7d mark ii 65pt AF and other bodies

ok so I'm gonna get bashed for this but I have tried everything and I'm stumped...

so in the 7d mark ii bad focus discussions I was posting and we got talking about how in 65pt you can set an initial lock point... I went in and set it. but for some reason my camera is doing the Expand AF Area (looks like a + ) ... It doesn't go away once I lock on subject. It also doesn't stay locked on that subject if I pan...

it is weird so I tried undoing what I did but playing with so many settings who knows. I then went in and did a a rest on my camera. All of my other settings were reset except for this one. Initially without this point set it just bounced around and locked on what it wanted too but it isn't doing that anymore.

I am at a loss at what to try and set.
In AF menu 4th tab I have
Selectable AF point - 65pt
Initial AFpt AI Servo AF - I have tried Initial, Manual and Auto - originally when messing with this, this was on auto....

I'm not sure what is going on and appreciate any help. Got our first U11 soccer game tomorrow (as long as it doesn't rain)

I'm sure others will be along shortly with guidance. PM me with your e-mail address and I'll forward Canon's 7DII AF Guide (pdf) to you. Sounds like you have some serious study/practice to do in the near future.

Did you buy your camera used? If it is doing bizarre things, it may be worth doing a full factory reset and starting over.

Bassat wrote in post #18310796
I'm sure others will be along shortly with guidance. PM me with your e-mail address and I'll forward Canon's 7DII AF Guide (pdf) to you. Sounds like you have some serious study/practice to do in the near future.

I have it.. and read through it.. and I have been trying to study/practice.. LOL.. trust me.. Ive had this camera for 2 years and haven't been happy cuz in actuality I didn't realize it was me needing to learn the AF.. I just thought it was a magical unicorn 65pt AF over my t2i lol

Scrumhalf wrote in post #18310799
Did you buy your camera used? If it is doing bizarre things, it may be worth doing a full factory reset and starting over.

nope bought it new.. and just last week I started setting these lock af point for 65point.. and I boogered something up. I also did a factory reset... TWICE!!!!! Hah...
maybe I'm not doing a full factory reset but everything is reset when I do it...

I don't think 65pt AF is a good idea for anything other than BIF or something that has an absolutely unobstructed view to the subject with no interference from anything else. For other subjects, you are probably going to be better off with one of the expansion modes (1+4) or (1+8) or the zone AF.

Scrumhalf wrote in post #18310803
I don't think 65pt AF is a good idea for anything other than BIF or something that has an absolutely unobstructed view to the subject with no interference from anything else. For other subjects, you are probably going to be better off with one of the expansion modes (1+4) or (1+8) or the zone AF.

agreed but at this point without it set right I cant use it for BIF...

or SIF ...


springers in flight... what I wanted to use it for...

LOL day went from 86F driving there to 54F in 45 minutes!!! overcast and ready for rain so pics are not great..but these 2 are FAAAAST... and will catch that BIF...

fyi look really hard at the first dog.. LOL... teasin her sister like that...

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/TcSJ​Yh

EDIT: I appear to be mistaken. My 80D does NOT function like this. Assume the 7D2 doesn't, either.

I don't own a 7D2, but I can setup my old 1DIV to use: single point, single point with points to L & R, 9 (8 around chosen), 3 rows, or all points. In AI-Servo, it will start with selected mode, and track the target, or quickly switch to new target, depending on my choices in setup. Surely the 7D2 is at least that versatile.

The settings you need are under each (and every) Case: TRACKING SENSITIVITY, ACCEL/DECEL TRACKING, and AF POINT SWITCHING. I believe it does not matter what AF (single, +, 9 pt) you start with, they will all behave according to your CASE settings.

On the 1DIV, I can choose any single, or multiple-point starting points, and leave all (45?) available for tracking. I am all but positive the 7D2 works the same way. Shame if it doesn't.

I agree it is a very complicated camera and it is hard to get the AF settings right. And if they are wrong, it is hard to know what setting exactly is wrong and how to fix it.

I did a factory reset of my 7D2 once and found that quite a few of the settings were not reset. Not sure that was me being stupid or what. But maybe that's what it does. If so, you might have to go through the menu item by item to reset it, or to set it to the settings of your choice.

Scrumhalf wrote in post #18310803
I don't think 65pt AF is a good idea for anything other than BIF or something that has an absolutely unobstructed view to the subject with no interference from anything else. For other subjects, you are probably going to be better off with one of the expansion modes (1+4) or (1+8) or the zone AF.

This confuses me. If you start off in AI-Servo, with 1 AF, 1+4 AF, or 1+8 AF, and all 65 points enabled, doesn't the 7D2 just move the (1, 1+4, or 1+8) around the VF to track your subject? Even my 80D does that. NOT using all available points when tracking something in AI-Servo seems like wasting potential.
EDIT: I appear to be mistaken. My 80D does NOT function like this. Assume the 7D2 doesn't, either.

I shoot my 1DIV with 1 starting AF-point, AI-Servo, all points enabled, and parameters to STAY ON SUBJECT, and it will track my grandson in a field of 22 moving football players.

EDIT:
I agree that 65 points is just dumb in One-Shot; the camera will never pick the right subject. In AI-SERVO, the shooter picks the starting point/group, the camera can use all other points to track the chosen subject, or jump to new (closer) subjects, depending on settings.

Bassat wrote in post #18310824
This confuses me. If you start off in AI-Servo, with 1 AF, 1+4 AF, or 1+8 AF, and all 65 points enabled, doesn't the 7D2 just move the (1, 1+4, or 1+8) around the VF to track your subject? Even my 80D does that. NOT using all available points when tracking something in AI-Servo seems like wasting potential.

I shoot my 1DIV with 1 starting AF-point, AI-Servo, all points enabled, and parameters to STAY ON SUBJECT, and it will track my grandson in a field of 22 moving football players.

I'm experimenting with my 7D2 to do this. I am still working on it, but so far it seems that it will track a colored object if it is large in the viewfinder and bright, but not at all if it is small or if it is white. Dunno yet about black. So it works but it is far from failproof.

cripin yimminies.. I got it.. sunuva gun... dagnabbit..

ok so since you can setup ANY button on the 7dm2 to do what you want...

I set the * to be my back focus button and it has worked and works great... EXCEPT!!!!! in 65pt AF!!!!!!

another reason why I must of had so many issues not having fun with this camera.

FYI I googled back button focus when I got the camera and everyone said set AF-On up for BF... well my thumb is short so it was easier to use * ...

I just setup AF-ON as the same.. AF and Meter JUST LIKE * and I can go between the 2... * will lock on as the 4pt !!!!!! and AF-On button will lock on and if I pan away it tracks and stays to it... WTH!!!!!


ughhhh well that is partially my fault I guess but why would they let you set a button to something if it doesn't seem to work the same.. SO ODD!!!!!!

Now I am thoroughly confused. Send me your camera. I'll figure it out for you.

Archibald wrote in post #18310828
I'm experimenting with my 7D2 to do this. I am still working on it, but so far it seems that it will track a colored object if it is large in the viewfinder and bright, but not at all if it is small or if it is white. Dunno yet about black. So it works but it is far from failproof.

I have color tracking on my 80D. Tried it once and shut it off. The 80D works better without it. Or maybe I just work better without it. 1DIV doesn't have it, and can track a gnat in a hailstorm.

Well the different buttons setup same work different confuses me. Guess ill experiment tmorrow...