Having used the regular front button for metering/focussing and taking the shot for over 50 years, moving over to BB focusing completely was just too big a step for me so I have come up with a half-way house as follows. I have set 1-point AF and Servo AF in settings and I have customised the AF-ON button to switch on eye tracking. I have left the front button untouched so it behaves normally (old school) for all shots that do not require eye tracking. I have also, most importantly, set AF5 Initial Servo AF Point to 1-point. I start off pointing the camera at the bird, hold the AF point over it and press the front button down half way to focus on the bird. If the conditions are right for eye tracking I then press and hold in the AF-ON button whereupon, because of the change in AF5, the focus jumps to the eye and tracks it. As I do this I remove my finger from the front shutter button. When I'm ready to take the shot I use the front button as usual. So long as I keep my finger on the AF-ON button, eye tracking takes precedence and the front button does not affect the focus - it just takes the shot.
Hi Ron! Love you channel and hope to take one of your tours, maybe next year. I have used that trick for pressing dual back buttons at the same time on other Canon bodies. But I find on the R5 you can get all three buttons to function as back buttons with AF! Thus, you can bypass the pressing of dual back buttons to get AF on your spot!! I have my R5s set similar to yours, but use AF ON along with the DOF button to cycle through different AF methods. I may try out your use of the "Ring" for this, just to see how I like that. Then I use * to activate EYE AF over the entire frame (so we are basically using AF ON and * switched around, 6 is one, half dozen the other). Where we differ is on the that third button "AF point select" (or whatever it is called - I never used it for as default purpose). So in the custom buttons menu, scroll down the AF point selection button, then assign it to "register/recall shooting func". Then press the "info" button and you get a list of options. Make SPOT AF your AF method and select (or don't) any other options you want. The last option is AF OPERATION which you want to ON. I think that must be the magic sauce needed to make pressing the button alone to get it to AF! All I am certain of is that AF works by pressing just the third button (AF point selection) alone, thus no need to press two back buttons. Then you truly get 3 back buttons. I don't recall this being on my other Canon bodies in the past, but since I have sold them all off I can't check to be sure). Anyway, just trying to give something back here! Hope to run into you in FL one day soon. Thanks and take care!
Great stuff as always Ron and had a great time seeing/shooting with you! Look forward to being back out with you next month even though you cost me a fortune with getting this camera haha!
Because I have large thumbs and I tend to hit have trouble differentiating between the * and AF point select button, I’ve programmed both to be my eye autofocus button. The AF-ON is set to spot. I then use the Depth of field preview button to change my autofocus points. Great video as always Ron. Love my R5!!
Ron, there is a way to have the "grid" button initiate autofocus when pressed alone. Use the 'Register/recall shooting func' option under customize buttons, then check and set 'AF operation' and 'AF method' options.
Awesome, I did not know this method. Thanks for adding to the discussion. Which button is the "grid" button? Just kidding. I know you mean the AF Pont Selection button.
Exactly Steve! I am glad to see others are rocking the triple BBF. I also use the register/recall shooting func option to activate my 3rd BBF. I loved having dual BBF on my 5DsR, but I LOVE having triple with eyeAF on my R5! Game changer!
I've trying out the new settings and really love the results. This makes a huge difference in getting the shot especially with birds in the brush. Thanks again.
I agree with Jason B. I keep the shutter button to 1/2 press for AF. I use the DOF button (very easily manipulated with my ring finger) to scroll from spot AF to zone AF (I have removed the other AF methods from the choices). I can toggle back and forth as quickly with the DOF button as I could move my thumb over the different back buttons. Then I use the AF-On button to eye focus with-that will override the shutter button. Ie, the shutter button will not go to one of the other AF buttons when pushed. By doing this, if I am doing a perching bird I can use spot AF but if a BIF opportunity occurs, I can toggle to zone AF. It also frees up my thumb to move the AF points either with the joy stick or with the touch scree.
