The eye recognition autofocus included in Canon’s most recent EOS Mirrorless cameras is one of the features that really stand out. The following is a quick guide that will walk you through the process of configuring your R5 so that you can take use of all of this capability and make your camera more versatile in the vast majority of shooting situations.
Focus on the Back Button
Utilizing the Back Button Focus is essential to the success of this strategy (BBF). If you’re not familiar with it, this is a style of shooting in which you remove the focus from the shutter button and rely on the AF ON button on the back of the camera to allow autofocus. If you’re not familiar with it, this method of shooting is called “back button focusing.”
As a result of separating these operations, you will not see an improvement in the sharpness of the focus on the photographs you take; nevertheless, you will notice a reduction in the number of focus mistakes, and you will observe that it is a more efficient method to use your camera.
You will also be able to utilize two entirely distinct techniques of focusing without having to enter the settings menu when you employ the approaches that are described in this post. Once you get the hang of it, you may wonder why you didn’t start using BBF earlier because it may take some time to get used to in the beginning.
How to Get It Ready to Go
- Let’s get started under the pink menu labeled auto-focus (AF).
- In tab 1, make sure the settings for the following are correct:
- SERVO functionality of the AF system
- AF technique – AF (square)
- Detectable only if a person or animal is present; automobiles are not included.
- Check to ensure that the Initial Servo AF pt setting in tab 5 is set to AUTO.
- We are going to customize your buttons now, so make sure you are on tab 3 and navigate to the custom functions menu (it’s orange).
- To begin, give the Shutter button a half-press. This will cause the metering to start setting to be activated.
After that, the Eye Detection AF will be assigned to the AF-ON Button on your camera. It is important to note that while this approach demonstrates utilizing the AF-ON button for eye focus and the AE Lock (*) button for point focus, the functions of these two buttons may really be switched around if that is more convenient for you.
The next step is to configure the AE Lock button such that it initiates metering and AF start. Notice that there is a Detail set button located on the bottom of the screen now. Press the INFO button located to the right of the LCD screen to set details and verify that the AF operation is set to SERVO. The AF method should be set to a mode that you are comfortable with for a non-face, whether it be a point style or a zone style, and set Servo AF characteristics to the method that best suits you. I would be constantly chasing AF instances if I didn’t use Auto, and I’ve noticed that on the R5, Auto seems to manage the adjustments pretty well. Because I shoot so many diverse circumstances, I find that Auto is the best setting to utilize.
- Make sure that the autofocus technique is set to the one that you choose, but DO NOT select Face Detect (the second option on the top row).
- Make sure that the autofocus technique is set to the one that you choose, but DO NOT select Face Detect (the second option on the top row).
Everyone uses the Custom Menu in their own unique way; however, I do make sure to register the Format card, Subject to detect, and Shutter mode in this section because these are the three options that I use the most often.
Verifying a few items in your “Q” menu is the final stage in this process. Verify the following elements by pressing the Q button, which may be found to the right of the LCD display:
- In the top-left corner, the mode that should be selected is AF (square), not Face detect.
- Immediately below that, you ought to find the word SERVO.
Lastly, instructions on how to apply this strategy
You are now ready to take a picture, eye detection, and you will push and hold the AF-ON button for the duration of the time that you are focusing on your subject. Be sure that the topic that you want is selected, and that the blue box remains in the subject’s eye. You have the option of pulling off or AF-ON and using the joystick to change the topic. When you do this, you will see the white box hop from eye to eye and head to head.
Then, when you want to focus on a surface or an item or whatever that it can’t locate an eye for, you transfer your thumb to the * button, which is now set to a single point. When you do this, you can focus on whatever you want.
You are now able to work with two different techniques of focusing without having to go into the settings; nevertheless, regardless of whatever method you select, you must constantly remain holding down that focus button since you are in SERVO mode. In the Q menu, you have the option to modify the behavior of the * button such that it only does ONE SHOT autofocus.