topic Re: EOS R Spot AF in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

EOS R Spot AF

BryanShaw1 — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 22:43:39 GMT

One disappointing omission I find on the EOS R is Spot AF. It was present on my 7D and is there on the R5. I found it very useful when trying to pick out a wader half hidden by weeds (for example). I know there was a firmware update to add eye recognition but do you think Canon might add Spot AF in the future? Otherewise I may have to invest in an R5.

Re: EOS R Spot AF

jrhoffman75 — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 00:45:06 GMT

If it's an important feature to you the R6 Mark II will have it.

Re: EOS R Spot AF

Waddizzle — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 12:20:17 GMT

That really is odd because the RP has Spot AF.

If you need an AF point that small, then it sounds like you are a little too far away to capture the shot. Not every shot opportunity meets with success.

Re: EOS R Spot AF

jrhoffman75 — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 12:36:21 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:
That really is odd because the RP has Spot AF.
If you need an AF point that small, then it sounds like you are a little too far away to capture the shot. Not every shot opportunity meets with success.

Independent of distance, the situation described by the OP frequently requires the small spot AF.

"trying to pick out a wader half hidden by weeds (for example)."

Re: EOS R Spot AF

BryanShaw1 — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 13:54:06 GMT

I know what you're saying Wadd but - I had a barn owl on a post some distance away with my 100-400 but the camera focussed on the post and not the owl. Only a very small change and not noticable until reviewed on PC. Had I had Spot AF the results would have been fantastic,

Re: EOS R Spot AF

shadowsports — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:03:58 GMT

Greetings,

Why can't you use 1-point AF and point straight at the stationary bird?

Am I missing something about your shot/subject?

Re: EOS R Spot AF

Waddizzle — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:17:59 GMT

@shadowsports wrote:
Greetings,
Why can't you use 1-point AF and point straight at the stationary bird?
Am I missing something about your shot/subject?

Exactly, my point. Because he is too far away from the subject, IMHO.

I wish the OP would post a sample photo. I am curious to see how large the subject is. It sounds like the issue is with picking out a bird sitting on a distant branch, but there is not a clear, unobstructed view of the bird.

Besides, there will always be some shots you will not be able to capture for one reason or another. Being too far away is probably the most common reason.

Re: EOS R Spot AF

Waddizzle — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:19:00 GMT

Let’s wait for the OP to post a photo of the issue.

Re: EOS R Spot AF

Waddizzle — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:34:54 GMT

Post the sample photo. Which AF mode are you using? Zone AF?

If a barn owl is sitting on top of a vertical post that is some distance away, then it should not have mattered if focus was locked on the post or the owl. Both should have been captured by the DoF, anyway.

Re: EOS R Spot AF

BryanShaw1 — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:34:16 GMT

So you don't believe Spot AF is a worthwhile feature? Well OK but I do, and Canon obviously does too or they wouldn't have reintroduced it on the R5 and (as John points out) on the R6 /2. Firmware update please Canon. (and I'd like to post example photos but I always delete those I don't want to keep but I'll save them in future to show you what I'm talking about). Thanks for all your comments.

Re: EOS R Spot AF

Waddizzle — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:45:22 GMT

If Spot AF is unavailable, then which AF point mode are you using?

Re: EOS R Spot AF

BryanShaw1 — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 17:12:01 GMT

1 point small

Re: EOS R Spot AF

Waddizzle — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 00:14:11 GMT

@BryanShaw1 wrote:
1 point small

“A rose by any other name is still the same.”

That sure sounds like Spot AF, to me.

Re: EOS R Spot AF

Lotus7 — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 03:28:02 GMT

Re: Firmware updates for the EOS R: Since the last "R" update V. 1.8.0 was 21 months ago it appears that unless Canon discovers a serious bug (very unlikely at this point) there probably are not any more "R" updates in the pipeline.

Re: The lack of Spot AF on the R: FYI: I own and use both the R and R5 and although I have not measured the size of the AF area on the R, I have carefully measured both the "Spot: and "1-Point" areas of the R5. The "1-Point" zone width is 7.3 % of the horizontal angle of view in normal full-frame shooting and the "Spot" zone is 4.6%. They are both square and the relative area covered by the "spot zone" is 40.4% of the area of the "1-Point" zone.

I do a fair amount of shooting at 600 mm and 840 mm FLs both on a gimbal and hand-held and expected to use the "Spot" R5 setting. However, in practice, even for relatively small subjects I've found that (hand-held) I usually get better results using "1-Point or the "1-Point Expand AF area" modes. When hand holding or even tracking with a good tripod+gimbal, it can be difficult to keep the Spot zone exactly on the subject and virtually impossible if the subject is moving. That's when the small, but limited Expand area function can be a shot-saver.

Visually, the "1-Point" (Normal) mode in the "R" looks about the same as that in the R5 relative to the full frame width, but I have not checked it to see if they are exactly the same.

Obviously, at less than long tele FLs and/or for static subjects the "Spot AF might be more useful.

Re: EOS R Spot AF

Lotus7 — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 03:35:58 GMT

I just performed an area check on the EOS R AF options (it's easy. just shoot a metal mm scale at about 8 feet away) for the "1-Spot Normal" and "1-Spot Small" settings on the R.

1-Spot normal = 7.35% of the frame width and 1-Spot Small = 4.4% of frame width, Sooooo... the the relative angle of the AF zone on a EOS-R in the 1-Shot Small setting is actually slightly smaller than that in the R-5 "Spot" mode!!

Waddizzle is correct: “A rose by any other name is still the same.” In fact, the old EOS-R rose may even smell a little better.

Re: EOS R Spot AF

Waddizzle — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 10:12:21 GMT

“When hand holding or even tracking with a good tripod+gimbal, it can be difficult to keep the Spot zone exactly on the subject and virtually impossible if the subject is moving. That's when the small, but limited Expand area function can be a shot-saver.”.

I was holding off on this observation until I could see a sample photo. If you are using just a single AF point, large or small, the photographer is fully and totally responsible for where the camera focuses.

When you are using single AF point, the camera will focus wherever you point it. If focus is not on your subject, then do not blame the camera. You simply missed focus.

However, I think there is entirely different reason why your owl is seemingly out of focus. If focus was on a vertical post, then the owl perched on top of it should have been focused, too.

How you have made the determination that focus was on the post, anyway? Did your image indicate the location of the active and locked AF point?

Re: EOS R Spot AF

shadowsports — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 15:03:20 GMT

@Lotus7,

Excellent! Very helpful. 👍

Focusing on a zoomed dimly lit subject presents a challenge for any AF system. We've all encountered issues trying to focus on a single point zoomed where a branch or leaf, beam, glass window or fence seems to have gotten in the way.