R7 refuses to autofocus in most modes

[IC-R7]

I have an R7 which refuses to autofocus in any mode except A+ unless I press the AF-ON button every time I depress the shutter button half way.  I have checked the AF-MF switch on the front of the camera & the AF-MF on lenses.  I have tried with several lenses but same result.    Is there another setting I need to adjust?

[stevet1 · Accepted solution]

IC-R7,

I guess I just have a couple of  questions:

1) Do you like using the AF-ON button to focus?

2) Does your camera focus if you just press the AF-ON button without half-pressing the shutter button first?

There should be a setting in the Custom Functions menu group to re-assign the focusing function from your shutter button to the the AF-ON button, button, but I don't know if the R7 does that already by default.

Steve Thomas

[IC-R7]

Thanks - found setting for Shutter button half depress in Custom Functions was set to Metering only

[stevet1]

IC-R7,

Glad I could help.

That technique is called "back-button focus".

I personally prefer it.

You can also use that technique in an exposure lock and focus and recompose situation like if you want to do a silhouette. You can point your camera at a bright section of your frame, meter off it with your shutter, and hit your asterisk button  * to lock that exposure.  Then holding down your AF-ON button, you can swing your camera around and focus on a different part of your frame.

If you are in Servo mode, if you hit the AF button once and release it, it will focus once and then stop focusing. If you keep holding it down, it will continue to focus as long as you keep it pressed down.

Holding that AF-ON button down will also HOLD that exposure lock I mentioned earlier.

Otherwise, that AE Lock will expire after six seconds.

Steve Thomas