An alternate to BBF

[Only RF]

Worked for me but it’s not like Servo which tracks before you take the shot. When I pressed the shutter AF locks onto something and takes the shot. If the eye is weak then it will find something else.

 

[Only RF]

Do you have AF Preview activated? Page 3 of the AF menus. It will tell you where the camera will focus on before you take the shot.

 

[Philnick]

I use M mode and C1-3 are also M. I have custom options for each mode. I was not sure so that was why I asked. You are sure you in Eye Detect?

Yes. I use animal detect, which works for people too. The only thing I changed to get eye detection working again was changing back from Single Shot AF to AI Servo.

 

[Only RF]

I don’t know how to answer that. Mine worked. It’s been many years since I’ve had it on one shot and I didn’t like it all that much. The AF point/s illuminate when the exposure happens. Could be an eye or something else. In Servo it shows me what it’s to focusing on before I press the shutter.

 

[tpatana]

What motivated the pros' request to Canon long ago was the need to prevent their focus on their chosen subject from being stolen away by someone or something else nearer as they pressed the shutter. That hasn't changed.

Modern bodies are fairly good at staying on the original target even if something else is moving around the frame or even blocking the target momentarily. There's no loss on using BBF either, so people who are used to that probably work better with their muscle memory, but with cameras like R5 and R3 I don't see similar benefit as it used to be with AF systems before object recognition.

 

[Only RF]

I came across this last night. Similar to what I do but I start with Whole Area AF and he starts with Expansion AF. It can be Single or Spot.

Let's Set Up the Canon EOS R7 for Triple Button Autofocus and Dual Back Button Autofocus

In this video, which is geared for bird photography, I will show you how to set up the Canon EOS R7 for triple button autofocus, as well as a dual back butt...

www.youtube.com

 

[Only RF]

The 3 point AF is inserting. I was using it but never really broke down that way. That video gave me some ideas for a revamp of my BBF layout. I'm still using the shutter button for both AF and Metering.

I've assign the * button to toggle through the three AF modes. Single, Spot and Whole Area AF. As I did before I will always start with Whole Area AF because the entire array of AF points is in use. Great for BIF and for static objects as well. Let AI do its job first and find the eye. That is what I paid the big dollars for.

If Whole Area is struggling I can toggle to Single or Spot AF. I prefer Single point AF because it is larger so more contrast but use Spot when needed. For example Spot AF for small birds in thick foliage. That was the issue with my R7. You can't map the magnify button for an AF mode but you can map the R6II AF point selection button for AF mode. For the R7 I mapped Spot to the DOF which I did not like. That problem is now solved.

The white broken pre-focus square will be is active in all AF modes. Always looking for an eye.

Previously I assigned the AF-ON to Single Point AF for Eye Detect override. The * button for Zone AF but that button now has a different job. AF-ON now engages Zone AF for the Eye Detect override. Let's say the camera is struggling with a bird flying. I don't need precision. I just need to get it into some type of reasonable focus. Toggle the AF-ON as many times as need to achieve that and let AI do the rest when back in Whole Area. Even works great on static objects.

I can hardly wait to try this out.