Canon R7 BIF with the R7

[Archibald]

I have never been that good of a BIF shooter, but I'm getting some frustrating behavior with the R7. I'm curious what you folks use as settings on the R7 and how well it works for you. Is this a useful thing to discuss here, or has it already been covered in the forum?

Below is a successful shot taken this morning, of a Canada Goose hybrid.

• Canon EOS R7
• RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
• 500.0 mm
• ƒ/7.1
• 1/1600 sec
• ISO 400

 

[Snappy St Loes]

A couple of recent BIF captures with my trusty R7/RF800 combo...

• Canon EOS R7
• RF800mm F11 IS STM
• 800.0 mm
• ƒ/11
• 1/4000 sec
• ISO 3200

• Canon EOS R7
• RF800mm F11 IS STM
• 800.0 mm
• ƒ/11
• 1/4000 sec
• ISO 1600

 

[Arbarthisti]

BIF setting on the R7 I generally use the following
Shutter button metering only, rear af button set to AF and Eye, star button tracking on tracking off. Depth of field button (front of camera) servo on/servo off. Perhaps you could mention what settings you are using as a starting point.

There are a number of good tips on you tube for setting focus up try out whistling wings photography or duade paton to name a few.

 

[Only RF]

Either way it looks like you are doing OK. No one gets 100% keeper rate for BIF.

 

[ctitanic]

Long story short - great focus system tied to an underpowered processor. This can be overcome by shooting fewer FPS, but the FPS is why we got the camera.

Exactly. Shoot less shots and you will get better results. Who needs 30 fps! We used to shoot 5 fps, then 10, after that 15 now we are at 30 and we think that it's not enough!

 

[RedCobra]

I feel more concern about reported cases where AF in the R7 was failing and it was not relative to H+. And there cases reported in this forum. Cases where the owners have to exchange their camera to get one where the AF works.

With everything I know now, the R7 is not a camera that I go around recommending, it's a camera that I only recommend to people that I know well and when I do that, I add "be prepared to return it if your feel that AF is not pleasing you".

I hope that I did not open another Pandora box...

This is why I buy Canon refurb stuff. When you folks send your camera back, Canon USA repairs it to specs and then sells it as a refurb. I trust the refurbs more than the NIB ones.... YMMV. (My refurb R7 works like a champ)

 

[RickyRed]

I changed my entire approach to ML cameras. Had an R5 which I sold and now have the R6II and R7. My approach to all of them is I expect them to fail which makes life for me easier. This new tech is phenomenal but it is new. As they keep training their AI with FW updates and new cameras it will keep getting better.

I don't care why it failed. I just worry about how to get it do to want I want, not what it wants. With my 7D for 5 years I shot with both AF on and metering on the shutter button. I never had an issue keeping the shutter button half pressed while tracking and burst shooting. I decided to map AF to the AF-ON button for my 7D2. It actually took a little while to adjust to that.

I also shoot M with auto ISO, continuous H (not H+) but for the R7 in ES. I can't stand the loud shutter. I use EFCS for my R6II.

I changed my entire approach to ML bodies. I may not be using all of the sub options in the Detail Set but it works for me. I left both AF and Metering on the shutter button so I'm back at half pressing the shutter again. Note: I've also disabled both the joystick and LCD to move the AF point/s around. It's too slow for me.

This frees up the AF-ON. I have programmed the AF-ON for Single Point AF. The * button for Zone AF which is for BIF. A rarely use Spot Focus so I mapped that to the DOF. On the R7 it won't map the magnifier button for an AF mode. The R5 and R6II allow that option which is called the AF Point selection button.

I'm always on Whole Area AF and Eye Detect. I've mapped other buttons to get in and out of Eye detect when needed but I'm in Eye almost all of the time. For the R7 I use the lower cross key.

I always let the camera do its thing first by pressing the shutter half way. I paid a lot of money for that tech and it does well most of the time. If it can't find the eye it will focus on the head. If it can't focus on the head it will do the body and go back to the eye when it can.

