I just purchased an R6 and I'm so excited! Considering I'm coming from a Rebel T5, this is a huge upgrade. I'm ready to take my photography from a sometimes buisness to a full time buisness! :) Keep the R6 videos coming, you're one of my favorite people to learn from. You explain things in a way that resonates with me, and that I can remember in real life situations.
Another cool setting that utilizes the touch and drag: Go to AF menu #5. The first option "Initial Servo AF pt for (face). Change that from AUTO to the top option. This allows you to drag a box to your subject and it will then track that face/eye only. With using AUTO you get the issues you had described of the camera wanting to track people that aren't necessarily your subject.
thank you! hoping this eliminates the issue where it will be tracking the correct subject and then at the worst time flip to something completely not the subject! thanks!
as a female wedding photographer, i only consistently watch your videos to learn more about my business, how to build confidence, how to better my work and general motivation. So grateful for women like you that cater to us
I can’t tell you how helpful this was. As someone who loved to be in control and was just not loving this camera, I am now feeling so much better about it. I love that I can choose when to use eye detection a lot easier now. Thank you so much for this.
Hi! May I ask which AF mode are you in when you can just switch between eye detecting AF and touch&drag? I find that when I'm in face detection mode the touch and drag function is not that great. I'm dragging an orange circle, not a square and it's not that accurate, I hate it :( But if I switch to the one point mode where I drag a square the touch&drag function works perfectly well but I loose the eye detection option. Eye detection doesn't work in one point AF mode... Which one do you use? If the first one, are you satisfied with dragging the orange circle? Does it work well for you? Maybe I'm missing something here or doing it the wrong way? Thank you :)
Thank you for the video. I have the R6 and love it but use it almost exclusively for real estate photography. Every now and then I get "volunteered" for other types of photography because my real estate photograph is so good. People often assume if you can do one type of photography well, you can do all types of photography well. That sends me to RU-vid for helpful videos. Your video was helpful in learning more AF settings. Thank you!
I can't tell you how helpful this has been for me today, been having a problem with eye tracking when the Bride walks up the aisle. I will try this in the future.
FINALLY! A credible-knowledgable-youtuber that isnt BASHING the Canon R6 Mark ii. lol I Just bought one I absolutely LOVE it and I've been wanting to learn how to use it more effectively. So glad I found your channel. Just subscribed. Thank you for sharing what you know!
Katelyn...the eye-tracking customization on the * button was a great idea!!! I paused the video so I could program mine right away. I can't believe I never thought to do that so thank you!!
I have 24 hours to learn the R6 coming from Olympus and this video helped me so much. My mind was swirling with all the new autofocus stuff and you have unlocked some real power moves for me. Thank you!!
Hey! Have you figured out your AF settings yet? I'm really confused how to customise the star button function on the Canon R6. I'm looking to shoot constantly using back button focusing, using eye tracking most of the time and every so often switching the eye tracking off. I have changed my settings in the menu, but it still seems to be using eye tracking with both options. Do you know and how I can fix this?
@@LisaLewis-i9l I had to give the body back so I don’t have it to reference but yes I was able to customize the star button to drop eye focus. But what I most often did was bring my right thumb to the screen to scrub focus to get the shot.
All great input! Thanks so much!!! I modified your old “top right” choice to “right side” so the touch and drag would work when shooting with the battery grip in the vertical position. Love ya! B y e !!! 🤣
Omg, THANK YOU for this video! I was missing shots and losing images due to not understand how to control of my focus points! You changed the game for me!
You are easy to understand as you have a clear voice for those hard of hearing problems. Don't talk to fast like some either ! Thanks for your videos !!!
Been a entry level photographer for a while now, and just got the R6 MKII and it is different than some of the options on my R5C so found this video. A few thoughts as I watch along. Touch and drag: It is faster than the joystick, but I personally had to turn it off as all the time my face would touch the screen while shooting and move my AF point. Something I saw on the R6 messing around today is full frame servo and it seems to let me start my AF point anywhere and then track it as I hold focus, allowing me to reframe as a maybe even faster alternative to click and drag to get a non center focus point. I also changed up the buttons on the back, a variation of what you use. I am setup for back button focus so no focus from the shutter. AF on Button is focus and regular focus mode, next button is spot focus and AF, and then the third is eye focus. So I have all 3 main focus modes at a press of a button that I need to use based on a situation, I did have an single/servo button but now I just live in servo mode I have not found any disadvantage of leaving it in that mode.
