7D Mark II - Focus Discussions

Nice pictures, glad this 7d mkII is now starting to work well for you . Can you please tell me what you use for post processing.

Thank you guys

The tree shot with blue sky was manually focused.
The other was using spot focus as I mentioned, in one shot.

I have not micro adjusted any lenses so far. The tamron seems on when everything goes right. But I should try dot tune to double check.

The tamron definitely slows down though at 600 and is more prone to hunting from light loss. But overall works pretty good.

I do most all processing in Lightroom, adjusting White balance and general exposure. I also adjust the white and black points to create more range in values. Some small amounts of pure white and black can make it pop.

I then take to photoshop to run selective sharpening and noise reduction. Using custom actions. i then save for web and view on my iPhone to try and gauge how it might look on other displays.

thanks for the info

Kickflipkid687 wrote in post #17402813
I'll have to check it again, but I don't know if dust is obscuring it.

Yeah, I went over there on Sunday Peter.
I sorta did some google maps investigating to try and figure out exactly where Greg was. Or the general spot.

I walked around almost that entire area, for an hour or so. I didn't really see anyone else.
I saw a Kestrel though and a ton of chickadees/robins/junc​os. Also an Eagle and Great Blue Heron way off.

I was about to check the parking lot area once more, then go. It was very nice on sunday, warm and sunny.
I decided to take a certain path back to the parking lot, and I looked to my right, and there was Greg and Aaron and like 4 other guys, standing in water, watching the owl.

The owl took off like 4 different times, I luckily found it the second time, but everyone else was too far away to yell/get their attention.
They eventually found me and one other guy again, after 10 min. or so.

We were able to get some shots from about 15-20ft away. That is a cute little owl.
A hummingbird actually came up and hovered next to it a couple times, almost to say, Hi, lol.

Awesome series of the Pygmy Owl Matt. Looks like you finally dialed in your 7D2 with the Tamzooka.

I am still looking for the 500mm Matt I am almost there with the money, But I wonder if I should just get the 7D2 instead and see if there is any improvement pairing it with Tamron 150-600mm. I am very happy with my 7D and this lens but sometimes even in burst mode and you are in the long end I feel like it is still slow taking pictures, Maybe with 7D2 FPS and newer AF system I will have more keepers but then again the weather lately in Seattle were cloudy/overcast all the time.

Thanks Peter

It seems ok in one shot maybe but I'm not sure about ai servo. Then again it's never been amazing above 400 in ai servo for me.

I'd try and use a 500 f/4 if u can. The 7d ii is nice. But it's not going to make the tamron drastically better from what I've seen. If anything sometimes I feel like it can't keep up with the 7d ii af.

I'm tempted to get the 500 yet. But I really can't test one again easily. At least for a good 1-2 days. The v II might not be a good comparison either.

But that's a lot of money to drop on a used lens that u probably can't return. So idk yet.

Also the min focus is quite long. But maybe ok in many situations. Or I use an extension tube.

Kickflipkid687 wrote in post #17414183
Thanks Peter

It seems ok in one shot maybe but I'm not sure about ai servo. Then again it's never been amazing above 400 in ai servo for me.

I'd try and use a 500 f/4 if u can. The 7d ii is nice. But it's not going to make the tamron drastically better from what I've seen. If anything sometimes I feel like it can't keep up with the 7d ii af.

I'm tempted to get the 500 yet. But I really can't test one again easily. At least for a good 1-2 days. The v II might not be a good comparison either.

But that's a lot of money to drop on a used lens that u probably can't return. So idk yet.

Also the min focus is quite long. But maybe ok in many situations. Or I use an extension tube.

Thanks for the input. I know about 14.5 feet for minimum.

Peter2516 wrote in post #17414346
Thanks for the input. I know about 14.5 feet for minimum.

That is the same MFD fore my 600mm II and rarely would I be closer and if I am I would just use my 300mm. A better lens will always improve your IQ much more than any new body.

Just as an update to my trials and tribulations:

I sent my 7d2 in to Canon as I am just not getting the sharpness that I am seeing others get. It was returned with the "electrical adjustments made" note.

