Can you initiate Sony Real Time AF Tracking with your face at viewfinder? The only way I have been able to start AF tracking on Sony A9 and A6400 is by touching the LED screen. I...

tinplater Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

The only way I have been able to start AF tracking on Sony A9 and A6400 is by touching the LED screen. I would really like to start tracking while looking through the viewfinder....is there a way to do this?

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Have you tried to assign this as a custom function to one of the programmable buttons?

tinplater Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

Gene51 wrote:

Have you tried to assign this as a custom function to one of the programmable buttons?

I don't think that it is possible. I called Sony support and spent 45 frustrating minutes trying to get the agent to understand how the A9 works and what real time AF Tracking is. They have promised a phone call within 24 hours...we will see. I just need someone who is expert with either the A6400 or the A9 to let me know, "can you START tracking with your eye to the viewfinder?"

repleo Loc: Boston

tinplater wrote:

I don't think that it is possible. I called Sony support and spent 45 frustrating minutes trying to get the agent to understand how the A9 works and what real time AF Tracking is. They have promised a phone call within 24 hours...we will see. I just need someone who is expert with either the A6400 or the A9 to let me know, "can you START tracking with your eye to the viewfinder?"

I think what you re looking for is called 'Eye start Autofocus'. The camera will autofocus as soon as it detects an eye (or anything else) covering the eyepiece.
Not sure about the A6400 or A9, but on the A7Rii it is under the 'gearwheel' tab, menu 4 near the Finder/Monitor setting - not with any of the focus settings.

You should be able to set it for Continuous Autofocus (AF-C) or Automatic Autofocus (AF-A) from the Function button menu

UPDATE:
Sorry, 'Realtime Tracking Autofocus' is a feature I was not familiar with. Found this article.
https://www.imaging-resource.com/articles/lets-talk-about-sonys-new-real-time-tracking.
The article does mention that the feature is a bit buggy or slow when viewed though the A6400's EVF so it must be at least possible. Seems to work much better on the A9.

tinplater Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

UPDATE:
Sorry, 'Realtime Tracking Autofocus' is a feature I was not familiar with. Found this article.
https://www.imaging-resource.com/articles/lets-talk-about-sonys-new-real-time-tracking.
The article does mention that the feature is a bit buggy or slow when viewed though the A6400's EVF so it must be at least possible. Seems to work much better on the A9.[/quote]

Thanks!...however the real time tracking has to be started. I can get it going by touching the screen to indicate object to be tracked and then can look through eyepiece where tracking continues..BUT...if tracking is not underway and I look through the viewfinder there is no way that I can find to START tracking with eye to finder. Half pressing shutter starts eye af, etc but as soon as you release pressure it goes away. With real time tracking it continues to track subject, even when your finger is off the shutter button.

Low Budget Dave

First questions is whether you installed the new firmware. (The real-time tracking wasn't added until July.)

If you are using an AF point, you should be able to place the point over the subject and half-press the shutter. At that point, the camera will not only start tracking the AF subject, but will track eye distance if available. So if the eye pops into frame and back out, it will switch eye-af on and off.

My A9 has a lot of trouble with this in low light, and in situations where I am using zone AF (once it acquires a subject, it sticks with it, but you never know what it is going to acquire).

repleo Loc: Boston

Do the the A9 or A6400 have a joystick? You may be able to set real time tracking to the center button of the joystick. I set BBF to it on my A7Riii and it is really convenient.

DWNJ Loc: Northern New Jersey

I may be misunderstanding what you want but this is what I would do.
First set the camera to back button focus.
Set the camera to a single focus point.
Set the focus mode to AF-C.

Then put your eye at the viewer, place the focus point box on your subject, hit the back button focus with your thumb. and when you get the composition you want press the shutter.
Done

Google back botton focus for how to move focus control to the AF/mf button.

Ob1 Loc: Utah

The answer to your question is YES. Ask any sports photographer and the camera would be useless if it wouldn’t. I use BBF, tracking, medium or large center spot. Place the spot over the desired tracking subject, press BBF and let tracking take over. You need to set tracking response to determine how responsive you want it to be. I shoot with an a9. It is an amazing camera.

tinplater Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

Low Budget Dave wrote:

First questions is whether you installed the new f... (show quote)

I am talking about live view TRACKING...when active there is a small white box that tracks the target, turns green with half press. It continues to track even with your finger off the shutter...

tinplater Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

DWNJ wrote:

I may be misunderstanding what you want but this is what I would do.
First set the camera to back button focus.
Set the camera to a single focus point.
Set the focus mode to AF-C.

Then put your eye at the viewer, place the focus point box on your subject, hit the back button focus with your thumb. and when you get the composition you want press the shutter.
Done

Google back botton focus for how to move focus control to the AF/mf button.

That is routine...but what I am referring to here is the new LIVE VIEW TRACKING where the camera tracks the target, even when your finger is off the shutter..a little white box outlines the tracked spot.

jrm21

tinplater wrote:

That is routine...but what I am referring to here is the new LIVE VIEW TRACKING where the camera tracks the target, even when your finger is off the shutter..a little white box outlines the tracked spot.

Can't speak to your A9, but I looked at my a6400 and can't find a way to do it. It appears you need to activate the tracking via the touch screen. The fact that the menu calls it "touch tracking" seems to indicate you much "touch" to activate the feature.

If Sony gets back to you with a different answer, please post it here. I would definitely like to know.

tinplater Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

jrm21 wrote:

If Sony gets back to you with a different answer, please post it here. I would definitely like to know.

Still waiting for call back, suspect it is not coming so will try them again next week. One would hope, if it isn't possible now, that a firmware update could accomplish it.

For now I have found the best solution to keep the camera in tracking mode, use a small or medium focus area, and start tracking by touching the screen. Then to actually choose my target, PUT MY HAND OVER THE LENS for a moment to "unstick" tracking, then reassign a new target by half pressing the shutter all with my eye never leaving the finder.

repleo Loc: Boston

Good work around.