7D Mark II - Focus Discussions

mwsilver wrote in post #18311010
First, while the buttons are very configurable, you really can't "setup ANY button on the 7dm2 to do what you want...". Second, maybe I'm misunderstanding what you were trying to accomplish and what your issue is. While I wouldn't normally use it that way, I was able to set Af-On and * to work as a BBF for auto 65pt mode.

Yep. My AF-ON where I chose the Case # and AF modes ahead of time. Usually Case 2, TS set to -2 and Single or expansion mode. * is 65 point and case 6. I toggle back and forth between those two depending in the situation.

I meet Michael Tapes last year here in St Augustine and used his LensAlign II with the Large Ruler on my Canon 7D Mk II. https://video.search.y​ahoo.com …adea6ae5e051e&a​ction=view

I'm extremely pleased with the results when using both my EF 500mm f/4 Mk I and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 Mk I. Both lenses are tack sharp in One Shot and AI Servo Mode IMO. My Canon 5Ds is right on also.

The key for me is to bring the image into Photoshop and use the embross tool. Can really see the difference.

Tim Grey is a Ps genius also..

https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=18310731

Wilt wrote in post #18306932
I find that the 'AF' appearing at the lower right can be readily noticed even while concentating my attention on a centered AF zone (and when I have not noticed the green dot), for one-shot....SILENT, no beep.
But I think that during AI Servo continuous tracking of the in-focus (vs. out of focus) subject being indicated with a beep would be useful to have AUDIBLE alert of in-focus status.
So my preference would be if a Menu choice permitted that to be set up, rather than always-silent vs. always-chirping!
(Maybe I am to much the product of some military training...'beeeeep' (locked on target!)...FIRE.)

Over the weekend I had an opportunity to try out the 7DII for a youth lacrosse event, at which an 8 year old grandson was playing. I found it annoying and inconvenient to NOT have the audible beep indication AF while the system was set to AI Servo...in spite of the fact that it would beep when in One Shot mode. Instead of any audible confirmation had to rely upon the viewfinder display of the tracking AF points; and shooting in bright sun I could not rely upon the red display to flash noticeably in the viewfinder.

Overall, the AF did a really satisfactory job, and out of close to 400 shots, I can say that only ONE of them all was notably out of focus, and I was shooting at 280mm f/5.6.

Most of the Canon models seem to do this, there is no beep in AI Servo, at least from the 7D/5D2 onwards. This is not a 7D2 exclusive thing.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=720533

Even the 40D did this, according to the manual anyways.

Wilt wrote in post #18350060
Over the weekend I had an opportunity to try out the 7DII for a youth lacrosse event, at which an 8 year old grandson was playing. I found it annoying and inconvenient to NOT have the audible beep indication AF while the system was set to AI Servo...in spite of the fact that it would beep when in One Shot mode. Instead of any audible confirmation had to rely upon the viewfinder display of the tracking AF points; and shooting in bright sun I could not rely upon the red display to flash noticeably in the viewfinder.

Overall, the AF did a really satisfactory job, and out of close to 400 shots, I can say that only ONE of them all was notably out of focus, and I was shooting at 280mm f/5.6.

Not an issue for me. The first thing I, and many others here, do the moment we get a new camera is to disable that annoying beep. I don't need it or miss it. Most of the time I don't even concentrate on the focus acquisition light since the shutter won't fire if the lens hasn't acquired focus. In any case the focus acquisition light is as much indication as I need.

In AI Servo you just have to look in the viewfinder and when it looks in focus shoot. I'm not sure how they would make the beep work. It would have to beep every time it acquired focus, lost it and re-aquired by obstructions, you lost your subject momentarily or because you purposely focused on something else. Lot's of beeping.

I paid for the beep and I want to hear the beep Even if I could use AI Servo for static objects when I shot weddings I used One Shot but disabled it during the ceremony only. It was too exhausting to make sure my subject was in focus by confirming it visually all day.

AI Servo is in it's own little world as an assist expansion point won't light up if it is called into service. You can it in action using One Shot. If the centre can't find enough contrast an outer point will light up first followed by the centre point. Both points will be displayed in the LCD or in DPP later. I figure it is telling us which expansion point helped the primary centre point which is what we wanted to focus with. I have only ever seen one expansion point light up but Canon says points in the instructions. I never shoot 8 point expansion so maybe that is why.

Regarding the lack of af beep in Servo... My best suggestion is to unencumber yourself and "be happy, don't worry." Just trust it. But your success will hinge on placing your focus point used for acquisition accurately. Glance at the Af indicator in the vf scree upon acquisition. The benefit of the indicator over the beep is that it continues while tracking unlike the audible indicator.

gschlact wrote in post #18350336
Regarding the lack of af beep in Servo... My best suggestion is to unencumber yourself and "be happy, don't worry." Just trust it. But your success will hinge on lacing your focus point sed for acquisition accurately. Glance at the Af indicator in E vf upon acwuisition. The benefit of the indicator over the beep is that it continues while tracking unlike the audible indicator.

You pointed that you seen more than one assist point light up in One Shot quite a while ago. I have not to date, just one.

When you really think it through, you will understand why there is no 'beep' in AI Servo.

digital paradise wrote in post #18350342
You pointed that you seen more than one assist point light up in One Shot quite a while ago. I have not to date, just one.

I believe I was referring to more than one af point, as in one assist + center, together are more than one 'lighting up' in expansion mode.

gschlact wrote in post #18350498
I believe I was referring to more than one af point, as in one assist + center, together are more than one 'lighting up' in expansion mode.

Oh I see. Again in One Shot as we can't see what the AI Servo assist points are doing. We have to take Canon's word that they are doing something, which I do. Canon does say in many documents that the assist points work the same way in One Shot and AI Servo.

harcosparky wrote in post #18350473
When you really think it through, you will understand why there is no 'beep' in AI Servo.

Aside from the reason being AF does not lock I can't see why it can' be made to beep when it acquires initial AF to let the user know. They put a human on the moon with a Commodore 64. Sure it is always adjusting after while tracking but when it loses and re-aquires AF then it beeps again. Maybe there is a design issue that I don't know about which makes it completely impossible but I'm not an engineer.

harcosparky wrote in post #18350473
When you really think it through, you will understand why there is no 'beep' in AI Servo.

Yes, I understand that audible confirmation might drive you (or those around you) crazy. But there are so many confirmation options presented, and yet losing both audible signal as well as the AF green signal while in AF Servo leaves a signficant dependence on blind trust.

There would still be responsibility by the user to keep the AF point on a moving target. You acquire a bird and it lights up/beeps and then goes out. As long as you are on the primary target all is good. Depending on the TS setting if you lose it and get it back on before it focuses on something else nothing changes. If it loses the bird and acquires the bushes behind the bird it lights up/beeps again. Or it could be user programmable so the light stays on all the time and it only shuts off and lights up before a new target is acquired. The AF system is already doing this behind the scenes. It would be more complex but not impossible I don't think.

Personally I'm happy with the beep option for One Shot and used AI Servo the way it is. I'd prefer other options but if Canon made it more advanced down the road I'd take it.

digital paradise wrote in post #18350527
Aside from the reason being AF does not lock .

The 'beep' is to indicate a 'lock'

digital paradise wrote in post #18350527
They put a human on the moon with a Commodore 64.

Man landed on the moon on July 20,1969 .......
The Commodore 64 came along 13 years later in July 1982.

But I sorta get where you are coming from.