7D Mark ll Focus?

rgs wrote in post #17406279
I understand that completely. Of all the arts, photography seems to strike that instant gratification gene that we all have the hardest. I only mention post processing because the 7D2 RAW files have so much more potential than, say, the RAW files from my 50D. If you shoot JPEG and trust processing to the camera, you might see a good deal of it but shooting JPEG has it's own drawbacks and the processing choices will be Canon's - not yours (although one could argue that's a good thing).

Ansel Adams, drawing on his musical training, said the negative is the written music (the unheard potential) and the print is the performance. In digital terms, the camera file is the written music and post processing the performance.

Enjoy that new camera. It's great.

I hear ya, good point! Well camera is here showed up late and tomorrow rain...looks like it will be an indoor play day

A lot of common sense written in this thread, I suspect an awful lot of unhappy 7D MK2 customers who sent their cameras back as being faulty didn't take the time and effort to read the 500 page manual. However I know of at least two excellent experienced photographers who did have genuine focus issues

When I first got the 7D MK2 three weeks ago I plugged in my 300mm f2.8 MK 2 and took some static shots. They seemed a little soft wide open at f2.8-f.4 . An aperture of f5 -f8 would have hidden the fact it needed AF Micro adjusted. It was front focusing so, +6 and it was in focus as it should be. Next BIF shots in AI SERVO were proving inconsistently soft, which was puzzling me ? I tried all the case options, and IS 2 and IS 3 mode on the lens for panning (2) and erratic movement (3). Still inconsistent ! So, I went down to the local duck pond today in mostly dull light to try and solve the problem Now the 300mm f2.8 mk2 is the fastest and sharpest lens in the world, no doubt about that so was the camera the culprit? I blame myself, having taken thousands of BIF shots with my ID Mk4 , 95% of which were razor sharp, I thought, go back to default case setting (1). This improved consistency a lot, I then took 100 RAW shots in total but only 60 were as sharp as they should be. So, with case setting 1, first image priority=focus, second image priority= middle setting, half way between focus and speed priority I then did what you should always do before pressing the shutter button, wait till focus and tracking is locked. This takes 0.5 secs on the 1D MK4 and takes about 1 sec on the 7D MK2. Basically I was used to the 1D and had to wait longer for the 7D to focus and track lock. Every shot I took subsequently was in focus as it should be using a 300mm f2.8 lens. Canon advised a friend of mine to ease off on the camera case tracking settings, 0 or -1,-2 , never + when using a fast prime lens. Canon also advise that case setting 1 the default setting may be all you will ever need, looks like they are right!
Two testing shots of fast birds below taken as RAW

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Great shots, i would be happy with them.
I also found case 1 setting gave me the best for BIF shots with my 400mm f5.6 especially when shooting ducks which are mostly panning shots with stable horizontal flight, (although teal can break all the rules about flight patterns :lol
Look forward to seeing more of your shots and experiences.

Canon-Chas wrote in post #17408330
... So, with case setting 1, first image priority=focus, second image priority= middle setting, half way between focus and speed priority

Why would anyone with focus issues deliberately allow the shutter to fire when the AF system *knows* it has not locked on focus?

That's what everyone is doing, when they set either first or following images' priority to be set to other than 'fire when focus is achieved'...

Unless you are paparazzi, or a pro sports photog, no one should allow their shutter to fire, unless focus is confirmed.

Works for me as I know with my 300mm f/2.8 MK2 even on a 7D MK2 will focus on first image, always has always will

That's wildlife photography when hand holding, you may only have two or three seconds to focus and track before the subject disappears

I would take shots of various static objects in good light and with the camera at the same location. Keep it at case 1. See how those shots turn out. Don't assume it will be a defective body.

If the shots come out in focus with a hight keeper rate 90%, I would then try moving objects - people, birds or whatever you choose and see the keeper rate. I would use the other cases only in circumstances that demand those.

Good luck; assume you will get a keeper and hope it indeed turns out that way. Happy shooting!

Loving loving loving so far. AF system is definitely a learning curve. I do pretty good with the single shot, but the Al Servo and Cases are a whole nother story

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britt777 wrote in post #17409219
Loving loving loving so far. AF system is definitely a learning curve. I do pretty good with the single shot, but the Al Servo and Cases are a whole nother story

Take your time. It's worth it.

