How to set up my 5d MkIV for wildlife photography?

I've searched you tube and tried to watch some videos but found them lacking in one way or another. I'm headed to Tanzania in January (a long time away I know) and want to know the best way to set up my 5dMKIV for shooting wildlife. I have a 100-400 II L lens I'll be using and I'm probably going to rent a 1.4x III tele-converter for it.

I wanted to know:
1. The best AI Servo AF characteristic to use? (any tweaks to these?)
2. Best AF area selection mode to use?
3. Use the back button focus?
4. Any/all other settings to use or avoid?

I've been shooting for years but never wildlife. I took the lens to the zoo and learned I need to practice. A LOT. This is a trip of a lifetime and I don't want to come back with OOF photos or worse. I figure if I can get an optimal camera set up for my 5dmkIV and practice with it for a few months with numerous trips to the zoo I'll have a much better success rate. And yes - I'll practice with the tele-converter too. Unless y'all tell me it's a waste of time. Many thanks for any advice or guidance.

James

I don't have the 5D IV but I would make a suggestion to you if I may, as I do shoot wildlife, primarily birds in flight.

I've shot at the zoo too and compared to shooting in the wild it's kind of the proverbial fish in a barrel. At the zoo the animals can't go too far and most of their movements are pretty deliberate and predictable.

I would try to find somewhere that you can shoot them in their natural habitat as that's what you'll encounter in Tanzania. Granted, you probably won't encounter lions and elephants and such, but you'll at least be presented with more natural behavior.

I would try to spend some time at a local duck pond or bird sanctuary. Shooting sedentary animals at the zoo is not a bad thought, but if you become adept at focusing and exposing for moving and changing situations, you will be much better setup for your safari. Safari sightings can vary dramatically from a sleepy lion that gives you 10 minutes to perfect your shot to a chase or kill which might be a 3 second opportunity from start to finish.

While the answer on a photography forum is always "more gear" - I would highly recommend bringing a second camera body. Failures are not uncommon in the dusty and rough conditions in East Africa and there are NO stores that can supply you a replacement while you are on your trip.

Finally, 400mm on a full frame is not a bad setup, but something longer would be very helpful. A tele is not bad but it robs you of precious light which is at a premium on most safaris. If this really is a "once in a lifetime" - I would think about seeing whether there is any way you could either rent a larger prime, or a 200-400/1.4x. It's big, it's heavy, it's expensive - but it will allow you to shoot photos you wouldn't otherwise get. Just food for thought.

-Mark

My suggestions:

Expand AF surround or perhaps large zone AF (I like this less). I have had good luck with expand AF surround and the joystick to move the focus point around as required.

IMO back button focus is your best friend for stuff that’s potentially moving around.

You’ll probably find case1 the most effective to be honest. I have messed with the customization settings for the cases and have regretted it.

I also use the following settings to make my life easier when I need to perhaps shoot quickly...
Auto white balance
Evaluative metering.
Outdoors daytime iso 100 for the most part.
Shutter priority for tracking birds in flight.
CPL if you will be shooting lots of flying things or where the sun is in the way a lot ( ie you have to shoot where you stand )

There's no particular magic formula; we all set our stuff up a bit differently, based on our desired outcomes and what not. That being said:

My basic setup for the 5DIV + 100-400II (some + 1.4x TC) are:
Single point AF
Make sure AF area selection is set to use the quick thumb button for quick access if single point is suddenly not appropriate
Back button AF activation
AI Servo
Auto ISO
I usually shoot Case 2 with Tracking Sensitivity set as low as it can be
Make sure that AI Servo 1st image priority and 2nd image priority set to prioritize Focus (all the way right)
Set Orientation linked AF point to Separate AF pts: Area+pt : This way you can set your AF point/area in each orientation before shooting, so you have less to mess with at shutter time. Anticipate where their eyes are likely to be and set your af area/pts near where you'd want to frame them.

From there, aperture and shutter speed will vary based on what I'm currently shooting, lighting and where they are.

saea501 wrote in post #18617593
I don't have the 5D IV but I would make a suggestion to you if I may, as I do shoot wildlife, primarily birds in flight.

I've shot at the zoo too and compared to shooting in the wild it's kind of the proverbial fish in a barrel. At the zoo the animals can't go too far and most of their movements are pretty deliberate and predictable.

I would try to find somewhere that you can shoot them in their natural habitat as that's what you'll encounter in Tanzania. Granted, you probably won't encounter lions and elephants and such, but you'll at least be presented with more natural behavior.

Thanks for the tip but I'm definitely not a bird shooter, even on the safari. We will be using an open top vehicle to go out and photograph from. The zoo is about the only thing I have for practice. The good thing is that a lot of the exhibits are rather large - the grizzly bears, wolves, tigers, giraffes, and some others have quite a bit of space. Granted they won't be running full speed, but it's about all I have. I guess I can still practice on birds in flight though - just tracking them with the camera at full zoom would probably help.

Thanks!

Lowside67 wrote in post #18617702
I would try to spend some time at a local duck pond or bird sanctuary. Shooting sedentary animals at the zoo is not a bad thought, but if you become adept at focusing and exposing for moving and changing situations, you will be much better setup for your safari. Safari sightings can vary dramatically from a sleepy lion that gives you 10 minutes to perfect your shot to a chase or kill which might be a 3 second opportunity from start to finish.

While the answer on a photography forum is always "more gear" - I would highly recommend bringing a second camera body. Failures are not uncommon in the dusty and rough conditions in East Africa and there are NO stores that can supply you a replacement while you are on your trip.

Finally, 400mm on a full frame is not a bad setup, but something longer would be very helpful. A tele is not bad but it robs you of precious light which is at a premium on most safaris. If this really is a "once in a lifetime" - I would think about seeing whether there is any way you could either rent a larger prime, or a 200-400/1.4x. It's big, it's heavy, it's expensive - but it will allow you to shoot photos you wouldn't otherwise get. Just food for thought.

-Mark

I have a 5dmkIII I'll be taking as a back up body. I also will rent a 1.4x III teleconverter for the 100-400. I'll still be at f8 and have all my focus points so that should be good. I'll need to see what I can find in my area for bird sanctuaries. Thanks!

Try this guide from Grant Atkinson:

https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=yy_72JQ-QT4

He goes over every setting and why he chooses that setting.