Phase Detection AF disabled

[nexnoob2012]

Hi Everyone,

I am very new here. In fact just got my firxt Nex camera, NEX 6, 2 days ago. But I have been tinkering with different settings in the Setup menu, and because of that I can no longer enable Phase Detection AF. It's simply greyed out and I get the message "This function is currently disabled".

I can't remember what I did. The camera is set at Aperture Priority and no special effect is selected. Does anyone know what I may have done? I tried googling it, search in the instruction manual, etc, I can't find any reason why that function is suddenly greyed out.

Any ideas?

BTW, correct me if I am wrong, but when I enabled it, does that mean my AF is not hybrid, not just Phase Detection AF itself? And if so, doesn't that slow down AF like in Canon T4i?

 

[nianys]

The whole point of phase AF is to be quicker than contrast. Not that it's VERY much quicker, but let's say it seems a bit better. Are you using a legacy lens ? Only lenses with a firmware that can be updated to the newest version can support Phase AF. That'd be the 16-50, 18-55, 50, not really sure about the other ones. The obvious reason you couldn't access phase AF would be if you were using a lens not optimized for it.

 

[Bill]

There are some firmware updates for some Sony lenses on the issue of the Phase Detection. Perhaps that's it.

Seemingly, you need a 6 to do the firmware upgrade for the lenses.

 

[nexnoob2012]

I am using it with the kit lens 16-50mm, 50mm f1.8 and Zeiss 24mm. At one point I got it to work but I thought AF was not "fast"... Like OM-D fast. So I tinkered further for tho reason and another, and I lost it since.

 

[nexnoob2012]

No, I am not using legacy lens though I have been thinking of using Canon FD lenses. I just haven't found the right adapter yet. Metabones is too expensive. MX is kinda new and I haven't heard others using it first...

 

[quezra]

1. The 50 is not PDAF compatible
2. I used the cheapest FD adapter off ebay and it worked better than another $40 adapter I bought at a store here. No name adapters are fine

 

[Dioptrick]

I used the cheapest FD adapter off ebay and it worked better than another $40 adapter I bought at a store here. No name adapters are fine

+1

All the legacy adapters I've used so far are 10 to 15 dollar cheapies from eBay coming from HongKong or China. They've all worked fine...

 

[nexnoob2012]

Guys, thanks for the replies! I just switched to the 16-50mm lens and PDAF showed up. Strangely, I thought it should work as well when I use Zeiss 24mm f1.8, as per:

"From launch, Fast Hybrid AF is supported with these lenses: E 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS; E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS; E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS; E 24mm F1.8 ZA Sonnar T*; E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS. Firmware upgrades will steadily expand the range of lenses offering Fast Hybrid AF support."

.. from Sony - Made for photographers: The NEX-6 compact system camera from Sony puts DSLR power in your pocket : : News : Sony Europe Press Centre

But it doesn't. Also, I notice the Peaking Level function is also disabled. What's happening here!?!?!?

 

[nexnoob2012]

BTW, those cheapies adapters... they don't allow you to change aperture setting, do they? I am OK without AF but ability to change aperture is a must.

 

[nexnoob2012]

OK... played around a bit. I got it. So Peaking Level only works when Focus is set to DMF or MF. That makes sense. That leaves the Zeiss 24mm not allowing PDAF. Arrgh, if only they tell you why it's disabled as opposed to just giving you the message: "This function is currently disabled". The manual doesn't help much either...

 

[quezra]

BTW, those cheapies adapters... they don't allow you to change aperture setting, do they? I am OK without AF but ability to change aperture is a must.

If you're using FD mount, the aperture is all set mechanically off the lens. So you just need to make sure the pin slides back in the mount to make sure the aperture can be adjusted. It's only much later electronic lenses where you have to buy electronic adapters for $$$ to get aperture to work through the adapter and via camera controls

 

[nexmax]

OK... played around a bit. I got it. So Peaking Level only works when Focus is set to DMF or MF. That makes sense. That leaves the Zeiss 24mm not allowing PDAF. Arrgh, if only they tell you why it's disabled as opposed to just giving you the message: "This function is currently disabled". The manual doesn't help much either...

I see no PDAF in the menu system of my NEX 6 with 16-50... Just AF, DMF, MF. I thought that phase detection was automatically enabled when in AF mode or DMF... Where do you see it precisely?

 

[nianys]

It's in the set-up menu, towards the top of the menu.

 

[nexmax]

Thanks I missed that. So you know it's turned on because dots appear in the center of the frame to let you know the area of the Phase Detection AF... They seem to be static anyway, the won't lit up when you focus using PDAF so you basically don't know wether the camera is really using PDAF or contrast detection AF...

 

[lowincash]

I think PDAF is automatically turned on at all time when using lens that's updated for PDAF, turning the Phase detection area on or off just shows the dots on the screen right? I don't like seeing those dots on the screen lol

 

[nexmax]

Well I guess that if you disable it, then you won't get PDAF.. The menu isn't about the dots, it's about PDAF being on.
Anyway I'm astonished by the manual, it's completely useless as it only tells you the basic stuff that 90 per cent of the target user base of this camera already knows.

 

[mcirillo]

OK... played around a bit. I got it. So Peaking Level only works when Focus is set to DMF or MF. That makes sense. That leaves the Zeiss 24mm not allowing PDAF. Arrgh, if only they tell you why it's disabled as opposed to just giving you the message: "This function is currently disabled". The manual doesn't help much either...

I was having the same problem with my 24. Turns out it can do PDAF, but it needs a firmware update to enable it.
Sony : NEX-5R updates | Download updates for NEX-5R
Download/install the Lens Firmware one. That should do it.