Canon R7 AF does not hook the subject

[Torredipisa]

Good morning, I bought a Canon R7 to start entering the ML world, but I confess that I am having some problems which I believe certainly depend on my lack of familiarity with the object which is certainly much more complex than the reflex world. So, after having set the available AF areas in various ways, from the single point to the extended surface. For example, when I point at an approaching plane, when I half-press the shutter button it "vanishes" from the focal area and begins to swing back and forth. It is necessary to frame another subject to regain focus and then return to it, and the phenomenon occurs again. Then in the end, however, the subject is "hooked" and remains so until the end. For appropriate information, I have not activated any type of recognition nor automatic drag. Only the AI Servo mode. In this way I have already failed some planes, which came to me like "clouds" of cotton! Thank you for your kind attention. Regards Fabio

 

[AntonLargiader]

What lens are you using for planes?

 

[Torredipisa]

What lens are you using for planes?

Canon rf 18-150

 

[Archibald]

I often have AF problems like you describe. The lens searches back and forth and never locks on, and I miss the shot. This happens with my tele lens when shooting birds, and also with macro shooting of bugs.

The camera is looking for a subject it recognizes, for instance an eye or a body. If the subject is completely out of focus, then that recognition fails. If you prefocus or manually focus so that the subject is recognizable to the camera, then it will usually focus and lock on. But even then, if there is motion, the focus can be lost and you have to start over.

These AF problems are worst with small subjects and with subjects that are hard to discern. My R7 is usually reliable with well-lit subjects that are close.

Lots of people complain about the focus of the R7. They are right. However, when the circumstances are right, the camera focuses very accurately. I still get more keepers with my R7 than with previous cameras.

Many of us are wishing for an R7 Mark II with needed improvements, but the new version is probably a couple of years away.

 

[BasilFawlty]

Many of us are wishing for an R7 Mark II with needed improvements, but the new version is probably a couple of years away.

That would be me. I'm hoping the R7 II will come out maybe next year and have much improved AF performance. Reading reviews of the current R7 AF has kept me from getting that camera. Hopefully the R7II will solve those issues.

 

[Archibald]

That would be me. I'm hoping the R7 II will come out maybe next year and have much improved AF performance. Reading reviews of the current R7 AF has kept me from getting that camera. Hopefully the R7II will solve those issues.

Watched pots don't boil, they say.

While it has issues, my R7 is easily my most-used camera. The R5 stays home when shooting my favorite subjects, which are birds and bugs. It's because the R7 has such amazing reach and croppability due to its hi-rez sensor.

 

[BasilFawlty]

Watched pots don't boil, they say.

While it has issues, my R7 is easily my most-used camera. The R5 stays home when shooting my favorite subjects, which are birds and bugs. It's because the R7 has such amazing reach and croppability due to its hi-rez sensor.

I’m patient.

 

[KWEnz]

What lens are you using for planes?

Canon EF 100-400 with 1.4x TC and EF-RF adapter on R6 Mk II. I support this combination on a monopod.

 

[Only RF]

With that lens planes would be pretty small in the frame or are pretty very close to them? I imagine you have experience shooting planes with a DSLR and planes with about 150mm lens.

You said have several AF modes. Zone AF doing the same thing? Have you tried Whole Area AF with the setting Vehicles? That body is pretty good at picking up something in the sky even if small. If you test Whole Area try with Subject to Detect on and off and see what you get.

 

[Only RF]

• Canon EOS R7
• RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
• 300.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/4000 sec
• ISO 800

 

[David Berry]

Torre…

This article in EOS Magazine (highly recommended) provides some valuable background.

Please let me know if it helps; if so, I’ll get back with suggestions based on how I’ve coped with the problem.

… David

 

[Only RF]

This is not specific to the problem but an interesting watch.

AF Speed SECRETS! Do YOU Have It All WRONG?!?

It's time to clear out the myths and mysteries regarding AF speed. If you want a higher keeper rate with any lens, you'll love this one!In this video, we'll ...

www.youtube.com

 

[Only RF]

To the OP. Just in case selecting the correct "subject to detect" mode is very important. It's that sensitive.

My approach to the the R6II and particularly my R7 is I start out in whole area AF and let it do its job. Most of the time it works well but as posted in these threads it can fail. I actually expect it to which makes life easier for me. I override the system if it is not cooperating and make it do what I want, not what it wants to do.

I'm set up pretty close to this method. My AF-ON is now set to plain Zone AF. No subject or eye detect. It used to use single point but I only need the subject in focus when I use that BBF. So for me the more AF points working for me the better. Once the subject is on focus I release the AF-On and it goes back into subject and eye detect and finds the eye. I can toggle the AF -ON as many times as I need to. I don't have to lift my thumb off one BBF and press another to override subject/eye detect.

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

 

[Dcweather]

I often have AF problems like you describe. The lens searches back and forth and never locks on, and I miss the shot. This happens with my tele lens when shooting birds, and also with macro shooting of bugs.

The camera is looking for a subject it recognizes, for instance an eye or a body. If the subject is completely out of focus, then that recognition fails. If you prefocus or manually focus so that the subject is recognizable to the camera, then it will usually focus and lock on. But even then, if there is motion, the focus can be lost and you have to start over.

These AF problems are worst with small subjects and with subjects that are hard to discern. My R7 is usually reliable with well-lit subjects that are close.

Lots of people complain about the focus of the R7. They are right. However, when the circumstances are right, the camera focuses very accurately. I still get more keepers with my R7 than with previous cameras.

Many of us are wishing for an R7 Mark II with needed improvements, but the new version is probably a couple of years away.

Exactly what Archibald says ...........

 

[Only RF]

Not sure if this is helpful but I found the lens focus distance setting more sensitive on ML bodies. With my 100-500 for anything further than 10ft I set it to 3m to infinity.

 

[Only RF]

Well I don't know. I shot an air show on the weekend. I set the R7 to whole area AF, subject to detect to vehicles and eye detect off. It just focused. No hunting, no losing the subject. If there was something in the sky it found it and stayed with it. I was using my 100-500.

 

[Only RF]

I forgot to add Subject tracking was also on. I pretty much shoot with all those settings all of the time. I turn eye detect on and off as needed
.