Advice

[BuddyMays]

I've been using Sony RX 10 Mark IVs now for about two years as my main working cameras outside the studio. It's a phenomenal little beast with a lot of attributes but it has one problem I can't seem to solve. Using the autofocus, It won't focus on clouds, especially soft ones in early or late light. I've tried it on every setting. The lens seems to need something solid on which to focus, no matter at what setting, macro or full 600 mms. The manual focus does not work well. If anyone has any suggestions, I would be happy to hear them.

[Hanna_Fate]

I don't know how your manual focus doesn't work well, but that's what you'll have to use.

 

To photograph clouds, set the manual focus on infinity.  That's all you have to do.

[spacecadet]

On 20/01/2022 at 14:05, Hanna_Fate said:

I don't know how your manual focus doesn't work well, but that's what you'll have to use.

 

To photograph clouds, set the manual focus on infinity.  That's all you have to do.

My Sony lenses don't have distance markings, and from what I can see online, the fixed lens on the RX10-4 doesn't either.

OP, you could try focussing on distant trees or landscape features instead. AF sometimes does struggle with low contrast.

Edited January 24, 2022 by spacecadet

[Allan Bell]

Be careful setting your lens on "Infinity" as some lenses when set manually on infinity actually go beyond infinity so are out of focus again.

 

I have experienced this myself on some lenses and with these lenses I set to infinity then wind the focus back slightly.

 

Allan

 

[spacecadet]

6 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

Be careful setting your lens on "Infinity" as some lenses when set manually on infinity actually go beyond infinity so are out of focus again.

 

 

 

Allan

 

This is to enable the AF to function. It works by racking focus back and forth, so it needs to be able to move "past" infinity.

But as I said, to the best of my knowledge OP's lens doesn't have distance markings.

[M.Chapman]

Focus on something on the horizon, lock the focus, point at the clouds (don't alter zoom), take shot.

http://www.waloszek.de/rx10m3_lock_e.php

 

Mark