This is one way to do it, but it does not work for me as I have small hands and cannot reach the DOF button easily. It is much easier for me to use the back buttons. The end message, set things up as you need to so it works best for how you shoot. There is almost never just one way to do things.
I tried it this way a while back and eventually went with setting bot the AF-ON and * for AF and metering start. The AF-ON with spot and the * with all point eye AF which eliminates the need for dual button press. I have an alternate AF scenario set on the DOF preview button. The dual press here is a better option for shooting while wearing gloves - at least for me.
Yep a good addition. I personally like the two buttons for spot as I have big thumbs and with those buttons so close together pushing both is actually easier for me.
Interesting. There are so many different ways to do this. The best way depends on each individual's personal use. So far I have been using AE ON set to start metering, spot and servo. I set the asterisk to auto focus, eye detect and servo mode. At least I think that is the way I have it. My experience is that eye detect is great but there are a lot of times that it doesn't work great. It seems to me that it works a bit better if I first have the bird in focus using spot, and then switch to eye. So, I generally focus first with spot using the AE ON button, and then, if I want eye focus, I switch to asterisk button. If eye starts failing, I switch back to AE ON for spot focusing. I think the main thing that differentiates your system is the addition of a focus method other than eye and spot that you can select with the lens ring. I have never really felt the need to use anything other than eye and spot. But, I'll give this three button approach a try. One thing I am unsure of is whether when using my method I should both buttons, (not just the AE ON button), to start metering as well as select the focus method. But, would that change the exposure a bit mid shot if I switch from one to the other - and since I'm shooting stills, does that even matter? I think that is the reason I left metering off the asterisk button when I set it up. I do see that your system gives you the flexibility to pick any focus method quickly using the lens ring. Got to give it a try. This is a work in progress for sure.
Thank you for all your videos on the Canon R5 and especially the auto focus setup. Just got an R5 and I’ve used your setup to get some great results with the RF 100-500 lens. Cheers form the UK
Yes, Steve's recommendation is great. This is why I love comments as they can add to the discussion. We all learn more and get better that way. Cheers.
Ron, this was very interesting. I will try and use this to incorporate zone eye focus and try it. It will take me some retraining since I have been using the AF-ON for spot and the star button for eye AF. You mentioned this video in your latest focus video this month but I had to Google it to find it. Thanks
Enjoyed this Ron and it will be useful when I can actually get out and take some images. I've never used back button focus so a short video on the whole topic of using the front shutter button V Back button would be great, along with an a basic explanation of what back button focus is. Cheers
I've had really good luck with * set to AF-on (tracking and case 2, tracking -1 or -2) and the AF selection button set to Registered function (Spot and case 3, Tracking + 1 or 2) which I find gives better target acquisition from spot with very sticky tracking. I have a top button set to toggle eye-af but never press it. For Front button fans, same * and AF select programming but set AF-on to AF-off which allows for focus and recompose while holding the front button and also activates the highlighted manual focus indicators when the lens ring is turned. It can also be used to prevent refocusing an already in-focus subject when the front button is pressed (basically the inverse of BBF.) Programming the DOF button for focus select allows you to put anything you want on the front button (Zone is a good choice for flying birds) so you get 3 modes of AF plus manual active at all times.
Nice vid Ron ! Keep it up. I have a question though. I have found that many a times, the R5 shows that it is focused on the subject, but when zoomed in it clearly is out of focus. Any reason why this could be happening? This i have experienced in Masai Mara, while shooting both animals and birds. P>S: I am new to wildlife photography and would really like to sort this issue out. Thanks!
Thank you for this! What I don’t understand is when you press the two buttons to activate spot Focus, you can’t control where that point is - is that right? It just stays in the middle?
Informative video, thanks! But, :-p I suggest you switch the last two around. The middle button is spot, that way I don't have to push any other button to get it to work (I can also toggle between other focus point methods, but don't). The right button is my Eye AI button. I have the left button set up for a zone. I rarely use the left button.
