topic Re: Canon R5 AF in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

EOS R5 AF won't detect eyes, faces come out soft

R1985 — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 13:34:42 GMT

I bought the R5 in January and always felt the focus hasn't been right. I have been going back to using my 5D Mkiii instead but recently have been trying to get to the bottom of the issue. I am using it with an adapter and (mainly) a 35mm Sigma Art lens, but I have tried with a Canon EF lens too.

When I use servo, the focus isn't on the eyes, despite using people tracking and eye detection. When I use One Shot (with 1 AF point in the middle of the frame, no tracking or eye detect), I have been trying to use it in the same way as I used my DSLR. I would use the middle focus point, lock the focus on the face by half pressing the shutter button and then reframe so the face is no longer in the middle of the frame, before fully pressing the shutter button. I have never had issue with this on my DSLR - the place where I locked the focus (the face), is always in focus. This isn't working on the R5 though, and the face always ends up soft. I feel like the focus isn't locking and so it focuses on the middle of the frame instead, but the face is no longer there so this is no good. The manual says that I should be able to do this - it says "When you press the shutter button halfway, the camera will focus only once. When focus is achieved, the AF point will turn green and the beeper will sound. The focus remains locked while you hold down the shutter button halfway, allowing you to recompose the image before taking the picture" - this reads to me like I should be able to use the same technique I have done for years. I have sent my camera to Canon who found no fault, however the man who tested it told me he wasn't a specialist and that I should phone the helpdesk instead - he said he thinks maybe my shutter speed was too slow (it was 1/500). So I called the helpdesk but I have just been repeatedly asked why I would want to do that when I could just use a different focus point, which doesn't really help me answer my concern. He is also suggesting that its not a thing that mirrorless cameras can do because of chips etc, but I feel the manual says otherwise? My question is, should I not be able to do this? Am I missing something? I am in the UK, for context.

Re: Canon R5 AF

Waddizzle — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 18:13:16 GMT

Sorry to hear that you are experiencing issues with your new camera. Did you purchase the original R5 or the R5 Mark II? I ask because the cameras have similar, but slightly different, AF features.

Are you trying to capture action photos? No one can advise you until they understand what you’re doing.

Have you checked to see where your locked AF point is located?

I no longer focus and recompose in One Shot AF mode with my R6ii. I use Servo AF with Whole Area Tracking enabled. I first acquire a focus lock on the subject. As I recompose the shot, a focus lock remains on the subject.

Metering is another issue. I use Evaluative Metering and make sure that I have an active and locked AF point on the subject. Meeting both conditions will cause the camera metering to be biased to the AF point, instead of from the center of the frame.

Re: Canon R5 AF

R1985 — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 18:40:18 GMT

Thank you for your reply! I have the original R5. Originally I tried both one shot and servo on still subjects (I rarely shoot action shots), but because I noticed an issue I have been specifically only trying one shot on still subjects and servo on moving subjects. When using one shot I only use the middle AF point and then reframe.. that has always been my preferred method because I don't want to have to choose a new AF point every time my preferred focal point (usually a face) is in a new area of the frame.

When I check in Canon DPP software it indicates that the AF point is in the middle (when the photo was shot in one shot) however it does the same with my DSLR photos when the focus is clearly on the face (that I originally locked focus on before reframing) that is no longer in the middle of the frame, so I assume it is just indicating the AF point I have allocated, rather than where it locked focus? Is there a place where I can specifically see where the focus locked? When looking at images I shot in servo (on moving subjects, during tests) it does indicate that the AF is on the eye, but they are very much not in focus. My colleague also has the R5 and he almost always uses servo too, I believe.

Re: Canon R5 AF

FloridaDrafter — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 20:01:09 GMT

A few questions.

What other EF lens(es) have you tried?
Have you let your colleague try those lenses, the Canon and the Sigma Art lens?
Do you have a Sigma dock to update the Sigma lens firmware?

Newton

Re: Canon R5 AF

Waddizzle — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 20:41:06 GMT

“ Thank you for your reply! I have the original R5. Originally I tried both one shot and servo on still subjects (I rarely shoot action shots), but because I noticed an issue I have been specifically only trying one shot on still subjects and servo on moving subjects. When using one shot I only use the middle AF point and then reframe.. that has always been my preferred method because I don't want to have to choose a new AF point every time my preferred focal point (usually a face) is in a new area of the frame.

The AF modes, One Shot and Servo, lock focus in different ways. One Shot locks focus when you half press the Shutter. By default, the camera will also emit a beep. By default, exposure is also locked when focus is locked.

Servo mode behavior is very different because of how it is continuously refocusing for as long as you maintain a half press on the Shutter. Servo locks focus and metering when the shutter fires.

As for the AF point is displayed in the center after you recompose, you are correct. The camera is showing you which AF point locked focus, not necessarily where your subject is located.

Evaluative Metering mode can bias the metering to the location of your active and locked AF point. By default, One Shot will always do this, even when you recompose your shot. Both focus and exposure were locked when the camera beeped, providing you maintain the half press on the Shutter.

