Canon R5 R5 - AF Settings for Sports

[HbyM.photo]

Hi All

I'm using R5 for some sport action photography. Mostly MTB.
Recently I was shooting some downhill with quite fast guys. Time was around 1/2000 - the biker was entering the frame and leaving quite fast (I was able to have around 3 frames before he left) - also he was wearing the helmet + googles - so eye/head detection was not workig this time.
So I wonder what are the best AF setting for such cases - when the camera has to rapidly AF to the subject that enters the frame at the high speed and also leaving the frame very fast - sometimes is so fast that you are not able to keep the subject in AF frame - as there is no time for it....
Unfortunatelly weather was not perfect - I was shotting 1/2000 at 2.0 (I was using RF28-70 2.0) with iso up to 6400... so maybe the light was an issue also...
Any thoughts? (of course I'm shooting with servo, also af is under another button than shutter)

Greetings
HbyM.photo

 

[sirbenfro]

I'd try single point rather the eye focus if that is not picking it up, also check out case settings, there is one for situations you describe, ie suddenly entering shot etc. Some people seems to swear by case settings in auto, but not tried that myself.

 

[RedCobra]

Maybe this is a situation where back button focus is too slow.

 

[sirbenfro]

Maybe this is a situation where back button focus is too slow.

Possible, but I don't think so, I find it lightning fast, I think if there is no eye visible, I'd switch to single point.

 

[RedCobra]

Possible, but I don't think so, I find it lightning fast, I think if there is no eye visible, I'd switch to single point.

I stopped using BBF. I found that if I half press the shutter with the center box on my subject, the box turns blue and when I keep holding the shutter button as I recompose the blue box stays on the selected subject as long as it is in the frame. So BBF seems redundant and slow. I did use BFF on my DSLRs. I use the control ring to select AF modes.

 

[HbyM.photo]

I stopped using BBF. I found that if I half press the shutter with the center box on my subject, the box turns blue and when I keep holding the shutter button as I recompose the blue box stays on the selected subject as long as it is in the frame. So BBF seems redundant and slow. I did use BFF on my DSLRs. I use the control ring to select AF modes.

Hmm it is interesting what you say... have to try it out... I had the feeling before that shutter is not "updating" autofocus when making the photos in series...