R7 Focussing

[Salmo Trutta]

I have a Canon R7 and the Canon website states that if focusing is not possible with autofocus you can magnify the image and focus manually.

This is done by switching the camera to manual focus and magnifying the image by pressing the magnify button, focussing and then taking the shot.

This does not work on my R7 for some reason unless I am doing something wrong (which is quite possible) and I am at a loss on how to sort it out.

I have not installed any firmware updates since purchase and the version on the camera is 1.0.1

Any help on this will be much appreciated.

 

[Archibald]

I have the R7 and 100mm L macro lens, and have never tried magnifying the image while shooting with this rig. But your question is interesting, and is something that I have wondered about.

So I gave it a try. I set the lens to MF. When I press the magnify button (extreme right, below the * button), nothing happens. But if I touch the magnifying glass icon or the [info] button on the touch screen, it magnifies, in steps, to 5x and then to 10x.

This could be very useful in the macro studio, when you have the camera on a stand, with a subject that is not moving.

I almost always shoot live subjects hand-held where this would be difficult to use. But I'll keep this in mind for static applications.

 

[Only RF]

In which situation/s do you find AF not possible? I had an R7 for a few years and don't remember it not being able to AF. Sometimes I had to help it a but but it did it's job. I guess this about macro? I never shit macro with mirrorless bodies.

 

[Archibald]

In which situation/s do you find AF not possible? I had an R7 for a few years and don't remember it not being able to AF. Sometimes I had to help it a but but it did it's job. I guess this about macro? I never shit macro with mirrorless bodies.

OP cited Canon saying if AF not possible.

When shooting macro hand-held, there is going to be motion - of the camera and often of the subject too. So focus is never dependable, whether in MF or AF. What I do is shoot several pics and hope one or some are close enough.

 

[Salmo Trutta]

I have the R7 and 100mm L macro lens, and have never tried magnifying the image while shooting with this rig. But your question is interesting, and is something that I have wondered about.

So I gave it a try. I set the lens to MF. When I press the magnify button (extreme right, below the * button), nothing happens. But if I touch the magnifying glass icon or the [info] button on the touch screen, it magnifies, in steps, to 5x and then to 10x.

This could be very useful in the macro studio, when you have the camera on a stand, with a subject that is not moving.

I almost always shoot live subjects hand-held where this would be difficult to use. But I'll keep this in mind for static applications.

Thanks Archibald,

I followed your suggestion and it does work. A pity Canon don't make that clear on their website.
However the solution is far from practical as the vast majority of my photos are of birds and animals taken with my camera hand held.
Now if Canon could enable the magnification to be done without taking my eye from the viewfinder...........

 

[Only RF]

Thanks Archibald,

I followed your suggestion and it does work. A pity Canon don't make that clear on their website.
However the solution is far from practical as the vast majority of my photos are of birds and animals taken with my camera hand held.
Now if Canon could enable the magnification to be done without taking my eye from the viewfinder...........

If you are not shooting macro but birds and animals there are other ways. I'm assuming you are using eye detect when AF fails? While this new technology is amazing it is still just algorithms trying to figure out what you want to do and will fail. Users have developed their own methods that have severel names but the same results. I call it AF override. If my mirrorless bodies are struggling I press a BBF to go back to an old AF mode. No eye detect. I get the AF point or points depending on what mode I'm using, get my subject in focus and then I revert back to eye detect and the eye snaps in.

I don't move the manual AF point around because that is too slow. Point is in the centre and I move the camera to land it on the subject. It does not have to be on the eye or head. Anywhere on the body will do because as long as the subject is in focus the system will find the eye. I toggle the BBF as may times as I need to and if it completely fails, which is rare, I just keep shooting the old way to get the shot.

You won't find this in the manuals.

 

[Salmo Trutta]

If you are not shooting macro but birds and animals there are other ways. I'm assuming you are using eye detect when AF fails? While this new technology is amazing it is still just algorithms trying to figure out what you want to do and will fail. Users have developed their own methods that have severel names but the same results. I call it AF override. If my mirrorless bodies are struggling I press a BBF to go back to an old AF mode. No eye detect. I get the AF point or points depending on what mode I'm using, get my subject in focus and then I revert back to eye detect and the eye snaps in.

I don't move the manual AF point around because that is too slow. Point is in the centre and I move the camera to land it on the subject. It does not have to be on the eye or head. Anywhere on the body will do because as long as the subject is in focus the system will find the eye. I toggle the BBF as may times as I need to and if it completely fails, which is rare, I just keep shooting the old way to get the shot.

You won't find this in the manuals.

Thanks RF,
I don't have a problem with auto focus. Was just curious to see if I could achieve focus magnification with my camera.

 

[Only RF]

Thanks RF,
I don't have a problem with auto focus. Was just curious to see if I could achieve focus magnification with my camera.

Sorry about that. Misunderstood your question. I've only used magnification and manual focus shooting the moon. x10