When you focus and recompose in Servo some interesting things can happen when Whole Area Tracking is enabled. Start here, but enable Whole Area Tracking. I think of this setting combination as DSLR mode.

Notice how the screenshot shows Whole Area Tracking disabled. That’s DSLR mode for One Shot AF. Enable it for Servo mode, and the camera will track your subject across the frame as you recompose.

The crucial step to making this work is to define an Initial AF Tracking Point. Select the Single Point AF and chose the center. Go back in and select the entire screen area to display the icon in the screen shot.

Now try a focus and recompose with Tracking enabled. A cluster of AF points should remain on the subject as you recompose, providing that you maintain a half press on the Shutter. You will see the same behavior if you use BBF.

When you enable Subject Recognition and Eye Tracking, those clusters of AF points change from a cluster to a dynamic bounding rectangle. With Eye Tracking enabled, a small AF box will appear over the subject’s eye.

Re: Canon R5 AF

shadowsports — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 22:09:08 GMT

One quick question. Is the EF to EOS R adapter Canon or 3rd party?

Re: Canon R5 AF

R1985 — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 07:22:40 GMT

I've tried it with a Canon 50mm 1.4 and a Canon 70 - 200mm 2.8..

No, I didn't actually, he'll already have left for work this morning, but I can ask him to bring his camera back in tomorrow so I can try that..

No I don't..

Re: Canon R5 AF

R1985 — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 07:24:35 GMT

I'm going to have a proper look through your reply after work, thank you again, but just a quick question - I don't know that the R5 (original) has the whole area tracking option .. do you know if there is an alternative?

Re: Canon R5 AF

R1985 — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 07:26:55 GMT

It's a Canon one, however I did borrow another (Canon) adapter from work last night and I did feel like the tracking on the eyes was a little sharper when trying servo, not as sharp as I'd like but better than when I use my own adapter. One shot still wouldn't work though..

Re: Canon R5 AF

shadowsports — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 12:30:46 GMT

Greetings,

Thanks for the reply. We'll go back through your answers as well. Can you please try the following.

Tell us the version of firmware you are using?

Save your current/existing settings to an SD card.

Perform a full reset on main and custom functions then retest.

In some instances, we've seen issues arise when a certain combination of settings are used.

Re: EOS R5 AF won't detect eyes, faces come out soft

p4pictures — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:44:21 GMT

The original EOS R5 can only track faces when the AF method is; Face + Tracking, Zone AF, Large Zone AF: Vertical or Large Zone AF: Horizontal. It can only track eyes when the AF method is face + tracking.

If you choose Spot AF, 1-point AF, Expand AF area "cross" or Expand AF area: Around then you effectively switch off the subject detection and eye tracking so these work in the same way as the similar AF methods on the DSLRs.

One of the changes I made when moving to mirrorless from DSLRs is to switch over to using servo AF for almost all subjects where there is a chance of movement, this includes portraits. I also selected Face + Tracking AF method. With the subject to detect set to People and Eye detection enabled I can simply compose the frame I want and the camera will find a face, and the eye and focus on them with incredible reliability and accuracy. This is using both EF lenses on Canon mount adapter and RF lenses. This setup works well where there is only a single face in the frame and it is rather obvious. When you have more than one face in the frame you may want guide the camera to a specific face. For this you need to have a manually selected Initial Servo AF point for Face + Tracking. You will find this on the AF5 menu. Normally when set to AUTO there is no AF frame in the EVF or on the LCD. But when set to either of the other two options you will see an AF frame about the size of the 1-point AF frame, and also you will notice that there are white corners towards the edge of the viewfinder / LCD to indicate the limits of where you can positing the AF frame if you need. Aim this frame at the face you want the camera to focus on, and it will then track that face, keep your finger on the shutter button - or AF-ON button if using back button AF - and recompose, the AF will stay on the subject's face.

For pictures of people this way of working with servo AF has replaced the old focus, lock, recompose technique of the DSLR for me, and I have significantly more sharply focussed shots as a result.

In general for portraits I aim to have the shutter speed at 1/125th or faster, less than this there is an increased chance that even a static subject will move / breathe and be slightly out of focus.

Re: Canon R5 AF

FloridaDrafter — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:53:43 GMT

@R1985 wrote:
I don't know that the R5 (original) has the whole area tracking option .. do you know if there is an alternative?

In our R5 classic, it's in a couple of places and is denoted by the "smiley face+tracking" selection and included in the "AF method" options.

This is what you will see by pressing the "Q" button, then tapping the AF method (AF point/area selection). This is from an old screen shot so that row of AF points/areas is along the top now, f/w ver. 2.2.0, but it may be a configuration thing 🙂

The other way to get there is in the AF 1 menu.

I use this, along with some servo changes, subject detection, and eye detection, to shoot BIF and flying insects. I store it in C1.

Newton

Re: EOS R5 AF won't detect eyes, faces come out soft

FloridaDrafter — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:00:38 GMT

LOL, Brian! I was typing and dropping screenies at the same time you were posting.

Thanx for the in-depth post 🙂

Newton

Re: EOS R5 AF won't detect eyes, faces come out soft

shadowsports — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:08:31 GMT

Excellent thread and information guys 👍