-= 7D2 owners unite! Discuss and post photos!

ERP1978 wrote in post #18001704
Hello everyone! This is my first post here on POTN, though I have been a member for quite some time. The first DSLR I started out with was a Canon 60d and I certainly learned a lot through experience and by reading many of the posts here on this site. I have also enjoyed viewing all the great photos you all have taken! I have since moved up to the 7d Mark II and I will be shooting a lot of airshows this summer starting in a few weeks or so.

I recently have been reading a bit about back button focusing and since a lot of you have photos of birds in flight (which would be very similar to planes), I was curious to see if any of you use back button focusing and get some impressions on whether or not it would be worth checking out. Right now, I am relying on pressing the shutter down halfway for focusing. I am thinking it may be worthwhile to at least try this out (worst case I don't like it and revert back), but was interested in hearing some opinions from the more experienced photographers in this thread as to whether or not it benefited them.

Thanks so much for any input!

Welcome. I used (and still can) the shutter button for many years and had no issues keeping it half pressed. As long as you can lift your finger back to the half position to keep tracking between bursts. I started to use the BBF last year and it works well. I'm so used to using the shutter sometime when I intend to use the BBF I find myself using the shutter when I don't concentrate.

Many people like to use it because you don't have to worry about keeping the shutter half pressed. Give it at try.

digital paradise wrote in post #18001179
Nice hat

Is that what You call Them?

Hi
I started using it on my 7D and continued with the 7D MK II personally I like using it. The way I have BBF configured is I use AF-ON for AI Servo and * for single shot so all I have to do is shift my thumb a little one way or the other I personaly find this easier than using the DOF preview button for AI Servo/One Shot.
John

ERP1978 wrote in post #18001704
Hello everyone! This is my first post here on POTN, though I have been a member for quite some time. The first DSLR I started out with was a Canon 60d and I certainly learned a lot through experience and by reading many of the posts here on this site. I have also enjoyed viewing all the great photos you all have taken! I have since moved up to the 7d Mark II and I will be shooting a lot of airshows this summer starting in a few weeks or so.

I recently have been reading a bit about back button focusing and since a lot of you have photos of birds in flight (which would be very similar to planes), I was curious to see if any of you use back button focusing with the 7d Mark II in particular and get some impressions on whether or not it would be worth checking out. Right now, I am relying on pressing the shutter down halfway for focusing. I am thinking it may be worthwhile to at least try this out (worst case I don't like it and revert back), but was interested in hearing some opinions from the more experienced photographers in this thread as to whether or not it has benefited them.

Thanks so much for any input!

I use it regularly thanks to what I learned from the folks here on POTN. It was tough to get used to at first. In fact I gave up and went back to the regular way for a while. But now I use it all the time on my 7D2.

I use the AF-ON button and have it set to servo all the time.

With the traditional AF function on the shutter button you get tracking while in Servo, and recomposing while in One-shot. The big benefit with BBF is you can seamlessly go from the one to the other just by manipulating that AF-ON button.

Archibald wrote in post #18001832
It was tough to get used to at first. In fact I gave up and went back to the regular way for a while.

Me too.

Archibald wrote in post #18001832
I use it regularly thanks to what I learned from the folks here on POTN. It was tough to get used to at first. In fact I gave up and went back to the regular way for a while. But now I use it all the time on my 7D2.

I use the AF-ON button and have it set to servo all the time.

With the traditional AF function on the shutter button you get tracking while in Servo, and recomposing while in One-shot. The big benefit with BBF is you can seamlessly go from the one to the other just by manipulating that AF-ON button.

I just reprogram the DoF button next to the lens mount as the button to switch between Single-Focus vs. AI-Servo. My middle finger's long enough to reach that button comfortably so if I ever have to alternate between tracking and single-AF, I just push the DoF button.

So at airshows, during the morning (statics), I leave the camera on single-AF mode, and when I see the occasional flyer, I tap and hold the DoF button to get AI-Servo. And by noon/afternoon, when the planes take to the air, I switch to AI-Servo for primary focus, so that when I tap and hold the DoF button, it turns into single-AF.

I tried many times at BBF and failed 100% of the time. My thumb and index finger is incapable of multitasking.

Also many buttons are programmable. Custom controls - page 445 of the manual. Not only can you program the AF-ON and * buttons have additional sub menus called "detail set" - page 450.

I have both the AF-ON and * is set to Metering and AF start. When you press the info button detail set comes up.

I set AF-ON so AI Servo is enabled. I left AF operation and AF area selection modes blank becuase I like to use different settings depending on what I'm shooting.

I set * so AI Servo, 65 point zone AF and Case 6 are enabled. This is for emergency BIF.

Welcome to the forum. BBF is a useful technique, I try to use it via the AF-on button when tracking moving objects. I'm sure you'll enjoy your 7DII for air shows. All you need now is a 100-400mm IS II to go with it...

ERP1978 wrote in post #18001704
Hello everyone! This is my first post here on POTN, though I have been a member for quite some time. The first DSLR I started out with was a Canon 60d and I certainly learned a lot through experience and by reading many of the posts here on this site. I have also enjoyed viewing all the great photos you all have taken! I have since moved up to the 7d Mark II and I will be shooting a lot of airshows this summer starting in a few weeks or so.

I recently have been reading a bit about back button focusing and since a lot of you have photos of birds in flight (which would be very similar to planes), I was curious to see if any of you use back button focusing with the 7d Mark II in particular and get some impressions on whether or not it would be worth checking out. Right now, I am relying on pressing the shutter down halfway for focusing. I am thinking it may be worthwhile to at least try this out (worst case I don't like it and revert back), but was interested in hearing some opinions from the more experienced photographers in this thread as to whether or not it has benefited them.

Thanks so much for any input!

I shoot sports and I'm one of those that went to back button focusing and will never go back.

Doc

Scarlet Tanager

Great capture shooz! I love those birds, they're around my area and I see them a few times a year but I've never been able to photograph one.
They're so vibrantly red it would give a Cardinal an inferiority complex!

Thanks ! They're not all that common here. My wife and I were out last night, checking on some Owlls. She was actually the one who spotted it. They really stand out... Very vivid colour !

Hats from Friday at the Kentucky Derby. Someone gets to sit next to them so it might as well be me. Canon 7DMII with Canon 24-105

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