Trouble setting focuws area on Canon r7

[David Policansky]

I can't change the focus area in M mode on my r7. It's set to spot focus and when I try to change it, all the options are greyed out. Help.

 

[PKM-UK]

I can't change the focus area in M mode on my r7. It's set to spot focus and when I try to change it, all the options are greyed out. Help.

Hi David,

The first thing I would recommend you check is whether you've limited the choice of AF Areas - refer to Camera Menu [AF] Tab [4].

Phil

 

[David Policansky]

Hi David,

The first thing I would recommend you check is whether you've limited the choice of AF Areas - refer to Camera Menu [AF] Tab [4].

Phil

View attachment 31990

Thanks, Phil. I had already checked that and it was good, but somewhere else in the byzantine menu system it wasn't good so your suggestion made me go back and find that other place. This camera's AF drives me crazy. Sometimes it's brilliant and sometimes it makes me want to throw the camera in the river.

 

[Only RF]

Just curious. Is Spot Focus what you normally shoot in? When you mention brilliant and the throwing it into the river I feel that is reference to Eye Detect AF.

 

[David Policansky]

Just curious. Is Spot Focus what you normally shoot in? When you mention brilliant and the throwing it into the river I feel that is reference to Eye Detect AF.

Only RF: No! I have one of the custom settings (C2) set to spot focus for when I'm trying to photograph a (usually) small bird in a busy background or environment. All other cases I use the expand with 9 additional focus points with eye detect enabled. Somehow, for all but one of my MF settings it was on spot focus. That's now fixed again. My complaint is that I cannot acquire focus on a flying bird smaller than a pelican farther away than ten meters at the telephoto end of my RF 100-400 STM (or any other) lens. I have to zoom out to the wide end, acquire focus, and then zoom in. That's not optimal, and it only works sometimes, so I miss a lot of shots that I'd have got easily with my Canon 7D2 and EF 100-400 f/5.6L IS II. Of course once (if) it does lock on, then it's brilliant. Any comments or thoughts would be most welcome.

 

[Only RF]

Only RF: No! I have one of the custom settings (C2) set to spot focus for when I'm trying to photograph a (usually) small bird in a busy background or environment. All other cases I use the expand with 9 additional focus points with eye detect enabled. Somehow, for all but one of my MF settings it was on spot focus. That's now fixed again. My complaint is that I cannot acquire focus on a flying bird smaller than a pelican farther away than ten meters at the telephoto end of my RF 100-400 STM (or any other) lens. I have to zoom out to the wide end, acquire focus, and then zoom in. That's not optimal, and it only works sometimes, so I miss a lot of shots that I'd have got easily with my Canon 7D2 and EF 100-400 f/5.6L IS II. Of course once (if) it does lock on, then it's brilliant. Any comments or thoughts would be most welcome.

Thanks for the reply. I do the same with Spot AF. In your situation for BIF I use Zone AF as an Eye Detect override if the camera's brain goes to mush. I'll toggle it on and off until the bird is in focus, then go back to Eye AF. I'm not sure why but I don't have a lot of trouble with that wth my 100-500. I don't know anything about your lens but I found if I'm set for full AF on the focus distance range indicator it struggles a bit more.

 

[David Policansky]

Thanks for the reply. I do the same with Spot AF. In your situation for BIF I use Zone AF as an Eye Detect override if the camera's brain goes to mush. I'll toggle it on and off until the bird is in focus, then go back to Eye AF. I'm not sure why but I don't have a lot of trouble with that wth my 100-500. I don't know anything about your lens but I found if I'm set for full AF on the focus distance range indicator it struggles a bit more.

Thanks again. Can you explain "I use Zone AF as an Eye Detect override"?

 

[Only RF]

Thanks again. Can you explain "I use Zone AF as an Eye Detect override"?

I don't know your shooting style. People like to separate Metering from AF and assign AF to the AF-ON button. I did that with my DLSR's but with mirrorless I went back to having both Metering and AF on the shutter button.

Either way it will work. You just have to decide who button to assign the override to. If you use the AF-ON button you can do this with the * button. I do this with the AF-ON button.

For example I'm mostly always in Eye Focus - Whole Area. While keeping the shutter half pressed it won't focus on the BIF I press the AF-ON and goes into Zone AF - non Eye Detect. It can be Zone, Single Point, Spot AF. Whatever you like. I prefer Zone because I'm just trying to get the bird on focus and the more AF points that work for me the better. I used to use Single Point and/or Spot AF but for me Zone is faster.

No matter which AF mode you choose to override you are just trying to get the bird itself in focus and not worry about the eye. No matter what AF mode you choose you just need to get the AF point/s on the body of the bird. I never move the AF points around because that is too slow. I physically move the camera so the AF point/s land on the bird.

Once I see the bird in focus I release the AF-ON and the eye snaps in. I mentioned toggling. By using the AF-ON I can press it as many times as I need to get the bird in focus or get it back in focus if the camera loses it.

If separated AF from the shutter button and assigned to the AF-ON button I would have to lift my thumb off the AF-ON and press the * button to go into override mode which is OK. I just find toggling one button is faster.

I'm going to assume you know how to map the buttons. When in the AF-ON and * programming you select Detail Set and program there.

That did present a problem accessing other AF modes. I assigned the * button so it cycles between Whole Area, Single Point and Spot AF. All three are in Eye Detect. If I need Spot AF for a small bird then I press the * button. You can add more AF modes. I had to do that because you cannot map the R7 magnifier for an AF function. You can with the R6II and I wanted both cameras to be consistent.

So I shoot a little differently than others. This made it possible because of Preview AF which is on page 3 of the AF menus. It will start to look for an Eye when the camera just turns on. I've never had trouble keeping the shutter half pressed but If I'm tracking a bird and I lift the shutter off past half way it kicks in and continues to AF and track. This freed up the AF-ON for my method.

I came across this video and he sets he has a similar set up.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[David Policansky]

Many thanks. So in effect you're saying that Animal Detect might be better for BIF than Eye Detect. Certainly I try to focus on flying birds too far away or in wrong light for the camera to lock in on the eye. I had assumed that in those cases it would default to animal detect. One more thing to experiment with. I'd prefer not to toggle between two modes if I don't have to. Thanks again for your thoughtful, helpful reply.

 

[Only RF]

Many thanks. So in effect you're saying that Animal Detect might be better for BIF than Eye Detect. Certainly I try to focus on flying birds too far away or in wrong light for the camera to lock in on the eye. I had assumed that in those cases it would default to animal detect. One more thing to experiment with. I'd prefer not to toggle between two modes if I don't have to. Thanks again for your thoughtful, helpful reply.

Possibly. I’m always in Eye Detect but I mapped the Set button to turn it off and on.

 

[David Policansky]

Possibly. I’m always in Eye Detect but I mapped the Set button to turn it off and on.

 

[Only RF]

Even in eye detect if it loses it, it finds the head. If it loses the head it gets the body and goes back to eye when it can. I’ve focused on small birds far away and it will pick out the head even when in eye detect. It’s why I leave it on pretty much all of the time.

 

[David Policansky]

Even in eye detect if it loses it, it finds the head. If it loses the head it gets the body and goes back to eye when it can. I’ve focused on small birds far away and it will pick out the head even when in eye detect. It’s why I leave it on pretty much all of the time.

Yes, that's how I thought it was supposed to work. Sometimes it just doesn't. Maybe with your and others' advice I can increase the keeper rate. Thanks again.