Finally . Someone who not only really knows this camera . But explains in detail each feature and slowly shows shows and explains it. No rushing here . Also he does not jump around into long stories. Keep it simple and always to the point .
I realize these videos are five years old but they excellent. I have just ordered my 7D2 and find your expertise and straightforward presentation very helpful. And your photos are stunning. Thank you.
thanks for taking the time to write and glad the video helped. Even in 2021, the 7D2 is a pretty good camera and takes great pictures, hope you enjoy yours :-)
I want to thank you for taking the time to really explaining auto focus. I agree with Missy in that you are the only person who has taken time to explain this operation in a way we can understand it with out reading the manual.
You sir are simply amazing, I'm halfway to saving up for my 7D 2 and I could not get to grips with the focus method. Your explanations are excellent, thank you.
I wanted to wait for canon to release the mark 7d mark3 but they havent release any information on it yet..i been debating should i wait or get the 7d mark2
Thank you! I asked two very, very good Canon bird photographers how to have a camera in servo mode and have an easy way to switch to one shot without having to enter the menu. They couldn't tell me. You did! Thanks!
I have been trying to avoid doing that. If the selected item is, for example, ISO, it takes forever to toggle over to the Ai Servo/One Shot box. Once set up as Mr. Atkinson showed in the video, I just hit a button on the upper right of the camera, and bingo--done!
I have a 7D and have found it a bloody great camera, it wasn't till I looked at the release of the 7D Mkii, this new release was a great, great camera but I got a bit confused with it. So, I stayed with my 7D. I've just found your vid's on the 7D Mkii and with you explaining about the Auto Focus, it seemed to all come together with you explaining it and how it worked, and how to set it up. SOOOOO much simpler, (kinda) with your vid's explaining the AutoFocus of the 7D Mkii. Thanks a blood heap mate, really helped me work with it so much easier. Thanks, Thanks, Thanks. ......... Teddy.
Thank you for explaining the 7D Mark II in a very simplistic easy to understand manner. Grant has given me the confidence to go out and trust my knowledge and shoot amazing sports action shots.
I just bought the 7D Mark II and this was exactly what I was looking for. Easily to understand. Perfect Video. Thank you so much Sir for clearing things up. You just made using the camera 100% easier.
please post more videos .. you are one of the few people who actually know about the camera sir.. fantastic video.. i request if you could make a video of Nikon d7200..thanks
Just made the same upgrade myself. This video is really informative and I look forward to better results with my motor sport photography. A minor point, but I was irritated by the hand waving around directly in front of the screen being demonstrated.
I have been looking for something which is clearly explained by you. Your explanation are easy to understand and very helpful. Keep the good work and thanks for helping others.
This series is amazing. Thank you so much! I've been shooting with this camera for a few months and was really confused by all the focus options. Now I finally get it!
Dear Mr. Atkinson, Thank you so much for the lucid explanations. It is a joy to hear uncluttered and unambiguous instructions from a generous true professional. I have visited your website and admired your brilliant work. The knowledge you part with, is second to none. It is precise and concise. Your reviews on equipment are fabulous. Please do more videos. I have subscribed to your channel. Take great care & best wishes.
Thanks Grant. Well done. Just picked up a 7D MkII and having some trouble with the AF servo mode. Had the same problem with the Canon 5D MkII. I shoot mostly airplanes and pan a lot with a Canon 100-400mm and somehow I get better results in the AI Focus, so I've stuck to that method. I really don't understand all the tech, but it works out. Look forward to more videos. I need all the help I can get.
Hi Slats, I hope the videos help out at least a little bit. If you find Ai Focus works for you, then keep using it. When it works properly, it is meant to detect when a subject is moving and then set the camera automatically into Ai Servo mode, or it will switch by itself to One Shot for static subjects...good luck.
@@grantatkinson8108 thanks sir. As finally I got hands on the custom settings and will help me for sure. For 7d mark ii I am sure if one should go through this 5 videos bird photography definitely done better in future.
