Question about Sony Cyber-shot DSC RX100 VII

Yes - the Sony RX100 VII can be a little confusing in this regard, as it has lots of focus modes and some automatic behaviour prevents the collimator from being 'locked' in the centre.
Here's what you need to know and how to fix it 👇

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🎯 Problem

In automatic mode (Intelligent Auto or Superior Auto), the RX100 VII manages focus itself:
➡️ It automatically chooses the AF area and the type of collimator (face detection, tracking, etc.).
➡️ In these modes, you cannot manually impose a fixed collimator in the centre - it is deliberately limited.

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✅ Solution: switch to a more flexible shooting mode

To lock the collimator in the centre, you need to use a mode where the camera lets you control the focus, such as:
- P mode (Programme Auto)
- A mode (Aperture priority)
- S mode (Shutter priority)
- M mode (Manual)

Then:
1. press the Fn button → select "Focus Mode" and choose AF-S (or AF-C if you want continuous).
2. still in the Fn menu, choose "Focus Area" and select "Flexible Spot".
3. press the centre of the control dial to move the collimator, then MENU → Custom Key Settings to assign a key to the "Refocus Focus Area" function (useful for bringing the focus area back to the centre).
4 If you want it to always remain in the centre, don't move it afterwards. You can also activate the "AF Area Auto Clear: Off" option to keep it displayed.

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⚙️ Tip: "AF locked to centre" permanent

If you want the collimator to remain in the centre even after switching off/on:
1. go to MENU → Tab AF2 (or Camera Settings 1, page 6 or 7 depending on version).
2. select Focus Area → Fixed Centre.
3 This mode keeps the AF point strictly centred and never moves it, even by mistake.