I had the opportunity to test it out in excellent light this weekend. The problems are still there - sometimes it is spot on and sometimes I have no idea what it is doing. I posted some samples on another site where there is much discussion about the issues. After reviewing them, the member agrees that I have focusing problem. I have also sent the same pictures to Canon for their review.

Here are the shots:

Image #1: This is a longer distance shot, but exactly what I wanted - a group of birds in flight. Focus was on the bird in the middle with his wings outstretched. You'll notice that there is no noticeable focal plane - that's to say that there is nothing that exhibits a true level of sharpness that one expects to see in a perfectly focused image. If your eyes are good, you'll also notice that the redhead drake to the lower right of the main subject is more in focus than my subject, but not perfectly in focus. The agreement is that this picture is front focused by at least 1 ft, if not more.

IMAGE LINK: http://bradipock.smugm​ug.com/Other/7d2/i-drSkMjN/A

IMAGE LINK: http://bradipock.smugm​ug.com/Other/7d2/i-5Tc8NHj/A

IMAGE LINK: http://bradipock.smugm​ug.com/Other/7d2/i-TJm3cPk/A

IMAGE LINK: http://bradipock.smugm​ug.com/Other/7d2/i-gJpdH6C/A

IMAGE LINK: http://bradipock.smugm​ug.com/Other/7d2/i-tJrcSdr/A

Which lens were you using? 600 F/4 + 1.4?


This is what I've been seeing or was seeing in AI Servo. I haven't gotten any opportunities lately to track moving subjects, but I need to keep checking.
I feel like I can get sharp images now in One Shot, so I need to determine now if it's the lens or my case settings/user error.

I've definitely had the focus point completely covering a subject as well, or rather, the point was more than covered by the subject, and it still randomly front/back focused a good bit.

Some lenses are probably more/less sensitive and the tracking needs to be turned up/down on the body. Not entirely sure.
Or it's the fact that the AF points are alot larger and causing it to jump around.

butterfly2937 wrote in post #17414531
That is the same MFD fore my 600mm II and rarely would I be closer and if I am I would just use my 300mm. A better lens will always improve your IQ much more than any new body.

Thanks for this confirmation, I should stay with my plan of buying the 500mm. I've been looking around, I got outbid the other day in Ebay in last 2 sec .

Kickflipkid687 wrote in post #17414797
Which lens were you using? 600 F/4 + 1.4?


This is what I've been seeing or was seeing in AI Servo. I haven't gotten any opportunities lately to track moving subjects, but I need to keep checking.
I feel like I can get sharp images now in One Shot, so I need to determine now if it's the lens or my case settings/user error.

I've definitely had the focus point completely covering a subject as well, or rather, the point was more than covered by the subject, and it still randomly front/back focused a good bit.

Some lenses are probably more/less sensitive and the tracking needs to be turned up/down on the body. Not entirely sure.
Or it's the fact that the AF points are alot larger and causing it to jump around.

600 and 1.4x for all of them except the goose, which was bare 600. All of them single center point and all shutter speeds of 1/2500 at ISO 400 (except the goose, which I think was 1/1600 at 1600).

Yeah. I'd think that lens, if anything, would perform very very well.
Well, and I've seen BIF/Static shots with that lens and the 500 F/4 on the 7D II, with perfect focus.

If possible, maybe see if someone in your area also has a 7D II, swap bodies and shoot the same subject and see if it's any different?

I may do the same, if mine seems to be having issues still in AI Servo.

Really, we need to just hookup a target on a R/C car or something moving consistently, that can be tracked over and over and see how it performs :P

I have quietly been following this thread, Hunterdad, I know this is your 3rd copy, but after having it sent back to Canon, and you are still getting these results, and racking your brain. I would just return it, if you are within the time frame to return.

On another site, I seen a forum member buy two from Roberts Camera in Indianapolis very recently, and both were spot on with focus.

I have no affiliation with Roberts.

