Sony Alpha9 User manual

Trademarks & Remarks

• “ ”, “ ” and “ ” are trademarks of Sony Corporation.

• All other company and product names mentioned herein are used for identification purposes only

and may be the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

AF Setup Quick Guide

Introduction

This Quick Guide provides a number of sample AF setups

that can help make the most of the advanced AF capabilities

offered by the α9 series in a variety of situations.

• The settings given may not be suitable for all photographic

situations.

• The content of this guide applies to camera software

version 6.00 for α9 and version 1.00 for α9 II.

• The Menu setting and the body between α9 and α9 II

differs. Menu settings and product images displayed in this

Quick Guide apply mainly to α9 II.

• Specifications listed in this Quick Guide may change

without notice in accordance with future updates and

improvements.

• Photographs are provided to illustrate the situations

described in this guide, not to serve as sample α9 or α9 II

images.

Refer to the camera owner’s manual or information provided on relevant

Sony websites for operating details and specifications.

Product page: http://www.sony.net/ilce-9

http://www.sony.net/ilce-9m2

Help guide: http://helpguide.sony.net/ilc/1650/v1/h_zz/

https://rd1.sony.net/help/ilc/1960/h_zz/

α9 α9 II

Contents

Frequently used focus controls p.4

Main focus settings p.6

Recommended settings for events and subjects pp.15-43

Recommended settings by scene type pp.44-51

Silent shutter p.58

Custom settings pp.52-57

Customizing the button settings p.52

Recall Custom Setting During Hold pp.53-54

My Menu p.55

Customizing the Fn (Function) button p.56

Customizing the Eye AF p.57

2 3

Top Rear

MENU button

Camera Settings /

Network / Playback /

Setup / My Menu

AF On button

Focus without pressing

the shutter button

halfway down.

Mode dial

Intelligent Auto / P (Program Auto) / A (Aperture Priority)

/ S (Shutter Priority) / M (Manual Exposure) / 1/2/3

(Memory recall) / Movie / S&Q (Slow&Quick Motion)

Multi-selector

Move the focus area by pressing the multi-

selector up / down / left / right.

Upper: Drive mode dial

Single Shooting / Hi, Mid, Lo Cont.

Shooting / Self-timer / Bracket

Lower: Focus mode dial

AF-S / AF-C / DMF / MF

Frequently used focus controls

4 5

The recommended focus setups described on pages 15

through 43 include the following focus settings.

Selects the focus area.

Focus Area

Use this setting to select the focus mode that best suits the

subject and subject motion.

Focus Mode

Procedure Rotate the Focus Mode dial

Available

Settings

AF-S (Single-shot AF) / AF-C (Continuous

AF) / DMF (Direct Manual Focus) / MF

(Manual Focus)

Custom key (Shoot.) (My Menu)

Assignable to

Procedure MENU button - [ ] 5 / 14 (AF1) -

[Focus Area]

Available

Settings

Wide / Zone / Center / Flexible Spot: S,

M, L / Expand Flexible Spot / Tracking:

Wide, Zone, Center, Flexible Spot S, M, L,

Expand Flexible Spot

Note: Images on these pages show α9 II.

Main focus settings

6 7

Select the subject from Human and Animal.* The Eye AF function

is activated within the selected focus area by half-pressing the

shutter button or pressing the AF-ON button.**

Real-time Eye AF - Subject Detction

Custom key (Shoot.) (My Menu)

Assignable to

Procedure MENU button - [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2) -

[Face / Eye AF Set.] - Subject Detection

Available

Settings Human / Animal

Select the Focus Area. It determines the initial Focus Area while

using the Tracking Mode. The selected tracking area is activated

by half-pressing the shutter button. The subject is tracked over

the full screen while the Tracking function is activated.

Focus Area - Real-time Tracking

Procedure MENU button - [ ] 5 / 14 (AF1) -

[Focus Area] - Tracking

Available

Settings

Tracking: Wide, Zone, Center, Flexible

Spot S, M, L, Expand Flexible Spot

*Only one subject can be selected and the other subject cannot be selected.

** Only activates when a face is detected withing the Focus Area selected.

Main focus settings

8 9

Determines whether the shutter will release if the subject is not

in focus when continuous AF is activated and the subject is in

motion.

Priority Set in AF-C

Assignable to (My Menu)

Procedure MENU button - [ ] 5 / 14 (AF1) -

[Priority Set in AF-C]

Available

Settings AF / Release / Balanced Emphasis

Select the Eye from Right and Left.

Real-time Eye AF - Right/Left Eye Selection

Custom key (Shoot.) (My Menu)

Assignable to

Procedure MENU button - [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2) -

[Face/Eye AF Set.] - Right/Left Eye Select

Available

Settings Right/Left

Main focus settings

10 11

Determines whether the focus area and position of the focusing

frame will be adjusted according to match horizontal/vertical

camera orientation.