Thank you very much Grant for the wonderful videos. I really want to learn to make beautiful pictures, I am totally new to this kind of pictures. But I've learned a lot thanks to your amazing clips! Hopefully, there will be more tips! Peter from Holland
Thank you SO MUCH!!! I just bought this camera and I was loving it, except I was having such terrible issues with focusing. This has helped me so much. I am currently working my way through part 1-5.
grant, the most informative videos i have yet seen covering the canon 7d mk 2, im just in the process of ordering one so i will be setting mine up accordingly, keep up the great work and look forward to many more video tutorials.....
Thank you. Excellent information. I liked your vocal and video presentation and audible sound recording. Watched all five of these videos. Very clear information. Amazing video editing. Subscribed. Liked. Commented.
Excellent informative video, I'm shooting at an airshow this weekend and this info will definitely help me set my 7D Mk2 to the required autofocus that will aid in getting those perfect shots. Great vid! Subscribed! :)
Thank you very much. I have watched the four videos in the series so far. The videos have been very informative. Thank you again. I hope one day to do a shoot with you.
+scarmenl Thanks for your feedback. I will still be doing one more video on the 7Dmk2 AF, covering the AF cases, but it will only be ready in May or June :-)
one of the benefits of canon 7d mark 2 is the back button focus; actualy, u have 2 of those buttons! u can focus and shoot with the shutter button in one shot mode. but, u can also set teh AF-ON button as back button focus, press the info button and that will send u to a secondary menu where u can further customize the BBF. so, u can choose to change the focus mode from one shot to servo, choose a focus poin and a case scenario, all just by pressing on button. when u release the BBF , camera switches back to one shot that's what u have paid for, and u wont get those option with any camera its a waste not to use the BBF imo u can set the DOF to change the focus mode from one shot to servo, but u wont get the extra menu, u wont be able to choose a case scenario or a preset focus point so, if u have a stationary subject, select and move the focus point with the joystick, then focus and shoot with the shutter button. but if the subject suddenly starts to move, press the bbf , camera changes to servo and a case scenario and u just keep shooting. when the subject stops again, release the bbf, camera changes automatically to one shoot
It’s 2019 and the 7D2 is my go to workhorse camera for shooting outdoor sports and even indoor dance and gymnastics. The AF is still outstanding. Still regretting selling my 1DX and 5D3 though 😂
If you use back button focus to recompose your shot and are still using the shutter button to focus as well the camera will re focus, Back button focus does take a while to get used to but stick with it , it takes awhile to get used too it . ,
Assigning the bbf button to 'AEstop' is a better techinque. Ifshooting wild life, birds, fast moving animals, then 90% of your shooting will be instant af when you depress the shutter. If, only 10% of your shooting requires focus lock, simply hit the AEstop button during that small amount of time. With bbf you are wearing your hand out and fatiguing unnecessarily. Plenty of birders have discovered the benefits of AEstop.
It is an excellent camera and you are right, it can do a lot. In many ways it is the match of equal of Canon cameras that cost more than twice as much as it does just a few years before!
I just purchased a 7D Mk II and and 100-400 ver. 2 to go with it. I am primarily a bird photographer and your videos have been a great help in getting set up.Any plans to do a video on the various exposure metering modes and what you choose for wildlife photography?
Hey champ. Superb video; very informative. Thanks for putting in the effort and sharing your knowledge with us. It makes a difference. Thumbs up from here! Btw. what's the name of the background song used in the beginning of the video?
Hi Grant.I am looking into buying a second hand 7d2. It is R8000.00 with a shutter count of 6000. And it comes with 2 batteries and a 15-85mm lens.I just want your opinion on the shutter count,is it good or bad?
On the Canon 7d mk2 in the menu it has a setting for the use of (A-FC) = Continuous Auto Focus it is defaulted to disabled, does one need to enable this when shooting in the AI Servo mode. I’m a bit confused your help in explaining this would be much appreciated. May I also say I really enjoy your channel. Thank you.
