topic Re: EOS R5 Mark II AF won't stay on face that I chose in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

EOS R5 Mark II AF won't stay on face that I chose

CarlR — Sat, 11 Oct 2025 12:24:11 GMT

Hello! I've been struggling with my auto focus for a while now. I primarily shoot sports and my camera has been losing its focus point routinely. For example, I can be locked on (or what I think is locked on) to a players face but if another person enters the frame the focus point will always jump to that person - even if it's the back of their head! That one is really frustrating, why is it finding the back of a head instead of the face I've already locked on?

Another example, I'll be locked on a batter who's up at the plate and the focus will suddenly switch to a spectator who is not only further away, but behind a fence. And finally, if I'm shooting into a group and place my focus point on the person in the center of the frame, how can I get it stay on that person? The camera seems to always pick someone off to the side, or the back of a head, and not the face that is dead center in my frame and where my initial focus point is.

I've tried adjusting the mode to more locked on, less locked on, etc. Would it be better to turn off facial recognition all together? It's just driving me nuts that I have a player locked in, I'm following them in action and then boom, no, camera doesn't want them anymore, it wants some face in the stands.

Re: EOS R5 Mark II AF won't stay on face that I chose

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Oct 2025 13:03:31 GMT

Are you aware of this AF guide?

https://cam.start.canon/en/C017/guide/html/index.html

Especially this part

https://cam.start.canon/en/C017/guide/html/AF-02_AFcharacteristics_0030.html

Re: EOS R5 Mark II AF won't stay on face that I chose

CarlR — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 13:29:53 GMT

Thank you. I read through and adjusted my settings accordingly - I think turning off whole area tracking will help a lot. Also changed Servo 1st Image Priority to Focus instead of Equal.

Going to cover a field hockey game tonight so I'll know soon enough how it works, and will report back! Thanks again

Re: EOS R5 Mark II AF won't stay on face that I chose

CarlR — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 20:59:16 GMT

I seemed to have more success after making the changes mentioned in my last response. There was one or two times when the autofocus randomly grabbed the background even while I was shooting action and locked on a subject. Also had better luck with not locking on to the back of a players head randomly. Thanks again!

Re: EOS R5 Mark II AF won't stay on face that I chose

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 09:08:22 GMT

It can be difficult to find the right settings, to many possibilities! And no camera is perfect so there will always be some missed shots.