live with that if I could manually toggle magnified view "ON", focus, then "OFF" and shoot. For the life of me I cannot activate magnified view. I tried assigning F3 to do it, but when I push it I only get a small rectangle around where I am aiming..but no magnification. My 20mm f2.8 Minolta AF lens, the focus ring will not turn at all. No manual Focus....nothing. My Zeiss 16-35 will manual focus, but again, I cannot trigger magnified view to manually focus it. It sort of auto focuses...it hunts for a while, then finally snaps in. If I could magnify, I would probably only use MF. Please help!!! Driving me crazy! Thanks in advance.

P.S. I have a bunch of adapters, and legacy lenses, but if I cannot use magnified view, it will not be a pleasant experience.
Thanks in advance.
Dave in NJ
 
V

Vivek

Guest
I could live with that if I could manually toggle magnified view "ON", focus, then "OFF" and shoot. For the life of me I cannot activate magnified view. I tried assigning F3 to do it, but when I push it I only get a small rectangle around where I am aiming..but no magnification.
Once you get the small rectangle (you can move this around using the wheel up/ down/ left/ right), press the same button once more, you get 7X mag, once again and it will go to 14X.

When you half press the shutter button this will be turned OFF.
 

philip_pj

New member
It's a little Sony gotcha, gurtch. Lots of users want the first rectangle for tripod usage or for really critical handholding with certain lenses, they want to keep the composition they have but move the focus point.

So for most users it's a two or three press deal, cancelled as Vivek says. I don't have mine yet and I am hoping the shutter button is not over-sensitive to enable easy Focus Assist cancelling, as it is usually the penultimate thing before shooting, for me at least. Just a last check of exp on the histo, maybe level, then shoot.

Sony should provide more user control (via menu setting) of the focus mag function:

. go straight to level one or even level two;
. permit a range of magnification ratios: 3x-5x-7x-10x-14x

Could presumably be done via a firmware upgrade.
 

gurtch

Well-known member
Thanks Vivek. I just tried it again...and nothing happens. The rectangles DO move via the wheel, but repeated pushes on F3 do nothing. Hope there is nothing wrong with the new camera...waited a long time for it.
Thanks again
Dave
 

gurtch

Well-known member
AHHHH....I got it! Thanks both! I was pushing the C3 button twice! I needed to push the C3 button to bring up the rectangles, then press the center button in the control wheel to magnify! I don't know if the 28mm is "screw drive", but it does not auto focus. Would the LAEA4 work?
Thanks
Dave
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Mine is still in factory configuration and no worries at all. Dave, this is an easy tool to use. The wheel, btw, in addition to turning around can be pressed in 5 direction- up, down, left, right (these move the rectangle) and center (press also give mag).
 
I only use C1 to activate magnification and to select the amount of the magnification. For my taste C1 is in the very right position to do so.
C1 is assigned to focus setting
Pressing once the focussing rectangle is shown (which can be moved with the control wheel)
Pressing again I get the 7x magnification
Pressing again I get the 14x magnification
Pressing again I get back to normal view
 
Last edited:

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
I'm missing something here. I have the magnification on the C1 button, and it works perfectly with my Leica lenses.
If I put my ZA 24-70 f/2.8 on the LA-E4, I can not get magnification. This lens is pretty dead on when I AF, but I would like to be able to magnify with my AF A lenses sometimes. If I press C1, nothing happens. If I press the center of the wheel once, I get the message "Invalid with this lens". TIA for any help here.
 

Knorp

Well-known member
I'm missing something here. I have the magnification on the C1 button, and it works perfectly with my Leica lenses.
If I put my ZA 24-70 f/2.8 on the LA-E4, I can not get magnification. This lens is pretty dead on when I AF, but I would like to be able to magnify with my AF A lenses sometimes. If I press C1, nothing happens. If I press the center of the wheel once, I get the message "Invalid with this lens". TIA for any help here.
From the Help Guide (page 176)

During auto focus:
Temporarily switches the focusing mode to manual. Adjust the focus while the AF/MF button is being held
down.

Hint
If you select [AF/MF Ctrl Toggle] in [AF/MF Button] under [Custom Key Settings], the focusing mode remains
switched even if you remove your finger from the button.
 
In the camera setting menu you have to select Focus Mode=DMF. IN this way you can adjust the focus manually in combination with AF, turnig the focus ring while pressing the button in the center of the control wheel.
 

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
Thank you both. I have DMF selected. I will re-visit the instructions via Knorp. I think I have tried it this way already. I'm used to doing it on my A99.
 

eightfold

New member
I only use C1 to activate magnification and to select the amount of the magnification. For my taste C1 is in the very right position to do so.
C1 is assigned to focus setting
Pressing once the focussing rectangle is shown (which can be moved with the control wheel)
Pressing again I get the 7x magnification
Pressing again I get the 14x magnification
Pressing again I get back to normal view
This is what I'm doing too, and it works quite nice. I'd very much prefer if this was possible though:
Sony should provide more user control (via menu setting) of the focus mag function:

. go straight to level one or even level two;
. permit a range of magnification ratios: 3x-5x-7x-10x-14x
 
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