By default, manual focus override is disabled on the Sony a6700. So if you go to use the lens’s own manual-focus ring, nothing will happen.
And it took me a while to find the relevant setting because it uses a Sony-specific term for it. Different cameras use different names for settings like this. On the a6700, the setting you’re looking for here is known as Full Time DMF, for direct manual focus.
So here’s how to enable it.
MENU > Focus > [1] AF/MF > Full Time DMF
The default setting is OFF. So, nothing will happen if you rotate the lens’s focus ring.
Change it to ON to enable the focus ring.
When Full Time DMF won’t work
There are some cases where this won’t work.
The following functions cannot be used when Full Time DMF is set to On, and Focus Mode is set to Continuous AF.
- Auto Magnifier in MF
- Full Time DMF cannot be used in the following cases.
- When performing continuous shooting while Focus Mode is set to Continuous AF or Automatic AF (However, in the case of Continuous Shooting: Lo, Full Time DMF can be used.)
- When a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (SEL70200GM) lens is attached while Focus Mode is set to Continuous AF
- The following lenses (sold separately) do not support Full Time DMF:
- Sony E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS (SELP1650)
- Sony E 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS LE (SEL18200LE)
- A-mount lens
You can see some of the photos I’ve taken with the Sony a6700 in these posts:
– Sony a6700 Sample Images / Image Quality Tests (general collection of sample images under a variety of conditions)
– Sony a6700 High ISO Sample Images (focusing on high-ISO images taken under low-light conditions)
– Sony a6700 High ISO Test Images (similar to above, but focused on sequences of images throughout ISO range for side-by-side comparison)
I also have a bunch of other posts on shooting with the Sony a6700.
What Full Time direct manual focus (DMF) actually does
It’s worth clarifying that this is not the same thing as switching between either Autofocus or Manual Focus.
With this setting, you can use both at the same time. Use the usual autofocus buttons for autofocus; use the lens’s focus ring for manual override.
It’s basically a hybrid focusing mode where you can use either autofocus or manual focus. It comes in very useful in situations where the camera is struggling to lock on accurate autofocus.
This is a stills setting. With the dial set to Movie, the one to look for is AF Assist, in the same Focus → AF/MF section. It does much the same job while recording: grab the focus ring mid-take to pull focus to something else, then let go and autofocus picks up from there.
A place I often use it is with macro shooting, where cameras can often end up searching for autofocus. Manual override gives you the ability to fine-tune the focus manually.
I usually refer to this as manual focus override. Sony uses the term DMF for this feature.
One thing that trips people up: the a6700 also has a focus mode called DMF, which sits in the same Focus Mode list as Single-shot AF, Continuous AF, and Manual Focus. That one focuses automatically when you half-press the shutter, then lets you fine-tune by turning the ring while you keep the shutter held halfway down. Full Time DMF is the broader version — with it on, the focus ring stays live no matter which focus mode you’re in, so you don’t need to switch to the DMF focus mode at all.
If you’re coming from a different camera, and particularly a different make of camera, you might be familiar with the functionality under a different name.
For instance, this is what this feature is called by other manufacturers:
- Canon & Sigma: Full-time Manual Focus (FTM)
- Nikon: Manual override (M/A)
- Tamron: Full-time Manual Focus (FMM)
- Fujifilm: Manual Focus Override