Thank you. Have a few questions. First. When asking AEL button is there away to assign it focus but not meter? Second, how do I get AEL * to inherit the AF method setting you have selected instead of going to the one set in the INFO menu?
Focusing and meter start are a combo, so there is not a way that I know of to have AF start without metering start. To get the * button to use the AF method you have selected in the AF menu, which can also be achieved via the AF Select Button, or say the Control Ring as I have it set, you used the custom button setting for the * button of Metering and AF Start. Hope this helps.
Great suggestions, Ron! Can you comment on what functionality you have for your front/rear command dials and the Quick control dial that circles the Set button. Thanks!
I shoot full manual exposure, so I have my front dial by the shutter button set to control Shutter Speed, the rear dial around the mode button to set aperture, and the thumb wheel around the set button to control ISO. Thanks for the comment.
In automatic mode eye af stays on after pressing the shutter button. In all other modes you have to keep pressing the eye focus button. It would be great if there was a way to let this work in the same way as in automatic mode: staying 'on' after one press
Hi from Denmark:) and thank you a lot for those videos🙏🏼 I have a question, hope it’s ok I am also bif photographer, amateur, and have a problem. Birds eye, view finder. Set the camera on infinity- find the bird, push the back button- and the bird disappear. Is like it can’t find the bird in the sky, to small maybe? But it become totally blurry. It’s when I try to catch a falcon comming towards me it never gets sharp in focus- even when it gets close. It’s the R5 with the 100-500mm. I am sure it’s me, but what’s wrong? Hope it’s ok, and thank you
Hi thanks for these setting, they're really great. Just one question, If i'm on animal eye tracking using bbf and the animal is running towards me, do I keep my thumb on the button all the time whilst taking the shots, so as to keep it in focus
I have similar setup, but I do Single Point for AF-On, Eye AF set to * Button, and if i hold DOF button, I get Zone AF. I find reaching to that far right button for me is too awkward. I have that set to my AI Servo / One shot toggle instead. I shoot Aperture Priority alot, so I got my control ring for Exposure Comp, so I can roll it with my left hand as I still take photos/hold the AF button on my right hand. So I can be adjusting my exposure more quickly/easily while taking photos and not have to let go of shutter or AF button otherwise.
I keep coming back to your video after I go out shooting and I have trouble with my auto focusing. I might have misunderstood some of your settings while watching. First, I use the R6 but it looks like the menus are the same as the R5. I have set the AF-On button to 'eye detection AF', the * set to 'Metering and AF start' with the Detail set left to their default (-) (do you change this?). I set the AF point button to 'register/recall shooting func' with the 'detail set' to AF method to spot AF, tracking sensitivity to -2, accel/decel tracking to +2, AF operation to On (this from another of your videos). Now, the only thing that is different with your settings from what I was using already, is the 3rd button; I did not use it for a focus mode. Under settings, I have AF operation set to Servo Mode and AF method set to Spot AF. When I have an eye visible, I use the AF-On to catch the eye. It does not work often, especially when a small bird is on a tree branch. Even though it is on a branch, there is bright sunlight on the bird and no branches covering the bird. The camera will focus on the branches on another shorter bush that is between me and the tree the bird is on (foreground) or branches on the same tree. I then manually turn on the L-tracking, and the eye detect (AF-On button) works better; but, I do get better results when using spot AF in this scenario. If I use the L-tracking and then use the * button, it still tracks and that was not what I always wanted. I want this to stay as spot with servo mode. I think this is where your 3rd button comes into play? So, my question is, do you have to manually change the AF method when using the AF-On button and * button? Do you always use L-tracking or sometimes only the eye detect mode? I understand that you change the 'detail set' for the AF point button (3rd button) to spot, so I assume the spot will not be overridden by the L-tracking, if you turn that on? Or will it? Also, what is the difference between your 2nd button from the 1st? Is the second button only if you want to track (if you have L-tracking on) but do NOT want the eye detect on? You would still need to manually set the AF method? I hope you get the gist of my questions and they're not too dumb. I am really struggling with the auto-focus out in the field.