Shortly upgrading from my old 6D. It's been such a simple & reliable tool to use. Been hearing about how many autofocus things there are to learn with R6. But I've learned a little already from this video. Many thanks.
I just watched this again for the fourth time in two months and it's true: I think I love you. Thanks! ALL of these settings should be default when they ship the Rs.
I too use the Star and Grid buttons for types of autofocus. I just learned that I can program C1,C2, and C3 to have different back button autofocus modes. I use C1 for street and general photography. C2 for groups of people like weddings and events. C3 is for my landscape photography. To keep it clear in my head, I just pretend I'm switching out to a duplicate backup camera meant for X job. So My C1 camera is street photography.. Then my C2 camera is my Wedding photography. Then C3 Landscape work camera. Simple!
@@KatelynJames Hello, I just gave myself an early Christmas present. I have used Canon all my life. My last was 7D. Now I want to learn how to use this R6. Where can I find all your courses? Thank you Jackie McNeel
One thing that made a massive difference in my ability to accurately utilize eye detect to lock onto my main subject in groups/crowds was ensuring that the “Initial Servo AF pt for [Live Tracking]” (AF Menu 5) is set to “AF pt set for [spot].” With this setup, I’m able to put the small spot focus point (or even the expanded spot options) on my main subject’s face then activate Eye AF with the designated back button focus button and the camera will lock onto my subject’s eye or face. Conversely, I found that when I tried using “Initial AF pt set for [Live Tracking], the camera would completely ignore my spot AF point and chose to lock onto whichever random eye the camera thought was the right one. It’s also useful to use AF Case 2 with the “Tracking Sensitivity” set to -2 and adjust the “Switching Tracked Subjects” (AF Menu 4) to 0.
"I used to focus and then compose, now I compose and then focus" - such a simple switch, and yet I couldn't get my head around this concept until now. Of course I'm having issues, I've been trying to focus as if it's a 5D. Arrrrgh thank you!
I haven’t even watched the video yet but feel more relaxed just reading the title!! I literally was contemplating selling my R6 my husband got me for Christmas becuz I am hating it so much right now. I cannot for the life of me figure out the autofocus and missed SO MANY once in a lifetime shots this week of my daughter. I wish I had used my D750 with my back button focus that I love. I am hoping this video is the key. Thank you before I even watch it, feeling less discouraged.
Mary, the R6 is a great camera with an awesome focus system! I will give you some pointers that are a little different from this video. Maybe try both and see which one you like best. These are my settings that I feel are easier to use. > Leave the AF operation on SERVO AF the whole time. It doesn't matter if your subject is still, just leave it on SERVO even if you are shooting still subjects. (Don't do this on DSLRs though). Be sure to Disable Continuous AF in the AF Menu (first page). > I customized my AF-ON button to activate Eye Detection AF. > * is set to Metering and AF start. I use this to focus on still subjects that are not people. > I use the Multi-controller (joystick) to direct my AF point selection. If I am shooting people, I make sure my focusing box is around the person I want to focus on and then press the AF-ON button to lock on their eyes (SUPER IMPORTANT... especially in wedding processionals). My AF method is usually set to "Expand AF area: Around" because it gives me a good area to tell which face/eyes I should focus on. Very rarely I go to 1-point AF. If for some reason I can't lock in on someone's eyes, and it's focusing on someone else that I don't want to, I use the * button.
@@KatelynJames Okay, after watching this video at least 5 times and stop/going thru my settings over and over, I think I'm starting to get it. Btw I did decide to keep my R6 (happy hubby) and am a LITTLE less frustrated! practice helps. QUESTION tho - does your zoom lens constantly go in and out (trying to focus) when the camera is on but you're not actually taking a picture? Like when I'm looking at the LCD screen, the lens is constantly in/out.....mostly worried that it'll wear out the lens motor thingy (besides wearing down battery faster). I need that constant searching of the zoom to stahppp!! :-) TIA!
@@joelhernandez2469 So when I point at a subject, press my AF-ON button to engage the "AF-ON button Metering & AF Start", I focus on subject and then go to recompose, but camera changes focus as I recompose. How do I stop that? I think I'm asking how I can focus recompose without it changing focus?
