topic Using BBF to Change AF Modes on 7D Mark II in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Using BBF to Change AF Modes on 7D Mark II

Waddizzle — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 13:09:08 GMT

I am in NYC. The past few weeks have put the brakes on getting out and about with a camera. I have had time on my hands to play around with camera settings, and I made an interesting discovery regarding setting up a BBF button.

I usually set the [AF-ON] button two different ways, and save those setups as custom shooting modes. When I am not in a custom mode, the buttons have their default functions. Both of the Custom Modes are based upon M mode.

In C1 mode, I use One Shot AF mode using just the center AF point, and Single Shot drive mode. In this mode, the camera is setup for the classic BBF shooting mode. The [AF START] function is removed from the Shutter. I think of this mode as "Bird Sitting on a Branch" mode. I can focus on the bird among several branches, and then not worry about the camera refocusing when I press the Shutter.

In C2 mode, I use AI Servo AF mode using the center AF point as the starting point for AF tracking, and Continuous Shooting drive mode. The [AF-ON] button is programmed for [AF-OFF], which emulates the button functionality found on Great Whites. I think of this mode as "Action Photography Mode", which is great for BIF or Sports.

Switching between these two modes is quick, but it still takes time. I do not know why, but I never noticed the prompt to press the [INFO] button in the lower left corner before. The prompt only appears for select settings, and it opens up a new menu!

You can actually set the [AF-ON] button to do more than change [AF-START]. This feature is not available on mid-range camera bodies like the 6D or 6D2. I do not know if it is available on the 80D or 90D. I would expect it to be available on the 5D Series and the 1Dx Series, though.

If the camera is set to One Shot Mode using just the center AF point, and Single Shot drive mode, you can change it. By pressing the [AF-ON] button, the camera now switches to AI Servo AF mode. But, it also switches the drive mode, and the AF points. It also calls up a custom AF Case selection.

I saved this mode as C3. It seems better for sports photography than C2. I have finally found a use for C3.

Re: Using BBF to Change AF Modes on 7D Mark II

RobertTheFat — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 15:30:31 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:
I am in NYC. The past few weeks have put the brakes on getting out and about with a camera. I have had time on my hands to play around with camera settings, and I made an interesting discovery regarding setting up a BBF button.

I usually set the [AF-ON] button two different ways, and save those setups as custom shooting modes. When I am not in a custom mode, the buttons have their default functions. Both of the Custom Modes are based upon M mode.

In C1 mode, I use One Shot AF mode using just the center AF point, and Single Shot drive mode. In this mode, the camera is setup for the classic BBF shooting mode. The [AF START] function is removed from the Shutter. I think of this mode as "Bird Sitting on a Branch" mode. I can focus on the bird among several branches, and then not worry about the camera refocusing when I press the Shutter.

In C2 mode, I use AI Servo AF mode using the center AF point as the starting point for AF tracking, and Continuous Shooting drive mode. The [AF-ON] button is programmed for [AF-OFF], which emulates the button functionality found on Great Whites. I think of this mode as "Action Photography Mode", which is great for BIF or Sports.

Switching between these two modes is quick, but it still takes time. I do not know why, but I never noticed the prompt to press the [INFO] button in the lower left corner before. The prompt only appears for select settings, and it opens up a new menu!

You can actually set the [AF-ON] button to do more than change [AF-START]. This feature is not available on mid-range camera bodies like the 6D or 6D2. I do not know if it is available on the 80D or 90D. I would expect it to be available on the 5D Series and the 1Dx Series, though.

If the camera is set to One Shot Mode using just the center AF point, and Single Shot drive mode, you can change it. By pressing the [AF-ON] button, the camera now switches to AI Servo AF mode. But, it also switches the drive mode, and the AF points. It also calls up a custom AF Case selection.

I saved this mode as C3. It seems better for sports photography than C2. I have finally found a use for C3.

I kust checked, and the feature is available on the 5D4. It's also available on the 5D3, but with only two options to choose from.

That makes two respects I know of in which the 7D2 is ahead of the 5D3, the other being the full-time level in the viewfinder.

Re: Using BBF to Change AF Modes on 7D Mark II

Waddizzle — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 16:59:31 GMT

"I kust checked, and the feature is available on the 5D4. It's also available on the 5D3, but with only two options to choose from.

That makes two respects I know of in which the 7D2 is ahead of the 5D3, the other being the full-time level in the viewfinder."

Which two settings are available on the 5D3? I really do not expect this feature to be available in xxD bodies.

Re: Using BBF to Change AF Modes on 7D Mark II

RobertTheFat — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 17:59:19 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:
"I kust checked, and the feature is available on the 5D4. It's also available on the 5D3, but with only two options to choose from.

That makes two respects I know of in which the 7D2 is ahead of the 5D3, the other being the full-time level in the viewfinder."

Which two settings are available on the 5D3? I really do not expect this feature to be available in xxD bodies.

I can't look it up this minute, but I'll try to let you know tomorrow.

I suspect you may be right about the xxD bodies, but of course that doesn't apply to the 5D3.

Re: Using BBF to Change AF Modes on 7D Mark II

Dbenson — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 00:47:16 GMT

If I am reading this right, it is possible to set up two distinct BBF options on a 5D3 as long long as each shooting scenario is saved as a custom mode. Some cats I follow have talked about this ability but never linked or described the selected button to a Custom shooting mode. Thank you for this. Hope to find time soon to set these up.