Refocussing Problem on A7RII and wireless remotes

[sbay]

I'm using my A7RII with back button focus and AF w/ shutter set to off. The problem is when I use a wireless remote and press the button, it appears that the camera temporarily opens the aperture all the way, refocusses, and then stops down. What I'd like the camera to do is just take a picture without touching the focus or aperture.

Strangely enough, if I hit the shutter button on the camera (instead of on the remote) it just takes a picture without adjusting aperture or refocusing. This is exactly what I want it to do except with the remote.

Perhaps I have some setting wrong in my camera so that it treats the shutter button differently from the wireless remote? Any help appreciated as this is driving me crazy.

 

[Annna T]

I'm using my A7RII with back button focus and AF w/ shutter set to off. The problem is when I use a wireless remote and press the button, it appears that the camera temporarily opens the aperture all the way, refocusses, and then stops down. What I'd like the camera to do is just take a picture without touching the focus or aperture.

Strangely enough, if I hit the shutter button on the camera (instead of on the remote) it jgust takes a picture without adjusting aperture or refocusing. This is exactly what I want it to do except with the remote.

Perhaps I have some setting wrong in my camera so that it treats the shutter button differently from the wireless remote? Any help appreciated as this is driving me crazy.

I'm using the back button for focusing too. I found out that there are many situations where the back button doesn't work :

a) when you are using an app, the app takes full control over the body and your back focusing button is lost and alas this concerns the wireless remote app too.
b) same when you are using something other than the traditional PASM modes like the scene modes.

The only workaround I have found is to revert to focusing with a half press of the shutter button (you can leave the back focusing button as is, so you don't have to change that).

Even worse I didn't find any way to adjust that setting without digging deep in the menus : there is no way to affect it neither to a button, nor to the Fn menu, nor to memorize this along with a set of custom settings in C1 or C2.

I find this behavior very annoying. I have the camera set for my usual subjects which I shoot in A mode usually, but when I need to shoot something very different, that would involve a lot of changes with Olympus or Canon bodies I used to call the scene mode to speed up things and then revert to my usual A mode more easily. But with that button behavior I had to change my way.

Same when using any app (I use mostly the time lapse mode or the wireless remote).

However I don't have that problem when using the wired remote made by Sony (although there is often a contact problem where the remote won't activate the shutter).

 

[sbay]

For me, it's not that the back button focus stops working but rather that the wireless remote doesn't seem to obey the "AF w/ shutter = off" setting and seems to go ahead and autofocus anyway.

Trying out a wired remote is a good idea but I've been avoiding that as I can't find a remote that works with an L-bracket in the vertical position. Why doesn't sony make a remote with a 90 degree connector like everyone else.

I'll try posting elsewhere and see if anybody has a solution.

 

[Massimo]

I've had this problem with my A7 and solved it by setting it to MF (using the "fn" button) before activating the remote.
Maybe this will also work on the A7RII ... haven't tried yet

 

[sbay]

Switching into MF definitely solves the problem on the A7R2 and I've been using this as a work around. But I don't like this solution as it's another step that I need to remember / do. It can be a pain when I'm trying to quickly switch compositions in changing light.

 

[Annna T]

For me, it's not that the back button focus stops working but rather that the wireless remote doesn't seem to obey the "AF w/ shutter = off" setting and seems to go ahead and autofocus anyway.

Trying out a wired remote is a good idea but I've been avoiding that as I can't find a remote that works with an L-bracket in the vertical position. Why doesn't sony make a remote with a 90 degree connector like everyone else.

I'll try posting elsewhere and see if anybody has a solution.

It is the same problem that I have. Sorry if I didn't express me correctly.
BTW : what kind of wireless remote are you using ? The remote app with an iPhone or a wireless remote which is plugged in the flash hot shoe ?

 

[Annna T]

I've had this problem with my A7 and solved it by setting it to MF (using the "fn" button) before activating the remote.
Maybe this will also work on the A7RII ... haven't tried yet

That is a good idea.. If you are using the remote and shooting slowly. But that won't solve the problems of the scene modes..

I think this is a bug of the firmware.

 

[sbay]

Anna - I'm using infrared remotes. I have this problem with Vello and some no-name chinese brand.

 

[sbay]

I posted on fredmiranda and didn't get any new information other than it appears to affect other cameras too (e.g. A7R mark I).

After more testing I think most of the time camera is only opening up aperture but not actually refocussing. Opening up the aperture is still annoying because it causes the LCD display to flash white due to over-exposure (and there's a small delay).

It does refocus if I have both self-timer (2s) and bracketing on. I was using this combination to prevent me from firing off brackets too quickly before the vibrations from the shutter have settled.