Thank you thank you thank you for making this video! I switched from a DSLR to a canon mirrorless and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out my optimal auto focus settings. I was having the same issues you described, but these combinations changed the game! ✨
Another further optimization of your setup: Go to AF menu # 1 and set "AF Operation" to "SERVO AF". Then you don't need to use the button on the far right of the back to switch between SERVO and One Shot, since the AF-ON and *-button now works as both Servo and One Shot, at the same time. How? To use the Servo function, press and hold the AF-ON button. To use One shot, press the AF-ON button once to find focus, and when the button is released the focus is locked. To refresh focus, just press and release the button again. This works in the same way for eye-tracking on the *-button.
Do note that one-shot is still different and generally a bit faster, plus in Servo you get no feedback that focus was acquired. Personally I configured AF-On to use Servo (press Info in the button configuration to specify additional settings, super useful), keep it in one shot otherwise and use touch AF for one-shot.
Omg I shoot a lot of stage productions and I love the accuracy eye tracking "can" provide, but like you experienced, it has a mind of its own. Using a custom button to enable/disable is such a great idea. Heading inside right now to set it up!
I recently watched a video with Rudy Winston of Canon. He said that "1-point AF", "Expand AF area", and "Expand AF area: Around" all use the same size AF point. The only difference between the three is if the camera cannot determine a focus point, it will go outside of the initial point to either 4 or 9 points to try and obtain a focus. The second two AF settings do not focus on a larger area as most of us think.
Nice video..informational. I shoot only in EyeAF during entire wedding. In Eye-AF also, you can change the person to focus on the eye by touch & drag or using joystick. I dont change the focus mode to single point unless and until the subject is not a human being :)
Thank you. I found this video very helpful. Although I do not own an R6, recently I bought an R5 and I have been struggling with the autofocus system ever since. It is not that the autofocus options are overwhelming. The problem I find is that the camera has a perverse ability to focus on any subject other than the one I want it to focus on. One by one I have been disabling autofocus features in the hope that it will give me control of the camera and allow me to choose where the focus point should be. I have even been tempted to send the camera back to the shop and go back to my 5D mk4, but your advice to give it time is particularly valuable and I think I might start adopting some of the more automatic auto focus features when I have learned how to control them properly. The first time I used my R5 most of the automated features were enabled, which was very frustrating as it made the camera do unexpected things. The manual does not explain clearly how the camera decides what to focus on - for example when Subject to Detect is set to No Priority the manual says that "The camera determines the main subject automatically from the subject information detected." What is that supposed to mean? Why can't the camera just do what the photographer tells it to do and stop trying to make its own decisions about what it thinks it should focus on?
Thank you for that perspective. I live my R6. After a year I am still not super competent with it. I have missed shots during a wedding because of my settings. I used my 90D as a life preserver. I am in a better place now. Occasionally the R6 tech our smarts me. Thanks for sharing
This video was incredibly helpful for me! I own an R6 and am personally still struggling to find my go-to AF settings. Like you, I want to utilize eye-tracking, but drop it when the occasion doesn't call for it. Your tips were incredibly helpful! Your honesty about how it took you almost 2 years is so refreshing and empowering for me to hear, knowing that it is a learning process... and sometimes we're on a shoot (like your wedding example!) when we're learning. So THANK YOU for being real about still learning, even as a professional!
Thank you for your video. I own an R5 but need to help out a friend with her R6 so was interested in your primer. She’s coming from a 5DIV I believe and focus modes I think will be her big challenge and she has not used any back-button focus so I think that is her first hurtle. Take care.
Thanks for all the tips. RE: Touch and Drag Autofocus The problem is not the size of ones nose, but which eye you shoot with. For right eye shooters it may not be a problem, but for left eye shooters (like me) I found it pretty much unusable Especially in portrait mode. I find it difficult to get my finger onto the screen at all, while Im looking through the view finder. Thats currently with the EOS-R, but I think it is similar with the R6 (on my wish list).
Great video! I use AF-ON for back button AF, and * to cycle focus modes. I have all of the other AF modes disabled so the * button only switches between single point and eye AF (the AF is so good that you don't even need the other modes!).
