Canon EOS 7D Mark II Settings for Aviation Photography including Menu System in Detail 

Thanks Stuart. I have just purchased a used EOS 7D MKii as I couldn’t get on with mirrorless. Like the quality of your photos.

Hi Stuart, great video and like the way you actually explain the reasons for your choice of settings. I’ve just bought a mint condition 7D mk2 and paired it with a Sigma 150-600 Contemporary for aviation photography. I’ve mirrored your settings and will be using it for the first time for shooting aircraft at RIAT this year. Will be practicing at Brands Hatch this weekend as well, so hopefully I can get a good feel of the camera/lens combo. Thanks again for a great video 👍🏻 📷

Best video , your explanation and method of taking one through the process needs to be commended. Thank you. I am now going to play with the wild waves of the ocean,

Thank you so much for an excellent explanation detailing how I need to set up my Canon 7D Mark II. Now for a few trips to Lakenheath next week.

Appreciate the tips and tricks! I've got a couple 7DmII's now, and with my 100-400 USM III it is a great setup for jets and slower aircraft. There are a lot of settings used by aviation photographers, as I've learned and tried out; some prefer to set the ISO to 200, 250 or 320, then set the exposure to 7.1, and let the shutterspeed go on auto. I've tried this with beautiful sunny weather and it worked just fine, controlling the shutterspeed by changing the ISO up or down was a new technique for me where the sharpness and depth with 7.1 stayed the same. I will be incorporating some of your tips next time over at the airport. Thanks.

That was so helpful , I have just upgraded to 7Dmkii from Canon 60d . However my passion in photography is motorsport I would like to have a go at aviation at some point . Your brilliant easy to follow video has helped me set my base settings up . Thank you

As soon as you stated you set to overexpose by one stop, I liked and subscribed to your channel. Then I made this comment this point. Then I watched the rest of video, and here are the rest of my comments: Awesome advice on the auto ISO settings, completely agree. Same with min shutter speed, that's my default as well for action shots (freezing the subject, BIF or aviation especially). Imho, the Sigma 150-600 C, or S model, would give you a bit better and more consistent AF performance, I've used both brands. Just advice but you seem to be doing well with your Tamron (ain't broke don't fix it!). Agreed about white balance again (I'm a raw shooter as well). Advice, enable HTP!!! You'll be able to push your ev comp another 1/2 stop or more and your shadows and mids will benefit GREATLY. Can't advise this enough! On the AF case settings, it's all about taste and experimentation, I have yet to see two photographers agree on which are the best, as long as you are getting results you want, then use that setting- they shouldn't be afraid to experiment though as they may pass up an even better setting :). Prioritizing focus is great advice too, agreed. Agreed on personal preferences of AF points as well, and I use constant view in the VF as well. LCD settings, agree, brighter is better for daylight shooting. Good idea keeping the VF clear as possible for action shooting as well. Agreed on metering choice (HTP will help your image quality more using this as well fyi). Manual is ideal too on this camera (because of the auto ISO implementation), not so much on the original 7D. Rest of your advice is pretty spot on and should get shooters instant results for the better. Great video, thanks for taking the time and energy to put this together- it's not easy!

Hi Stuart, thank you for this video, I have the same setup and lens, i've watched this video three times now, twice to soak it up and the third to actually adjust settings as we go. Just need to finalise my tap in calibration on the big tamron and get back to lakenheath! thanks again.

Hi Stuart, thank you so much for this video and your tips!! Game changer for me. I'm shooting Nellis AFB Air show this weekend (11-05-22 and 11-06-22), I got some fantastic shots and a lot of keepers!!! Thank you again!!!

Thank you for this video, just what I was looking for as I just acquired a 7D Mark II to compliment my 6D. I shoot a lot of Military Aircraft where I work at. I work at Mountain Air Cargo in Kinston North Carolina ( I'm a Avionics Tech working mainly on FEDEX Feeder ATR42-300 and 72-212/600F cargo Aircraft ). We have quite a few Military Aircraft doing touch and go's from Seymour Johnson AFB and Cherry Point MCAS, seems like every other day is a Air Show. We Mainly get F-15s, C-17s, AV8Bs, KC-135s, V-22 Ospreys, E2C Hawkeyes , C-2 Greyhounds and NASA P-3 Orions.There is also Drakens (6) A-4K Skyhawk Aggressors Base here to play with the F-15s. BTY I subscribed to your channel, Cheers!

Brilliant video Stuart! This will be extremely handy for RIAT this week! Thanks very much, great video :)

Stuart, I make many trips during the year to Star Wars canyon, though military jet action has been greatly reduced since fatal accident. My main shooter is a Sony A9ii with Sony 200-600mm. But I decided to dust off the old faithful 7D Mkii with Tamron 150-600mm and get it ready for my next trip to Death Valley next month. I hope for some jet action. I really enjoyed your video and the refresher course on my 7D mkii. One day I do hope to head over to the Loop and enjoy the sight and sounds there.

