tgreenhaw

I like Servo AI focus because it allows me to immediately take a tack sharp moving images of things like birds in flight. Sometimes I need to go to manual to override focus on a subject I want instead of what the camera assumes I want and in those situations, focus peaking and magnification is very helpful.

In A+ mode, manual focus doesn't seem to be available at all.

In Tv & Av mode, Manual Focus only works in One Shot and disabled in Servo Mode.

Even more frustrating is that I cannot use magnification if I have Face+Tracking enabled.

I know that I can use Back Button Focus to override some of these things, but the ergonomics is horrible.

Why can't I simply have focus peaking and magnification whenever I have "Electronic MF" on when I enable manual focus with a half shutter press regardless of the other settings? Am I missing a setting or is there a reason for this?

Do other brands simply override all the autofocus stuff when manually focussing as I would expect?

clickety

That is a great question to be answered by Canon support.

User ID

BBF is the way. If you find BBF disagreeable you are stuck. When you reject the solution you are at a dead end. I use Canon BBF. Im just lucky to find it easy and comfortable.

You may prefer Nikon where you can assign AF to a front button (FBF instead of BBF). I tried that but ultimately found that I simply prefered the back button. I think I associate my thumb with focusing.

User ID

Does your Canons back button differ from mine ? Mine is the earliest version of the "R" series (pic attached below). Have there been "improvements" that made it uncomfortable ?

Im aware that there had been much criticism of the early "R" ergonomics, so maybe there have been some misguided changes ?

(Download)

tgreenhaw

I can certainly use the AF-On for BBF button but I'm unaware of any method of setting up a button that allows me to rely on Face Detection, Tracking and Servo AI until I press a back button that then allows me to manually focus with peaking and magnification. I've tried every possible combination and read a number of guides. If you can recommend a guide that would be awesome.

Tracy B. Loc: Indiana

I'm not sure this will answer you exact question, but it may help. It is a great video!

https://youtu.be/kZXTn1i2A14?si=U15jS-yIbdeUwaFC

Later in the video it talks about assigning your buttons for the eye focus option.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

It may help if we knew the model of your Canon body.
Maybe it is too early in the morning but I don't understand the "Need" for "Back Button Focus" when both "Eye Focus" and "Focus Tracking" are available.
Both "Eye Focus" and "Focus Tracking" when combined do a much better job than I could ever do using MF on my Canon R5.
This conundrum has puzzled me for some time, and I truly hope to learn something today.
Best Wishes,
JimmyT Sends

Edit: The YouTube video previously recommended by Tracy B, "Canon R5/R6 Fast Eye Autofocus Switching | Ask David Bergman", makes a lot of sense to me.

scubadoc Loc: Sarasota, FL

In lieu of any other combination of settings, why not just switch to MF on the lens barrel after you have your auto focus set the way you desire? You can then magnify with focus peaking. Maybe not a one step solution, but it works if you trust MF over AF.

tgreenhaw

Thanks for the tip! Another Youtube Video explained everything I wanted to know, other than why Canon did things the way they do.

tgreenhaw

My RF lenses don't have an MF/AF switch

tgreenhaw

I have an R5.

I agree that the Canon autofocus is magical, until I want to take a picture of a bird deep in a tree, and then I need to override.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Thank you!
Now, with the bird deep in a tree, it all makes sense.
I knew that I would learn something today.
Thanks,
JimmyT Sends
Thanks

tgreenhaw

Nope, my camera is the same as yours. I simply prefer half press to engage Metering and Focus.

Here are the answers I was looking for after much experimentation, support, manuals and Youtube videos (here is the 3 part one I found helpful that I think everyone should watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsg4lA46asw)

You cannot combine manual focus Magnification and Focus peaking. You cannot use MF Magnification with Face Detection+Tracking. There must be a technical reason this is not possible.

You cannot combine Servo AI and Manual Focus, except on a few lenses that support Electronic full-time MF. Even those lenses may require a firmware update to support it. This is how I wish all the RF lenses work and maybe someday they will. Lenses with switches of course override all this, but you don't get any of the focus assistance tools.

So the real answer to my question is that is simply how Canon cameras and lenses currently work, and are for the most part logical. Exceptions to this IMHO is the inability to combine magnification + peaking as we as a DOF calculator in the viewfinder.

Using Back Button focus does permit a bit of flexibility and many have gotten used to it. That said, a casual brush off of BBF solves all that is simply incorrect. I'm so used to half-shutter press, I prefer it. Moreover the shots I need MF, there are many other settings that need to be set, so I use my custom modes to address this issue for different scenes and photo types.

For moving wildlife I use Servo AF and Tv with a very high shutter speed, ideal aperture for my long lens and ambient lighting and auto ISO for exposure and AF Face + Tracking Animals for C1. I don't need to focus manually for these shots.

For stationary everyday quick and easy automatic shots I set C3 to One Shot AF In P mode with Auto ISO, Focus Peaking and Focus Guides (the little triangles), AF Face + Tracking People. I don't usually need MF for these shots, but it's a half shutter press and focus ring twist away if I need it.

For shots with a very shallow depth of field and special lighting situations, I use Av mode with One Shot AF, AF Method to Around with the shutter half-press set to Magnify. I also do not use Auto ISO for these shots and let the camera set exposure using shutter speed to avoid noise.

I use Tv for Sports depending on the lighting situation and the rest set similar to my C1 except for People instead of Animal.

For everything else, I use M and usually a tripod.

I hope this helps somebody and I'm open to suggestions and corrections :-)

tgreenhaw

Thanks Jimmy! See my last post for a full summary of what I've learned.

scubadoc Loc: Sarasota, FL

For this scenario, you can use large spot focus, and so long as there is some contrast, you will focus on the bird and not the trees. In the Focus settings menu, use -2 sensitivity so once you are focused, intervening tree branches will not override the initial focus point.
BTW, which RF lens are you using that doesn’t have an AF/MF switch?