EOS R for Birds in Flight

[Bert63]

On my 5D series, I have C3, C2, C1 programmed to be sticky on my standard settings for BIF, backlit and normal perched birds, and M and Av or Tv for more immediate changes, and use muscle memory to flick through. You should be able to click and expand the images here. I download the more interesting ones to look at.

Ugh. Have to find a better way to reduce for uploading. Compared to my hard copies here those look terrible... hehehe..

Your 5D4 is the masked assassin of BIFs man. I used to love my 7D2 and the 10FPS but the auto-focus on the 5D4, for me, hit so much better.

Muscle memory? At my age senility is more the concern. I'm happy with normal memory.

Thanks for the warm welcome - it's appreciated.

 

[Bert63]

And Alan - just wanted to drop this here - seemed as good a place as any - you take some amazing photos my man. Great equipment (which you have) is useless unless you know how to use it.

Nicely done.

 

[AlanF]

And Alan - just wanted to drop this here - seemed as good a place as any - you take some amazing photos my man. Great equipment (which you have) is useless unless you know how to use it.

Nicely done.

Thank you!

 

[unfocused]

My opinion/experience, your mileage may vary.

The R can have a very hard time acquiring focus. Once it gets focused, it does a good job of tracking, but I've missed a lot of unexpected opportunities because it can't find the subject. When it misses focus, it misses by a mile and when it does acquire focus, it can be slow to do so. This is true not only with BIF, but with stationary portraits as well. I've shot tons of head shots for sports teams and there are times when it just totally can't focus on the subject and I have to manually focus the shot in order to "help" it acquire the focus. I've never had that happen with a DSLR.

This is a shot from last summer at Gulf Shores, Alabama. You can see that when it works, it works well. But, it needs to be more reliable. I'm hoping that the R5 will address some of these issues.

 

[Bert63]

My opinion/experience, your mileage may vary.

The R can have a very hard time acquiring focus. Once it gets focused, it does a good job of tracking, but I've missed a lot of unexpected opportunities because it can't find the subject. When it misses focus, it misses by a mile and when it does acquire focus, it can be slow to do so. This is true not only with BIF, but with stationary portraits as well. I've shot tons of head shots for sports teams and there are times when it just totally can't focus on the subject and I have to manually focus the shot in order to "help" it acquire the focus. I've never had that happen with a DSLR.

This is a shot from last summer at Gulf Shores, Alabama. You can see that when it works, it works well. But, it needs to be more reliable. I'm hoping that the R5 will address some of these issues.

View attachment 188734

Which lens are you having this issue with?

99 percent of the time I have the 100-400 II with a 1.4 III on my EOS-R. I had a bit of an issue like you describe and I solved it by not being fully zoomed when acquiring the subject. With a max of 560mm, I usually roll back to 250-300mm until the focus snaps in, the roll back in tight, usually to 560, and things work out okay.

I won't even try to lie - both my 5D4 and 7D2, for me, destroy the EOS-R in terms of acquisition, but I still don't have a 'problem' with the EOS-R. the above technique works for me when the problem happens, but for me it doesn't happen that often.

My missed opportunities are usually self-created.

 

[mikekeck]

On my 5D series, I have C3, C2, C1 programmed to be sticky on my standard settings for BIF, backlit and normal perched birds, and M and Av or Tv for more immediate changes, and use muscle memory to flick through. You should be able to click and expand the images here. I download the more interesting ones to look at.

AlanF (and anyone else): what are your standard focus tracking settings on a 5D for BIF? I have a 5D iv and I am terrible at BIF, so it must be my settings, right?

 

[Cog]

AlanF (and anyone else): what are your standard focus tracking settings on a 5D for BIF? I have a 5D iv and I am terrible at BIF, so it must be my settings, right?

5D m4 has an excellent AF and tracking capability. If your hands are firm enough, you should have no issues with focusing and tracking BIF. You may want to read some tutorials on AF settings for birding. There are quite a few of them on-line.

 

[AlanF]

AlanF (and anyone else): what are your standard focus tracking settings on a 5D for BIF? I have a 5D iv and I am terrible at BIF, so it must be my settings, right?

I use central 9 points, shutter 1/3200-1/4000, f as wide as poss and iso to match all set to manual using sunny 16 rule if light is good etc. And, then I pan those points. The tracking settings etc are all standard. I can't be fagged to do anything more complex and my keeper rate is high.

 

[Bert63]

AlanF (and anyone else): what are your standard focus tracking settings on a 5D for BIF? I have a 5D iv and I am terrible at BIF, so it must be my settings, right?

Known targets where movement is predictable = center point only, or center plus 4 surrounds.

Smaller or fast movers = center plus 8 surrounds

Playing around? Full tracking with special tweaks for focal point handoffs etc..

I also have the multi-function bar on the EOS-R set to cycle through my chosen focal points so I have that option to switch when need be.

Shutter is usually 2000 - 3200 depending.

 

[Pape]

Not very sharp picture but something. at least RP worked ok for this bird. Still no migration birds here.
EF 70-300mm 5,6