Autofocus, set up right
How do you set up the Sony a7R V's subject-recognition autofocus so it holds your subject?
Tracking needs Continuous AF
Every Tracking focus area depends on AF-C: the camera keeps adjusting while you hold the button. Single-shot AF locks once — right for still life, wrong for anything that breathes or walks. Tracking areas are for stills; they cannot be selected with the dial at Movie or S&Q.
Pick the area by the subject
Wide guesses at the whole frame. Zone works a patch of it. Spot: XL/L/M/S and Expand Spot take one exact point, and three Custom areas can be shaped to your subject. Add Tracking to an area and it follows a moving subject across the frame. From the factory, Focus Area sits on the C2 button.
Set how stubborn focus is
AF Tracking Sensitivity runs 1 (Locked on) to 5 (Responsive), 3 in the middle. A subject people keep crossing in front of: set 1, focus waits them out. Subjects swapping at different distances: set 5, focus jumps to the new one.
Name the subject exactly
The recognition system focuses on a subject's eye, head, body, or the whole subject — but only the kind you name: Human, Animal/Bird, Animal, Bird, Insect, Car/Train, Airplane. There is no Auto target on this body; naming the subject is the job, every time the subject changes.
Tell it which eye
For portraits, set Right/Left Eye Select to the eye nearer the camera (Auto lets the camera choose). The camera holds that eye instead of flipping between the two mid-burst — and the near eye is the one depth of field forgives least.
Set AF-C and Tracking: Zone, name today's subject under Recognition Target, then track something moving across the frame and watch the area follow instead of hunting.