For sure, Shutter Priority TV can be a better setting for moving subjects. That way you can set the shutter speed first that you know or think you need, to get the moving subject free of motion blur. In my own shooting I do nearly always choose the shutter speed first, and regard it as the most important parameter of the three - Shutter speed, aperture opening and iso setting.
Wonderful video! THANK you for doing such a fantastic job explaining this awesome camera! Question: Would this setting up for wildlife focusing be a Custom control on the mode dial? C1-C2-C3? Would you have suggestions for birds/versus bigger wildlife? Thank you....:)
For different AF setups, you definitely could make use of the Custom control dial settings, C1, C2, C3. Something like this: For situations where i needed total accuracy like for big mammals in low light, not moving too fast, I might go Ai Servo, Single AF Pt (manually selected), Tracking Sensitivity 0, Ai Servo 1st Image - Release, Ai Servo 2nd Image 0. That would be C1. Then for faster moving subjects, like lion cubs or cheetah and small, fast birds, Ai Servo, Af Pt Expansion (1 Pt plus 4 ), Tracking Sensitivity 0, Ai Servo 1st image- Release, Ai Servo 2nd Image -1 (toward Release), and perhaps use Selectable AF point to reduce the number of AF points in the grid to 21 points can make it easier to navigate quickly around the grid). For a C3 option, which I might only use when ambient light was strong, I had ample depth of field like f7.1 or f8 apertures, and the subject moving steady and smooth, like aircraft or slow flying birds like storks, pelicans, then having Ai Servo, AF Zone, Tracking Sensitivity -1 or 0, 1st Image Release, 2nd Image either 0 or minus 1 (towards Release), keep all 65 points selectable. But remember these settings are just my guidelines, they may give different results depending on the strength and direction of light, what lens/es you are using, your subject speed, the background and your own skill level on the day :-)
Thank you so much for this valuable comment! I just watched your video series and I was starting to think what customized modes I might want and found this wonderful advice as a starting point.
Recently I bought used 7D mark ii it don't focus the bird flying toword me. It focuses the background but not the the same is with bird flying in horizontal flight. It focus still objects like sitting birds landscape fantastic. I set my camera settings according to your videos but failed to get focus pictures. I'm an old amateur photographer not a beginner where is the problem in camera settings or in my skills. I already calibrated my lens front and back focus with my camera.
Hi I changed my settings to use my AF button as my primary focusing and the shutter button as just metering, I was trying all points active to track some wake boarders and I noticed it wouldn't activate all 65 points and wouldn't track the subject! , I asked people with the 7d mark 2 if they knew the answer but alas no one could, I changed my camera back to the original setting as the shutter as focusing and metering and then all points became active and tracked in AI servo, so there is no way I can use the AF back button and use 65 point all active tracking? Bit funny as You could do this in the old 7D. Be interested in your reply.
I am beginner but in my canon 7d mark ii i can only see M instead one shot. Even i reset my camera settings, i still see M that means manual focus. I really need help on this setting. Thanks
Yes, worth upgrading if you want better viewfinder AF, faster frame rate, deeper buffer and bigger viewfinder with more shooting aids. Also the 7D Mk 2 is more responsive in terms of viewfinder lag and shutter lag. Image quality is pretty similar and not really a reason to upgrade.
Thanks for great info Grant- one setting I can't figure out is focus search on or off for birds in flight - should this be off for bif and on for static ? The default is 0 or on - txs so much !
Hi John the menu is the Pink Autofocus menu AF 4 and the top level menu is Lens Drive When AF impossible, and the selection after going into that menu item is Continue Focus Search and it should be ON. That will mean the camera will keep trying to drive a lens focus motor back and forth to keep trying to find focus if it becomes deeply out of focus. It is more relevant with long focal length lenses