Has any one tried a Canon R7 with the 100-400mm ii plus adapter? I'm considering going this route. I currently have a Canon 7D Mk II.

Thanks a lot Stuart, This really helps. Got a 7D Mark II just a view weeks ago.

Excellent tips. I use very similar settings but may change my "C1" now from Tv to Manual for my fast jets, per your suggestion. I also have a C3 set up for helicopters & Ospreys, which is basically C2 but with the Tv=1/50.

This is an awesome video. Thank you. I learned a lot. Much appreciated.

Thank you. Very clear and too the point. As you say these are your settings and if viewers feel they need to tweek them a little them go ahead. I've photographed a range of motor sport but attending my first air show soon so some tweeking of mind set required. The air show is at a beach so all airial action will be over the wate. is a monopod useful ? 😎🐯

Thank you, Stuart very well explained.

Awesome video, I'm still tempted to buy a 7dmkii, but not sure between it and a 90d

Phew, that's a lot to take in. What a great video. I learnt a lot. Just need to digest it. Many thanks.

"used by many for shooting aircraft"😂😂

Hi Stuart, been into aviation photography for a little over a year now and just upgraded from a bridge camera to Canon 70D, would the settings youve gone through in this video work for the 70D? Any help is much appreciated.

Hi Stuart. Great videos. I want to reboot my DSLR owner experience ( had Canon 40d years ago ). This time round focusing on aviation (fast jets at Mach Loop and air shows ). Drawn towards Canon once again, though considered Sony RX10 iv but feels very small in my hand. Was thinking of 90D ( as I can fit a battery grip ) with a suitable lens , either Canon 100-400 mk1 or one of the Sigmas 150-600 (sports variant ) or even 60-600 which seems to be way more expensive. Would you prefer 7d mk2 over 90d? So if you had a 2 grand budget, what would you do / recommend please? Loving your content, thank you so much, Steve.

nicely done

I rented this camera to evaluate and if found satisfactory; would buy it. However, the image quality failed to impress me when compared to my 1DIV. So, I returned it.

Is there a way to save to camera settings to sd or cf card? Because I wonder if the 7d 2 forgets all settings if the main battery is removed for long periods and the cmos clock battery built into the camera goes flat etc? Great video btw 👌

Hi Stuart, I've been shooting with the Canon 7D mark ii for years and configured my settings based on this video. Are you considering going mirrorless (R7)? Would love to know your thoughts. I'm really considering getting the R7, but a part of me thinks I should wait a couple years for the R7 Mark ii.

Excellent video

Well between 90D and 7d mark ii, which do you suggest? 90 D is a new camera where as 7D has better autofocus. Really confusing.

Hi, have a 7dmk2 body but want a decent not to expensive lence 100-400 for sport and aircraft airshow /Airport. Could you give advice please

Wonderful video and pictures!! I wonder if it's good for Canon 5D MK IV? As well? Thanks!

Very informative video. I've recently upgraded from a 77d to the 7dmrkii and am looking forward to my first outing with it shooting at an air show later this month. I have a question though. If I'm shooting a formation of Harvards or team of 5 Pilatus PC7-Mk II doing an aerobatic display, would the settings that you locked in under C2 apply?

Where do I find the autofocus Setting like that Case 5,Case 3

I'm wildlife photographer I have 7D mark2 what I'm facing problem to focus flying birds coming towards camera position flying towards me. When they are flying opposite direction, away from camera the camera focus perfectly. Simple, when you are shooting an aircraft flying towards your in line of sight focusing is difficult when it is flying away focusing is easy. English is not my mother tongue I hope you will understand what I mean. Waiting for your reply thanks.

Hey mate, do you think the mk1 is still a good option for aviation photography as I’m on quite a budget?

Is there any lens your recommended that’s under £350 for it not sure what’s good and bad?

Hello from the United States! Quick question. I do commercial aviation photography for the most part with a Canon EOS T6 Rebel and a Sigma 150-600mm C lens. Would most of your recommended camera/lens settings also be applicable to my setup? I know you have features on your 7D that I don’t. Just wanted to get your thoughts/input.

Hi Stuart, quick question. I’ll be using a Canon EFS 15mm-85mm lens for the static aircraft at RIAT. What settings changes would you recommend for that instance, or would you leave the camera as is?

Hi Stuart. Thank so much for this video. I also shoot with a Canon 7D Mk II and a 100-400mm Canon lens. I've been to Star Wars Canyon and Mach Loop. I'll be shooting Edwards AFB Air Show this weekend 10-15-22. Had a question, so I got my camera setup how you explained in your video, question: with the back button focuser option, as aircrafts are moving fast towards show center, do I need to keep hitting the back focus button before hitting the front button to take the picture? Because the aircraft is constantly changing positions. Or just hit the AF button once and hold down the front button for rapid photos? Thank you. I have not used it in this configuration yet.

in the custom shooting mode, when i press on regitser settings there is only 1 mode compared to yours that has 3

Why did you set the minimum shutter speed in the settings if you’re not using Av mode?

which is the best airplane for photography 7Dmk2 or 90D or r10 ?