Match focus area to camera orientation

Available

Settings Off / AF Point Only / AF Point + AF Area

Procedure MENU button - [ ] 5 / 14 (AF1) -

[Switch V/H AF Area]

(My Menu)

Assignable to

Selects the AF tracking sensitivity that applies when the subject

goes out of focus while shooting still images.

AF Tracking Sensitivity

Available

Settings

5 (Responsive) / 4 / 3 (Standard) / 2 / 1

(Locked on)

Procedure MENU button - [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2) -

[AF Tracking Sens.]

Custom key (Shoot.) (My Menu)

Assignable to

Main focus settings

12 13

Fast

Slow

Predictable Unpredictable

Subject Motion

Subject

Predictability Expand

Flexible

Spot

Flexible

Spot M

Flexible

Spot L Zone

Flexible

Spot L

Wide

Flexible

Spot S

Note: Tracking Mode is suitable for tracking single subjects continuously, and when obstacles

might briefly obscure the subject.

AF area and subject motion

Select a narrow AF area mode for subjects that move slowly or

predictably. A wide AF area is recommended for subjects that

move rapidly and/or unpredictably.

Index

Refer to the following webpage for conditions that may apply during continuous shooting

: http://www.sony.net/cont/ilce9/

: https://www.sony.net/dics/9m2cnt/

Ball games 1-5 pp.16-20

Athletics / Track and field 1-2 p.21-22

Winter sports 1-5 pp.23-27

Motor sports 1-2 pp.28-29

Water sports p.30

Other sports 1-10 pp.31-39

Non-sport categories 1-4 pp.40-43

Recommended settings for events and subjects

Main focus settings

14 15

Soccer / Football, Futsal, Handball

Ball games 1

*Set AF sensitivity to 4 in situations where the ball is frequently passed between players.

Ball games 2

Basketball, Volleyball

*Recommended when the players are close together.

** Recommended when the players are far apart or multiple players are close to each other.

Item Recommended settings Use

Focus Mode AF-C Focus Mode Dial

Focus Area

[No.1] Flexible Spot M

[No.2] Expand Flexible

Spot

[ ] 5 / 14 (AF1)

Face/Eye Priority in AF

On [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2)

Subject Detection Human [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2)

Priority Set in AF-C Balanced Emphasis [ ] 5 / 14 (AF1)

AF Track Sens. 4 *[ ] 6 / 14 (AF2)

Switch V/H AF Area AF point only [ ] 5 / 14 (AF1)

Item Recommended settings Use

Focus Mode AF-C Focus Mode Dial

Focus Area

[No.1] Flexible Spot M*

[No.2] Expand Flexible

Spot**

[ ] 5 / 14 (AF1)

Face/Eye Priority in AF

On [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2)

Subject Detection Human [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2)

Priority Set in AF-C Balanced Emphasis [ ] 5 / 14 (AF1)

AF Track Sens. 3 (Standard) [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2)

Switch V/H AF Area AF point only [ ] 5 / 14 (AF1)

Recommended settings for events and subjects

16 17

Ball games 3

Item Recommended settings Use

Focus Mode AF-C Focus Mode Dial

Focus Area

[No.1] Flexible Spot M*

[No.2] Expand Flexible

Spot**

[No.3] Tracking: Flexible

Spot M***

[ ] 5 / 14 (AF1)

Face/Eye Priority in AF

On [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2)

Subject Detection Human [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2)

Priority Set in AF-C Balanced Emphasis [ ] 5 / 14 (AF1)

AF Track Sens. 3 (Standard) [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2)

Switch V/H AF Area AF point only [ ] 5 / 14 (AF1)

Item Recommended settings Use

Focus Mode AF-C Focus Mode Dial

Focus Area

[No.1] Expand Flexible

Spot*

[No.2] Flexible Spot M**

[ ] 5 / 14 (AF1)

Face/Eye Priority in AF

On [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2)

Subject Detection Human [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2)

Priority Set in AF-C Balanced Emphasis [ ] 5 / 14 (AF1)

AF Track Sens. 3 (Standard) [ ] 6 / 14 (AF2)

Switch V/H AF Area AF point only [ ] 5 / 14 (AF1)

Tennis

*Covers a wide range of situations.

** Recommended for pinpoint focus on a selected player.

*** Recommended when shooting the upper body of the player or when the player rapidly

moves sideways.

Rugby

Ball games 4

*Covers a wide range of situations.

** Recommended for pinpoint focus on a selected player.

Recommended settings for events and subjects

18 19

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