Canon R5 R5 Focusing Issues (primarily with bald eagles)

[NancyMac]

Hi All,

I'm using an R5 with a 100-500mm lens. I feel like my lens is slow with autofocus tracking of birds in flight.

I'm using manual settings w/ my shutter speed at 1:3200 or maybe a little less, aperture 7.1,-8.0, and iso as needed.
Settings to animal, SERVO, high speed continuous exposure +, and using the back button focus button.

Should the focus be set to Expand Auto Focus Around or the face focus plus tracking??
Do I need to adjust the sensitivity AF pt select away from zero (purple screen) or do I need to change something in initial servo AF pt??

I'm super frustrated. I never had any issues with my 7D.
I feel like I'm just missing a setting or something within my camera???
Also, I have IS off, because a lot of my pics are taking from a boat.

I am mostly shooting wildlife...
Thank you very much for your assistance. I used to be 9/10 with the only issue being my exposure (under), but now I can see my adjusts as I tweak things in camera, and my issue is solely the focusing...

Nancy

 

[NancyMac]

The only button you need to change to use my method is the AF-on button to eye detect.

Leave the shutter button as it was at default so it both meters and af's as well as initiating the shots when fully depressed.

Your tiny AF point isn't the fine point is it? I use the next one which is bigger. This point is used to focus on static subjects or to put you in the general area. You are not likely to use it for moving subjects. If the subject is reasonably close press the AF-on button and it should lock on to the subject. You then just need to compose the shot as best you can depending on if it's moving and at what speed. Use your zoom to help.
If you follow my original instructions for my settings you should arrive at where I have suggested you try.

Using the screen to AF is fine if you are tripod mounted or have a lightweight lens perhaps but totally impossible with a big white hand held. Like you I use the viewfinder not because it's old fashioned but for many practical reasons including battery saving and the ability to see what the shot looks like when the light is reflecting off the screen. I find the reticulated screen excellent when tripod mounted and I use it for video .

Hi Dave,
I used the single point setting and had a little bit more success, however still happy with the images. I'll add one here for your reference.

Orca example 1-
Focal length - 500mm
Exposure 1/3200
F 7.1
ISO only 640
Not crisp at all.

Orca example 2-
Focal length - 500 mm
Exposure 1/2500
F 7.1
ISO only 400
Not crisp.... ugh

Orca example 3 -
Focal length - 428 mm
Exposure - 1/1250
F 7.1
ISO only 400
Tried to keep the ISO lower, with hopes of sharpening the image, didn't help much

Orca example 4 -
Focal length - 500mm
Exposure - 1/1250
F 7.1
ISO 400
What the heck is wrong with this camera? I would have nailed all of these pics in the past...

Other times it would nail the focus...
Focal - 324mm
Exposure - 1/1250
F 7.1
ISO 400

Orca with Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Sped up the shutter speed because the dolphins are so fast.
Focal only at 167mm
7.1, 1/2500, ISO 500
UGH

Not crisp...
Focal length only 186mm
7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500

Orca with boat - 500mm, 7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500

Male Orca dorsal with boat. Proof that ISO isn't causing the fuzziness.
Focal length - 400mm, 7.1, 1/2000, ISO 800
I'm happy with this image.

Image 5872 - This is why I need the joystick/toggle

Humpback at - 176mm, 8.0, 1/2500, ISO 1000

So you can see my focus is all over the place. I haven't gone through all of my pics yet, but with what I have gone through thus far, I have WAY more blurry images that what I've even posted. So blurry that it's as if a child took the pic.

Any suggestions? I still feel like a setting is off.

Thanks,
Nancy

 

[Dave Williams]

The images are not that bad in my opinion. The light is poor and there is little contrast and they are fairly tiny in the frame in some shots. What do the look like when cropped at 100%. The Humpback tail fin should look pretty good unless you have already cropped that shot.
When you say you have used single point do you mean you just used the shutter button?
For image 5872 I would have left my single point in the middle of the frame, pointed it over the fin then half pressed to get it in focus.I would have then pressed the Af-on button which would hopefully lock on to the subject whilst I recomposed the image. If the AF points didn't stick with the fin then I would have tried toggling down the single point over the fin to recompose as best I could.
Grey on grey and reflective water doesn't make for the best conditions, it's all about the light no matter what you are shooting. Have a go at some thing else, preferably with eyes too, and in decent light then see what the results are.