Jane, the best thing to do is to call me and we can go over all of this. It is too difficult to try and figure out all this via text here. email me at ron@whistlingwingsphotography.com with your telephone number and I will give you a call when I get a free moment one of these evenings and we can go over this. Ron
There is an update to this setup where you do not need to push both buttons at the same time. Please see this video for the update: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JFZ0J27zSI4.html Thanks.
When using the back button focus method, if you use the AF-ON button as if it were half press shutter button,must you hold the AF-ON button in to lock the focus? Thank you.
Hi Ron. Did you test also combination of: where left is eye detection, middle: AF, right: single shot/servo, dof: AF spot and LCD panel: AF method? I struggle with my lens (AF lags behind and overall loss of details at long range) but this buttons give me everything. I also often leave AF to shutter release cause it should be overrided when pressing back buttons.
Richard, for an update on how I set up the 3 back buttons for AF see this video and also read the note regarding this set up in the Description for that video. Here the link: studio.ru-vid.comJFZ0J27zSI4/edit
When focusing on a birds eye as it starts flying do you then press continuously on the back button AF with eye detection or does the camera lock on the eyes during that initial focus and maintain that lock as you follow the bird?
This is the question I've just asked, when I try it with a dog running towards me it seems to go out of focus if i don't keep my thumb on the bbf button. Did you solve this problem Avibend?
@@carlgreen1550 I have solved this but it goes against most of the instructions I’ve read. I use back button focus and have to press continuously and of course servo mode. But- I still keep the existing shutter full function. I use the initial half shutter press to initiate the auto focus and eye tracking. Then I use the back button focus to take over the focus and tracking. I then take the shot by pressing the shutter using the optical 20 fps. Works for me. Thanks.
I did not assign a specific zone to the asterisk button. I assigned AF-ON to the button and set the specific zone via the method I set up to change my AF methods. For me that is the control ring on the lens. I use it to scroll through all the different AF methods the camera has available. I generally leave it set to the square zone. Thus, when I press the asterisk button I get the square zone AF method. I hope this helps.
Hi Ron, I followed your setting for the 3 back bottons. The first two worked fine, but the third one (the right one doesn't work at all even if I press the second one first followed by the third one. It is wired and I couldn't figure it out. Anyone knows this?
Please follow these instructions to get the 3 back buttons working like I now have them set up. in your AF1 menu set things up as I have them in the first attached image (IMG_3741). Then, in the Customize Buttons set the Shutter butt. Half-press to Metering Start only (IMG_3742). Also in the Customize Buttons menu set the * button to Metering and AF Start (IMG_3743). Then set your main AF method to Zone using whatever method you have set up for changing your main AF method. For the AF-ON button, again in the Customize Buttons menu, set it to Eye Detection AF (IMG_3742). For the AF Point Selection Button (the button right of the * button), again in the Customize Buttons menu, set it to Register/recall shooting func. (IMG_3743). When you are in the Register /recall Shooting func submenu hit the INFO button on the bottom left of the screen to go another menu deeper. In the menu that comes up you will be able to check or uncheck boxes next to several shooting functions (see IMG_3744). Uncheck all of them except AF Method, AF Operation, Tracking Sensitivity, and Accel./decel. Tracking. You want those checked (see attached image 3744). Then, while still in the Register/recall Shooting Function menu, select the AF Method and set it to “Spot.” (see IMG_3745) Under AF Operation make sure it is set to ON. Set the Tracking Sensitivity and Accel./Decel. Tracking like I show in the attached image (3744). Once you are done with all this set up you will have the AF-ON button set to Eye Detect, the * button set to Zone, and the AF Point Selection Button set to Spot. So, if you want spot AF all you have to do is press the back AF Point Selection Button and you get just the center AF point to focus with. No squares grabbing some other area of the frame. Of course, you can change the AF method that the * button initiates just by choosing a different main AF Method such as expanded horizontal or vertical zone, single AF point, single AF point with surround points, etc. Give this set up a try. I think you will like it. Link to referenced images: ronaldbielefeld.smugmug.com/R5-menu-settings-for-AF-button-set-up/ Cheers, Ron
Hi , thanks for the video. I am experiencing lock-up issues with my R5 using the CFexpress card. A couple of times a day the camera freezes and i have to remove the batterys to restart. Have you had the same issue?