For a total failure where it won't focus on bird at all at I'll press a BBF. Typically the * for BIF (Zone AF) but I have used the AF-ON with single point as well.

I physically move the camera so the AF point/s land on the bird and then release the BBF. The AF point/s can be anywhere on the bird. It does not have to be on the the eye. That is the cameras job. As long as your subject is in reasonable focus it will find the eye when you release the BBF.

With this method I don't have to lift my thumb off one BBF to press another. With the shutter half pressed I just toggle the one I need as many times as I need to while tracking a bird.

I even use this for static birds. Those small birds don't give you much time. I move the camera so the AF point/s lands on it, I release the BBF and then recompose. Much faster for me than moving the AF point around. I've even used Zone AF for static and it works great. You just need to get the bird in reasonable focus. It's even focused on the post a bird is sitting on and when I release the BFF the eye snaps in.

I also have the AF Preview enabled. Page 3 of the AF menus. With it enabled it will start to look for an eye when the camera wakes up before you press any buttons. When tracking a BIF and I happen to lift my finger past half way off the shutter it kicks in and continues to AF.

Also I've read that some like to use a BBF first to get the bird in focus and then switch to Eye Detect. I prefer to use Eye Detect and let the camera do its thing first.

My approach is a little different to the conventional mapping the AF-On for AF. AF-ON has been around for a long time and Eye Detect is new. Just trying to think outside the box.

I totally agree. I Use the R7 and R5 for birds. On the R7, you can use center focus point and expand with tracking. Once you get the focus point on the bird. The AF locks on to your subject. and will track it even thru trees... The R5, your limited with focus point options and tracking. What I am trying to get across is. You still have to work at landing the AF point on the subject. The quicker you can, the faster the af will lock and track.. I was just out photographing Yellowlegs and dunlins in flight with the R7. The camera is set up mostly stock. ECS, servo. one shot, and case one, I have the star button set for servo or one shot. Af. Thats it.. One shot at a time and make a good one.. Practice, practice and more practice.

• Canon EOS R7
• EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
• 371.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/640 sec
• ISO 250

 

[Stompthestroller]

Capturing the eye on birds with dark head pigmentation does present problems. Even in what I take to be reasonable light some of my photos are a bit disappointing.

• Canon EOS R7
• RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM + EXTENDER RF1.4x
• 560.0 mm
• ƒ/11
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 25600

 

[RickyRed]

Feel free to discuss settings. But the "frustrating behavior" may not be as much setting related as it is the camera itself, and that we've spoken about quite a bit here. I shoot with both the R5 and the R7, and if I could get a camera with the R5's IQ and focus stickiness with the R7's focus system, and not pay as much as the R3, I'd get rid of both of them and buy two.

The R7 grabs the desired focus point better than any of my Canon R-series cameras, but it doesn't always grab or hold focus on that point. This has been discussed elsewhere here. Long story short - great focus system tied to an underpowered processor. This can be overcome by shooting fewer FPS, but the FPS is why we got the camera.

I did not buy the R7 for the 30FPS. The R7 does a nice job of replacing the 90D, but does not replace my 7DII. I would be more than happy to pay the price of a R6II for a powerhouse apsc That finally replaces the 7D series. Another thought. The R5 is a powerhouse that chews thru battery's

• Canon EOS R5
• RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
• 500.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/500 sec
• ISO 3200

three times as fast as the R7.

 

[Jake Shoots Birds]

Feel free to discuss settings. But the "frustrating behavior" may not be as much setting related as it is the camera itself, and that we've spoken about quite a bit here. I shoot with both the R5 and the R7, and if I could get a camera with the R5's IQ and focus stickiness with the R7's focus system, and not pay as much as the R3, I'd get rid of both of them and buy two.

The R7 grabs the desired focus point better than any of my Canon R-series cameras, but it doesn't always grab or hold focus on that point. This has been discussed elsewhere here. Long story short - great focus system tied to an underpowered processor. This can be overcome by shooting fewer FPS, but the FPS is why we got the camera.