Announcements, Blog, E-Mount Cameras, Reviews, Tips and Techniques

Speed King – Sony A6300 – Lock-On AF Tracking

Posted on by Mark
04
Mar

Sony claims this camera has the world’s fastest autofocus with the world’s most phase detection AF points. I ran this camera through its paces and, unlike, the A6000, it is child’s play to lock onto a moving target and then track it accurately across the frame whilst shooting either 8 or 11 frames per second. What makes the AF so easy to use is the single press of the shutter that is required to lock-on, track and start the exposure burst. The 425 AF points cover almost the entire sensor, so it is very unlikely that you will ever lose your subject whilst it is moving across the frame. If you combine the performance of the sensor and body with a good zoom telephoto lens, such as the FE 70-200 F/4 G OSS, that can keep up with camera/sensor combo, then sharp images are pretty much guaranteed. Watch the movie to see how I set it up for accurate an predictably reliable focus tracking.

I used the following settings to ensure success.

  • Lens: FE70200 f/4 @ f/4 (wide open) and 200mm (300mm equivalent)
  • Focus Mode: AF-C 
  • Focus Area: Lock-on AF: Expand Flexible Spot
  • Drive Mode: Hi (11 fps) or Hi+ (8fps) when panning the camera. The Hi+ uses live view in Continuous Shooting Mode that minimises EVF blackout between frames.
  • ISO Auto Faster (ensuring shutter speed will not drop below 1/800 second)
  • Quality: JPEG (to ensure the buffer does not fill up too quickly).

A Flickr album of high resolution examples from this shoot are available here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskuyeUVk

The 6300 is packed with features that will make this a very compelling upgrade for A6000 owners and as a second camera for A7 users wanting to shoot sports and wildlife (the FE70200F4G has an effective focal length of 105-300mm when used on an APS-C camera).

Some of most notable new features include:

  • XGA OLED EVF with 100/120 fps refresh rate (higher resolution than the A6000 with double the refresh rate)
  • 4K and 100/120 fps full HD movie recording
  • S-Log 2 and S-Log 3 enabling wide gamut movie recording.
  • Silent Shutter
  • Minimum Shutter Speed in Aperture Priority and Program Modes
  • New High ISO of 51,200

Product Information: Sony Australia

Lens: FE70200 f/4 @ f/4 (wide open) and 200mm (300mm equivalent) Focus Mode: AF-C Focus Area: Lock-on AF: Expand Flexible Spot Drive Mode: Hi (11 fps) or Hi+ (8fps) when panning the camera. The Hi+ uses live view in Continuous Shooting Mode that minimises EVF blackout between frames. ISO Auto Faster (ensuring shutter speed will not drop below 1/800 second) Quality: JPEG (to ensure the buffer does not fill up too quickly).

 

 

A6300