Hi Katelyn, have you dug into the Q button? I haven't seen it on your reviews yet for the R6, but it's crazy handy! You don't have to go into the camera menu to make these major changes, just hit Q and it's a mini menu. Of course the other custom buttons you mentioned like the * are going to be the fastest, but wanted to mention Q.
Seriously you blew my mind with these, and so appreciated that you shared an updated video. I was also a hater on eye-tracking but the way you mentioned "you don't have to be married to it" I know feel like giving it a second try :)
I have the R5, so not sure if it applies, but what helped me most in the eye-focus was having servo on, and change initial servo AF to spot, not face/eye detect. This way it starts with spot focusing (I choose the subject or recompose after the spot focusing point detects the eye). This made it much faster, no need to switch between modes, and if your autofocus settings are set to sticky, it will keep tracking the subject. Doesn't work as good with distances, but for a group of 6-8 people it's perfect for me.
I got now an R6 coming from the first R, and I personally like an AF mode that gives a square starting point that goes back to the center when I lift the finger of the shutter button. It's a setting called Pt Starting point, using this method I find I have more control over the AF
I have always used the * button for switching between SERVO & ONE SHOT but I'll definitely utilize the button to the right of it to switch to AF eye tracking so thank you.
I was one of those people that loved the eye af right from the start. And I was using the touch screen to compose my Af point when I was in one shot mode. I have my set up different than you but I actually love what the tip of reconfiguring the buttons to make some things faster. Hmmm. Won’t try it this though yet.. I have a wedding Saturday and im comfortable with my own way still don’t want to use the wedding as my trial run. Lol. Thank you so much I learn a lot from you.
Hi Katelyn! Love your videos! Could you just go a *little* slower when you're going through the menus on the back of the camera? It's impossible to follow along and make the adjustments without having to constantly pause the video, back it up, etc. I've had to stop and google a few things that weren't explained, and I'd love to keep you as my "one stop shop"! :)
Thank you once again! My previous camera bodies were the 5D4 and 5D3, but I recently added a R6. Your KJ Preset Process has been incredibly useful to me. I'm a event shooter and for my clients including portrait shots are critical but having to transition quickly back while keeping focus "on point" was a pain. The Orientation link tip and autofocus feature have been a game changer.I really appreciate your Videos, Presets and processes!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I have only recently purchased the R6 mk2 4 days ago so I'm on a massive learning curve but one I'm so looking forward to 😊
Thanks for the excellent R6 lesson, Katelyn. I've been using similar settings, tied to the C1 mode, taught by Michael the Maven, for bird photography. I also ran into the changing the shutter speed into the "too slow" mode issue when shooting my son's soccer games, as the passing clouds changed the amount of available light during high speed bursts. Because of the need for a fast shutter and consistent aperture, I ended up going to auto ISO, which did a fine job for the circumstances.
I have the same setting for AF buttons. I use also the front button (next to the lens) for AF spot and the light button for Quick changing the AF modes.
I love the touch and drag feature! No other camera system has an equivalent feature. As for accidentally touching it, you can set the zone where the touch and drag works. For example if you use type left eye, I would suggest putting the touch and drag area on the left side side your face will be touching the right side. The only issue then is since you're using your left finger to drag, you have to take your hand off the lens. If you're a right eye shooter put the touch and drag area on the right side of the screen.
Umm, not true actually... My little Olympus EM10 Mark ii allows me to move the focus point, whilst eye to the viewfinder. Granted, not as many focus points and lacking the sophistication of recent super cameras, but it works. Not an Oly fan boy here, but they have had a lot of features these newer Companies that have been transitioning to Mirrorless, claim.
My personal take on the Eye AF is a little different. Because I never liked back button focus for regular shooting, especially combined with touch & drag. Why would I use the thumb to move the focus point, then use it to activate the focus, use the index to shoot, rinse and repeat. So I used touch & drag but engaged focus with the shutter to leave my thumb where it already is. With the R6 now I have a seperate button for eye AF when I want that and so far I haven't noticed a single time that the shutter button threw off that extra Eye AF button.
I do concert photography and just bought: 2 x R6 RF 15-35mm 2.8 RF 28-70mm 2.0 RF 70-200 2.8 Your video have helped me a ton migrating from the 5DIV. And I'm also broke now and begging for change on the street lol.
