Create with confidence

In Focus

Focus

Maintaining sharp constant focus has always been a challenge in video, especially when you're the only person operating the camera and want to be in front of it! Having reliable and fast autofocus is a must-have for any content creator out there, and for some this has been a tricky barrier.

Many modern Sony cameras utilise the incredibly fast and accurate autofocus method Real-time Tracking AF. This tenacious autofocus method combines intuitive AI algorithms with powerful image processing to identify faces and even eyes to track a human and maintain sharp focus. And the best part is that this autofocus method works for both stills and video capture! Many Sony cameras which use this method have it enabled straight away so only one setting needs to be selected (more on that below). Below is a range of other tips and tricks to ensure your focus is always sharp and on point.

Continuous Auto focus = AF-C

The first thing to do when looking at focus functions is to ensure your Sony camera is set to Continuous Autofocus, also seen in the camera as AF-C. For compatible models, this will enable Real-time Tracking autofocus.

For camera models without Real-time Tracking, the camera will still continually analyse the scene by using the Hybrid Autofocus method, changing the focus points and prioritising the face and eyes. Which brings us to...

Face/Eye AF Set

There is a function in many modern Sony cameras which will allow you to prioritise a human's face and eyes for autofocus, so if you are presenting to the camera and something moves in between you and the camera, the focus point will remain at the original focal depth. This avoids unwanted focus hunting. Most cameras have this function on by default, but just in case...

A note on this: if you are a product reviewer, or you display items while presenting, you may want to turn this function off because the camera will prioritise the human face and eyes, not the product when you hold it up to the camera.

AF Drive Speed & AF Tracking Sensitivity

AF Drive Speed and AF Tracking Sensitivity allow you to control how quickly the camera will change focus, and how sensitive it is to changing focus. For example, if you present items to camera in your videos, you may want to turn Face/Eye AF Set. off, and turn AF Sensitivity to Responsive. This means the camera has increased sensitivity to objects moving in the frame and will respond by changing the focus.

Each of these functions provide dynamic ways to adjust the autofocus in your Sony camera. Take the time to experiment with the above setting combinations and see which will work best for you, your presenting style, and the videos you plan on making.

Sound Check

Most cameras come with an on-board microphone, but only a handful of cameras have a microphone which is worth its weight. For the general user these microphones are totally fine, but for a Content Creator it can be a trap! These microphones are omnidirectional which means they will pick up sound from every direction. So that construction site across the road which has a jack hammer going over time – you bet that's going to be captured in your audio.

For the ultimate in shotgun microphone performance look no further than the ECM‑B1M. The ECM‑B1M features a unique 8 capsule node pattern which runs along the top of the mic providing incredible audio clarity and recording flexibility. The powerful on-mic controls include a switch to change between super-directional, unidirectional and omnidirectional audio pattern pickup, making this microphone a one-choice for all setups, whether its interviewing, atmosphere sound or simply to capture dialogue.

Going Wireless

If you go and film all your content and realise you have unusable audio, there are ways to solve it – but it is a laborious and cumbersome task to undertake. It is crucial to remember that having clean, clear audio is incredibly important to your projects. Think about how you will film your content and where, and then give serious consideration to how you will best record the audio. You'll be thankful when you get to the edit!

Note: All these microphones are compatible with all Sony cameras supporting the mi Multi-Interface hot shoe. In the case of the ECM‑B1M, this microphone also has the powerful piece of hardware Digital Audio Interface which offers the cleaner digital audio connection – however only the Alpha 7R IV and Alpha 9 II have the hardware to support this feature at the moment.