@@philfyphil Hi, yes i have seen that. I seem to be having issues even when only using the faster cfexpress cards. My R5 is an early one, and i have read reports of some other owners of early versions having a circuit board replaced which fixed the problem together with improving AF performance. I'll contact Canon on Monday to discuss.
It may also be associated with use of the mechanical shutter when used in a slower mode than H+. Does it ever happen when using another shutter type such as electronic? If not that may be the glitch
This video was not about the control ring. I happen to use it to change AF Methods, but you can program different ways to change among AF methods, so getting into specifics about the control ring did not seem warranted. The video was already approaching 15 minutes long and making it longer than needed is not a great thing usually.
My BBF set up at the moment is AF-ON button, * button, and AF point Selection button, are set to Eye AF, Zone AF, and Spot AF, respectively. I go among them by pressing the appropriate button.
Your video really gives me a lot of insight into the R5 Back Button Focus, really love it. I have the followin questions: 1. In your R5 extreme birds in flight, I found that you have the different back button focus button from this video, which is a little bit confusing. Can you advise what is your final setting? Also in BBF AF Video/Exteme bird in flight video you talk about tweaking/not tweaking the tracking sensivity and tracking acc/deacc. It seems to have conflicting point of view. Can you elaborate on It 2. For BBF, my understanding is that if the bird is still and remain on the focus plain, I only need to press once on the back button ONCE, and if it is bird in flight, I need to press the back button ALL THE TIME to continue focusing on the bird. Is this understanding Right or Wrong? This has bothering me since I shoot bird using my 5D Mark IIII, so seldom use it. (thinking what is the point of pressing two buttons while shooting still bird) 3. If I still keep the deault function for the shutter button (metering and focus) then have BBF active, which one will take precedence over the other. My own thougt is that if doing this: The shutter will override the BBF as it will always be pressed last when you taking the picture and it invalidate all the meaning/function of BBF Thank you for the great video. It does help a lot.
My BBF set up at the moment is AF-ON button, * button, and AF point Selection button, are set to Eye AF, Zone AF, and Spot AF, respectively, I have my Tracking Sensitivity set all the way to the negative, and Accel/decel all the way to the positive. This is working very well for me. Yes, for static birds you press the BB only until you get focus then you let go and shoot. For BIF you press the BB until you get focus lock and then hold it down as you shoot as this keeps the Servo focus engaged and tracking the bird. To me it makes no sense to have BBF set up and keep half-press of the shutter button also set to initiate AF. If you do this, then the scenario for shooting static birds with the BBF and only pressing once and then being able to recompose and shoot without the camera refocusing is negated because when you go to take an image and go past half-press the camera will refocus when you don't want it to. For me it is either BBF or half-press not both. Hope this clears things up. Cheers,
@@whistlingwingsphotography Your explanation really help me a lot. To share with you, I have assigned the M-fn to switch among M, C1, C2, C3. (by restricting focus method not using other focus point). I can switch quickly among C1/C2/C3 and M by using different ISO, aperture, shutter speed which means I will have 4 different setting while shooting action/wildlife. also I assign crop to DOF button, but I doubt very much I will be using it. Tks for your reply, it helps me a lot
I don't use exposure lock, never have needed to given the way I shoot, so changing the function of the AEL button does not affect my shooting. If you do use it there are a myriad of ways to set up multiple AF buttions. This video just showed one possible method.