At this point, this is the only way I would fill confident, that I have a good chance in getting a good copy.

Its unfortunate Canon hasn't commented on the issue. it would put a lot more confidence in consumers considering the purchase of the 7DII
I dought they will ever comment on the issue

Reminds me of the initial issue with the Tammy when it first came out...Till they straightened it out.

So thought we were getting somewhere with improved performance.
Heard the cardinal outside my window and thought I'd grab a pic. 7d2 with 70-200 and 1.4x. Flipped camera to spot focus. Case 1 (-2,0,0) Both image priorities to "focus"
Don't see anything in focus. Could it be the camera having trouble seeing the bird with the dingy sky? Wouldn't something be in focus if both priorities are set to focus?

huntersdad wrote in post #17414753
Just as an update to my trials and tribulations:

I sent my 7d2 in to Canon as I am just not getting the sharpness that I am seeing others get. It was returned with the "electrical adjustments made" note.

I had the opportunity to test it out in excellent light this weekend. The problems are still there - sometimes it is spot on and sometimes I have no idea what it is doing. I posted some samples on another site where there is much discussion about the issues. After reviewing them, the member agrees that I have focusing problem. I have also sent the same pictures to Canon for their review.

Here are the shots:

Image #1: This is a longer distance shot, but exactly what I wanted - a group of birds in flight. Focus was on the bird in the middle with his wings outstretched. You'll notice that there is no noticeable focal plane - that's to say that there is nothing that exhibits a true level of sharpness that one expects to see in a perfectly focused image. If your eyes are good, you'll also notice that the redhead drake to the lower right of the main subject is more in focus than my subject, but not perfectly in focus. The agreement is that this picture is front focused by at least 1 ft, if not more.

IMAGE LINK: http://bradipock.smugm​ug.com/Other/7d2/i-drSkMjN/A

Image #2: Birds have moved closer, so we're now removing the potential for atmospheric issues. AF point is on the bird in the center of the frame. DPP, as did the back LCD, showed the AF point to be on that bird. In this case, despite the contrast between bird and water (especially the brightness of the bird's body), this picture appears to be back focused.

IMAGE LINK: http://bradipock.smugm​ug.com/Other/7d2/i-5Tc8NHj/A

Image #3: This is the one that has been most telling for me. AF point was on the front goose - entirely on the front goose. The point would have to be almost triple the VF size for it to fall off the goose. At first glimpse, it appeared soft and I couldn't understand why since there was nothing for the system to grab. Only when I looked closer did I notice the issue.

IMAGE LINK: http://bradipock.smugm​ug.com/Other/7d2/i-TJm3cPk/A

At first glance, my thought was I did something wrong. DPP said nope - AF point on the bird. Next thought was shutter was too slow. Nope, given shooting from a tripod, shutter speed is appropriate. DOF issue maybe? Nope.

If you look closer, you'll notice in this picture there is an area that is in perfect focus.

IMAGE LINK: http://bradipock.smugm​ug.com/Other/7d2/i-gJpdH6C/A

The camera front focused the image so badly that the focal plane ended BEFORE it ever got to the bird. I'm just guessing, but I believe that is over 2 ft. front focused. No amount of MA will fix that.

Now before anyone bashes me and says I'm just bad mouthing the camera, here's one I am happy with:

http://bradipock.smugm​ug.com/Other/7d2/i-tJrcSdr/A

50% taken 2 frames and under 1 minute before I made the image in sample #2 above. Might be slightly off due to my tracking ability, but close enough that only I or a discerning eye would notice.

The camera is capable, but my success rate has not been good with it yet. Not just yet.

Have you tried turning down the tracking speed to -1 or -2? I am just mentioning it just in case. THe Mark ii lenses seem to do better sometimes with the tracking sensitivity turned down. That doesn't explain the complete misses though. Are the misses in the middle of a burst or is the whole burst out of focus? Looking through the viewfinder can you tell the correct object is not in sharp focus? Have you tried tapping the AF-on button a few times when originally trying to acquire focus to see if the camera shifts focus each time as seen through the view finder?