7D in low light and AI servo

Is there anyone else out there who owns a 7D having trouble getting low-light shots in focus when using AI servo? When the sun goes down and the field lights come on the camera is absolutely horrible at finding / tracking my target compared to ANY body I have owned My 30D has a better keeper rate. Other than this problem I love the camera, but I am shooting more and more night time games now, and becoming very frustrated.

I'm wondering if it's just my camera or is this something you other sports shooters have noticed as well?

I don't shoot sports but I've used Servo mode in dim situations and it locks on a lot better than my 40d, what lens are you using as this does have a big effect on focusing.

mridley wrote in post #11084032
I don't shoot sports but I've used Servo mode in dim situations and it locks on a lot better than my 40d, what lens are you using as this does have a big effect on focusing.

70-200 2.8L / 24-70 2.8L

I sometimes wonder at peoples expectations of the camera being able to focus when light is so poor you can hardly see.

I have to be honest, I don't do a lot of low light AI servo stuff but these questions come to mind:

1) What lens are you using? Is it the same one as your 30d?
2) Have you tried using AF Expansion to give you a better chance of catching focus
3) Have you messed around with any custom functions, if I recall there is a AI servo sensitivity. I could be wrong...but I remember something about that

artyman wrote in post #11084041
I sometimes wonder at peoples expectations of the camera being able to focus when light is so poor you can hardly see.

My expectations should exceed that of a camera 5-6 yrs. older than my 7D shouldn't it ?

And who said the light was so poor I could hardly see?

merlin2375 wrote in post #11084042
I have to be honest, I don't do a lot of low light AI servo stuff but these questions come to mind:

1) What lens are you using? Is it the same one as your 30d?
2) Have you tried using AF Expansion to give you a better chance of catching focus
3) Have you messed around with any custom functions, if I recall there is a AI servo sensitivity. I could be wrong...but I remember something about that

Yes to all of that, the camera is set-up properly. I may just have to have Canon take a look at it before I start using it in gymnasiums for basketball this year.

It's not the light or the dark that screws with tracking brother, it's that waning light you have to look out for. It plays around with the contrast detection just the same way we naturally get a bit more squintey ourselves. The only way around this I've found is locking on to something on my subject that is high contrast and using that as the focal point. It's hit or miss until the light equalizes..

MichaelBernard wrote in post #11084110
It's not the light or the dark that screws with tracking brother, it's that waning light you have to look out for. It plays around with the contrast detection just the same way we naturally get a bit more squintey ourselves. The only way around this I've found is locking on to something on my subject that is high contrast and using that as the focal point. It's hit or miss until the light equalizes..

I understand your point, that's usually what I try to do when locking/tracking my subject. The problem is that my 7D has a helluva time finding it in the first place and keeping focus on it, even when I have my center-point dead on throughout a series of shots...this starts in the late evening when I am bumping up around ISO 800-1600 and only gets worse as the evening progresses. I just don't understand why my 7D is having more trouble than my older XXD body. My old 1D2n definitely didn't have this issue as much, but I understand the AF system on it was/is better being a pro body.

Nope, I am seeing exactly the opposite! The 7D focuses on things that I never ever thought were "focusable"

Here's a glider landing at night. 300mm, f/2.8, 1/40th, ISO 6400 - that should give you an idea how dark it really was:

I had a similar problem with getting the 7D to lock onto a subject using autofocus. I didn't immediately realise it was a setting I had made because it was only a problem with my 135L. I had no problems with the 35L/85L locking/tracking a subject.

I literally had to guide it - manual focus to around the correct distance then it would lock on. If the subject was a 1.5 metres in front of camera, but the lens was at infinity, it would not lock, and vice versa.

The problem setting was the AF Search function on the 7D. Changed it and it started working.

AKHOO wrote in post #11084374
The problem setting was the AF Search function on the 7D. Changed it and it started working.

Changed it from what to what? On>Off or Off>On?

When I had problems getting the lens to even attempt an autofocus, I believe it was set at Off. I changed it to on...

there are threads on this subject .... check the stickies.
you have not even mentioned AF mode you are using.
and what are your custom settings for the AF section?

i found this thread .. high speed shooter having issues with 7D.
some was camera problem ... but Custom functions are talked about too.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=847486

thread is long....

Ziffle wrote in post #11085809
there are threads on this subject .... check the stickies.
you have not even mentioned AF mode you are using.
and what are your custom settings for the AF section?

i found this thread .. high speed shooter having issues with 7D.
some was camera problem ... but Custom functions are talked about too.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=847486

thread is long....

Center point AF only
AF priority/Tracking priority
Sensitivity set to slow
Continuous AF track priority

These settings work like a charm until I get in low light.