7D mark II question on 9 point AF

I will reset, already did the drivers.

I figured out how to easily change from single point to 5 to 9 to full 65, but the thing that I notice is that under the 9 (center and 8 assists) when I push the BFF the 4 corner points disappear showing the center and 4 cross points using servo if I focus and then move the focus to something closer and slowly move the camera to the points the corners don't change focus but the 4 assist points do lock on.
I think switch to the 65 point and only the 5 points show inside the box for the 65 points. With my 90D and 6D2 when you are in the 45 points the AF is constantly bouncing around showing points that it is trying to lock on with, which can be a pain, I like the idea of locking on with the center point but since none of the other 65 points show (only the outline of the AF frame) I don't know if the AF tracks a BIF as it moves off the center point, will have to try.

I reset the camera and spent time going back through the set up.

set Servo and the AF to 15 point, when I push the focus button the 15 points that are displayed disappear and the center point and 4 assist show up, if I release the focus button the 15 points show again.

This is my main question, it is actually using the 15 points to determine AF, my 90 and 6 will often show the active focus point to be somewhere in the grid depending on the thing I am focusing on. But with this only the center point "locks on" at least apparently I noticed a different depending on how I set the "Initial AF point selection" if it is set to AUTO then all the AF points are "active" and it AF on the closest thing not usually the thing I want if I set it to Initial the first choice I can set the initial point to anywhere in the 65 points HOWEVER it doesn't show any of the other points being active like it does in auto. I am setting it to Initial and will test it on moving birds.

If it weren't for this corona stuff I would just take it down to Hunt's photo where I have bought almost all of my gear and ask them. The good thing is they have great customer service and would help me with it (after all I have spent way too much money there)

So far I think the 7D2 likes the 150-600 a bit better than the 90D but the 100-400L IS II they are the same, also the 90D can crop a lot closer, due to the 30+mp, but above 1600 ISO so far the 7D2 is better. Will be doing more tests.

Here is one I shot out my window, through the glass, just before I tried to find a pond where it wasn't raining, no luck.

Jeff - In the last option in the AF menu, what are your settings for "AF point display during focus". I have this set to "selected (constant)". I just checked and with 15 points, if I lock on and move the camera, the focus points are shifting as you describe. I also see all 15 points.

My 7D2 also likes my 150-600C and 100-400II moreso than the 90D I had. So far your experience matches mine up until the part of keeping the 90.

ct1co2 wrote in post #19029617
Jeff - In the last option in the AF menu, what are your settings for "AF point display during focus". I have this set to "selected (constant)". I just checked and with 15 points, if I lock on and move the camera, the focus points are shifting as you describe. I also see all 15 points.

My 7D2 also likes my 150-600C and 100-400II moreso than the 90D I had. So far your experience matches mine up until the part of keeping the 90.

I have it set to Selected (constant)

will be testing it with my 100-400ii with 1.4x

I keep the 90D and 80D both as backups but also to set up a multi camera set up on occaision

Jeff USN Photog 72-76 wrote in post #19029654
I have it set to Selected (constant)

will be testing it with my 100-400ii with 1.4x

Bummer, was hoping that would do the trick. I suspect it's something in the AF settings.

The 100-400II with extender works well, with reasonably quick AF. My 1.4III works with the Sigma 150-600C b/c I am a couple of firmware updates behind. The AF is okay if it's not far off to begin with.

.
I have very little experience with the 7D2, so I realize that there may be autofocus features and capabilities it has that I am not aware of, but ........

...... any of the really successful BIF photographers who I respect and who really know what they're doing, well, all of them that I have spoken to only use one AF setting, regardless of what camera body they are using:

Single point AF - the one point in the very center. . They never use any other focus points for BIF, nor do they ever fool with zones or arrays or any of that stuff.

I think if these guys are some of the world's best BIF photographers, and they all do it exactly the same way, then there must be some wisdom in that. . I thought that everybody knew that you just use the center focus point for BIF, but evidently this is not the case, or you wouldn't have started this thread. . Or maybe the autofocus on the 7D2 is somehow different than that on any of Canon's other bodies?


.

I mostly use the center point, but if a bird is totally surrounded by sky I flip to the 45 point on the 90D or 6D, but you need single point on a bad background. I am experimenting with the new camera.
I am intrigued by the 5 point and 9 point with center active.

Oh and here is an example of what I can get with the 90D

Jeff USN Photog 72-76 wrote in post #19029399
Manual and AI Servo

I will keep working with it, I don't have the manual will download one online

You will also need the Canon 7D Mark II AF Guidebook which is required reading. However, this 50 page Canon manual no longer seems to be available online. Perhaps someone has a link to it that works. The full 7D Mark II full manual is 548 pages long, by the way. If you can't find the AF Guidebook, perhaps I can email it to you. It's only 6.6 mb in size.

Grant Atkinson’s YouTube videos on the Canon 7D Mark 2 are excellent.
Look for one on his camera settings.
Here is the session in Autofocus. It’s a series I come back to watch repeated for refreshers.

https://www.grantatkin​son.com …era-controls-for-ai-servo

Thank you I will check it out

mwsilver wrote in post #19029761
You will also need the Canon 7D Mark II AF Guidebook which is required reading. However, this 50 page Canon manual no longer seems to be available online. Perhaps someone has a link to it that works.

https://media.canon-asia.com …FGuideBook_smar​tphone.pdf

I did watch those videos as I was search youtube and had found them yesterday

if it stick to one point or 5 point then I am all set!

ct1co2 wrote in post #19029617
Jeff - In the last option in the AF menu, what are your settings for "AF point display during focus". I have this set to "selected (constant)". I just checked and with 15 points, if I lock on and move the camera, the focus points are shifting as you describe. I also see all 15 points.

My 7D2 also likes my 150-600C and 100-400II moreso than the 90D I had. So far your experience matches mine up until the part of keeping the 90.

So that is page 130 of the user manual.

Page130:

If AF point display during focus is set to Selected (Constant), according to the manual it will always be displayed.
If it is always displayed, you will not get an indication during AI Servo AF, or more accurately, there will be no change. It's always ON.

I would have thought Selected (focused) is the setting you would want.
The Selected AF point(s) is displayed for 3 cases:
Case 1 - When selecting AF point(S)
Case 4 - When focus is achieved
No Case specified - When AF starts

Notice that Case 3, During AF operation, AF point can only be permanently ON, using the first 2 (Constant) settings, or OFF using the last 3 settings.

What about page 131?

If I understand correctly, page 131 covers 2 stages, both need to be set to ON
1 When focus is achieved (VF display illumination) This must be set to ON
2 During focus (AF point during AI Servo AF) This must be set to ON

Using page 131 settings, if both set to ON, the AF point(s) will blink during AI Servo AF and be ON once focus achieved.
If only the first setting (VF display illumination) is set to ON, AF point will be ON when focus achieved but not blink during focus.

So I think these 3 settings will meet Jeff's wants:
AF point display during focus - Set to: Selected (focused)
VF display illumination - Set to: ON
AF point during AI Servo AF - Set to: ON

I like the constant, I want to know where the AF points are even if they are not activated. I already have the other two to on