Canon R5 Spot AF vs Zone AF with Animal Tracking

[RichMan]

I'm looking for a better understanding of my AF methods. I currently have the AF-ON button set to Animal-eye detection and tracking, the * button to AF start, and the AF point button to AF method selection. I can scroll through my AF methods (spot, expanded, zone, ect....) with the selection button and then use the * button to focus. If I have a good view of the bird, I can just use the AF-ON button to do eye detection and tracking. That's the setup, but not the question.

Question 1:
I have noticed that when I focus using spot AF, the camera focuses on whatever is in the little box and the box turns blue when focused. Pretty straightforward. However, when focus using Zone AF, the camera puts several little blue boxes on an item inside the zone. The little blue boxes appear to try to group around the bird if one is in the frame, but not always. I was hoping someone with more experience could provide some information on what is going on in these AF methods.

Question 2:
When I use the AF selection button to select 'Face Tracking' and then press the AF start button (I have it set to the * button) the camera will lock-on and track an eye, but if I put the little white box on another object (with the bird still in the frame) it will often lock-on to that object and track it and not find the birds eye. However, when I use the AF-ON button (I have set to Eye Detection AF) it will jump right to the eye. I guess I'm saying that Animal Eye AF and tracking works much better using the AF-ON button set to Eye Detection AF than it does when selecting Face+Tracking AF method and pressing the AF start button. Again, just looking for some more insight into this.

Thanks

 

[RedCobra]

Animal eye tracking does not work in AF spot or Zone. Yes on an R3, but not on a R5/R6. animal eye tracking is a mode all unto itself. Personally, I use AF start for animal eye, the asterisk button for spot AF, and the AE lock button for zone. If animal eye doesn't pick up the subject in a busy background, I go to spot AF and when it turns blue, I slide back to eye tracking and it nails the eye.

Q1. zone is doing what it's supposed to do. Focusing on stuff in the zone (non eye AF).
Q2 . You have confused me., as you are using two steps in the second example to do what is being done with the AF start button in one step.

ps: I used to have AF mode selection set on the lens ring, but found since I always use eye, spot or zone have mapped the ring to exp comp.

 

[RichMan]

Thanks for the insight! All the little blue random boxes when in Zone just confuses me, I'm guessing Zone works best with a subject against an uncluttered background, or with a single subject separated from the background.?. You explanation helped.

I use the AF selection button to scroll through AF methods because I'm still learning what works best for me. However, I really only use Eye Detect, Spot, and Zone; so I should just go ahead and set with three buttons.

 

[RedCobra]

Thanks for the insight! All the little blue random boxes when in Zone just confuses me, I'm guessing Zone works best with a subject against an uncluttered background, or with a single subject separated from the background.?. You explanation helped.

I use the AF selection button to scroll through AF methods because I'm still learning what works best for me. However, I really only use Eye Detect, Spot, and Zone; so I should just go ahead and set with three buttons.

All the little blue random boxes is what you will get if you turn off eye and tracking. You'll get that all over the frame wherever a subject is found, and when they are blue, it means things under them are in focus. If they turn red, you lost focus.