Canon-Chas wrote in post #17408330
A lot of common sense written in this thread, I suspect an awful lot of unhappy 7D MK2 customers who sent their cameras back as being faulty didn't take the time and effort to read the 500 page manual. However I know of at least two excellent experienced photographers who did have genuine focus issues

When I first got the 7D MK2 three weeks ago I plugged in my 300mm f2.8 MK 2 and took some static shots. They seemed a little soft wide open at f2.8-f.4 . An aperture of f5 -f8 would have hidden the fact it needed AF Micro adjusted. It was front focusing so, +6 and it was in focus as it should be. Next BIF shots in AI SERVO were proving inconsistently soft, which was puzzling me ? I tried all the case options, and IS 2 and IS 3 mode on the lens for panning (2) and erratic movement (3). Still inconsistent ! So, I went down to the local duck pond today in mostly dull light to try and solve the problem Now the 300mm f2.8 mk2 is the fastest and sharpest lens in the world, no doubt about that so was the camera the culprit? I blame myself, having taken thousands of BIF shots with my ID Mk4 , 95% of which were razor sharp, I thought, go back to default case setting (1). This improved consistency a lot, I then took 100 RAW shots in total but only 60 were as sharp as they should be. So, with case setting 1, first image priority=focus, second image priority= middle setting, half way between focus and speed priority I then did what you should always do before pressing the shutter button, wait till focus and tracking is locked. This takes 0.5 secs on the 1D MK4 and takes about 1 sec on the 7D MK2. Basically I was used to the 1D and had to wait longer for the 7D to focus and track lock. Every shot I took subsequently was in focus as it should be using a 300mm f2.8 lens. Canon advised a friend of mine to ease off on the camera case tracking settings, 0 or -1,-2 , never + when using a fast prime lens. Canon also advise that case setting 1 the default setting may be all you will ever need, looks like they are right!
Two testing shots of fast birds below taken as RAW

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forum: Canon EOS Digital Cameras

Two very good shots there, especially the second one.

just because they are set to focus and you get the "ok" and shutter releases, does not mean it's in sharp focus, merely that the camera "thinks" it's in focus...
some of the 7d2 shooters with issues have it in "focus" mode for both priotities. I had 2 that did not get crisp focus. The 3rd body seems to work better.

skid00skid00 wrote in post #17408818
Why would anyone with focus issues deliberately allow the shutter to fire when the AF system *knows* it has not locked on focus?

That's what everyone is doing, when they set either first or following images' priority to be set to other than 'fire when focus is achieved'...

Unless you are paparazzi, or a pro sports photog, no one should allow their shutter to fire, unless focus is confirmed.

In many situations, being in focus is not such a black and white thing. It can be very useful to have a slightly out of focus picture of something instead of nothing, and in some cases even a very out of focus picture can be very good to have.

skid00skid00 wrote in post #17408818
Why would anyone with focus issues deliberately allow the shutter to fire when the AF system *knows* it has not locked on focus?

That's what everyone is doing, when they set either first or following images' priority to be set to other than 'fire when focus is achieved'...

Unless you are paparazzi, or a pro sports photog, no one should allow their shutter to fire, unless focus is confirmed.

Also, when the AF cannot confirm focus, it does not mean the image will really be out of focus. I.e. while tracking a flying bird, it may have moved out from under a focus point, and the AF point is on the sky for a brief moment. That does not mean the image will be out of focus. With tracking set low in an AF case, the camera will not immediately trying to refocus. Sometimes it can be good to have a series of images taken when only for some of them the camera could really confirm focus. The best shot may be one in between.

Thorsten has it right. Do not assume that the camera will do all your thinking or deciding for you. It's your job as the nut behind the wheel to understand how the camera will respond to various situations and either adapt to it or adjust settings till it does what you want. Remember, it's not just a camera, or a photographer - it's the two working together to create an image. Getting the most out of the advanced hardware/software in these cameras requires some reading and some experimentation.

I came to my 7D from a high-end Rebel. It still took me weeks to adjust myself and the camera to take advantage of the many improvements which were built in.

So Im loving the things this camera can do. Working with the different Cases and trying to get the hang of this whole AF system. I realized I had case 6 set on camera but had my custom settings set to Case 5. Im assuming the camera uses settings applied to my custom settings (AF-ON BBF Al Servo) I can tell what I focused on in camera but when I upload to LR I can no longer see the focus point. These are my settings f/8 - 1/500sec ISO 500. Lens 24-105 f/4 . Comment please

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So this is what was suppose to be my focus point, but as you can see this is far from focused, what am I doing wrong. Anyone?

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