topic Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else? in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

JonnyPInk — Sun, 07 May 2023 17:16:33 GMT

I waited to update to see if there were problems and up until last week, everything was spot on as for as autofocus and eye AF. After the update, it is spotty. I have really bad focus drift and starting to miss way to many shots with with 500 F4 and 1.4 tele. Again, up until the update, it was one of the best I had used. Happening on other lenses as well where it just will not focus on the subject without manually focusing first.

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

Tronhard — Sun, 07 May 2023 17:38:34 GMT

Hi Jonny and welcome to the forum:

I shoot with the R5 and have the latest firmware too. I have no issues to report, but much depends on the lens, the setup of the focus system, and the conditions under which you are shooting, so to analyze your issue we would need a lot more information and preferably some examples with EXIF data.

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

JonnyPInk — Sun, 07 May 2023 17:58:08 GMT

Thank you for the reply. I have had the R5 since it came out and have been shooting my EF 1st version 500 F4 with the 1.4 III TC - have been shooting it again since I got he R5. Earlier this week, it was perfect. I updated on Thursday and since then, the focus is all over the place. If is happening on my 70-200 as well so I am at a loss. This happened with the R7 firmware update as well. I will reset my camera but I really wanted to see if someone else had that problem. The eye AF has degraded and is not as spot on as it was just before the update.

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

Tronhard — Sun, 07 May 2023 18:03:32 GMT

Sorry to learn this. Can you advise your exact focus settings please and the types of subjects you are shooting?

Does this occur all the time or under specific conditions?

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

JonnyPInk — Sun, 07 May 2023 18:12:47 GMT

I am a wildlife photographer. So it is set to animal. AF is in servo and tracking, set to animal, eye detection is enabled, cinintios is disabled to keep the lens from hunting constantly. The setting have not changed. The Servo AF is in auto but I do use 4 as well. What is happening is it is not locking on the eye as it did a couple days ago. It functions as poorly like the competitions eye AF (Starts with an N for their flagship 9). I jumps from a wing to the eye to somewhere else and seems to struggle. Gong to take another lens out and try that as well. Want to buy the 800mm RF but not is this continues. Again, it is only with the update.

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

JonnyPInk — Sun, 07 May 2023 18:16:49 GMT

And I have one button on back for my focus point, and the other to activate the eye AF. I go between the constantly.

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

Tronhard — Sun, 07 May 2023 18:24:42 GMT

Yes, I understand it's with the update. I am wondering if the teleconverter combined with the older lenses is now conflicting with the updates. I cannot replicate your issues as I don't use teleconverters. Since you are using legacy lenses, what kind of EF-RF converter are you using. I shoot wildlife too and so far have had no issues. In the Post Your Images section you can see I have been experimenting with different legacy lens + R-series body combinations.

I shoot servo, with single point animal eye tracking, and single point exposure. I have back button focus and exposure lock. I locate the focus point on the subject's eye and use the focus reset button on the centre of the rear control wheel and once that is established it just sticks with the subject.

Given the RF 800 is a native lens for the R5, I would expect it to behave well, and have had no reports of issues with that optic. If you can borrow or rent one, or any other RF lens, that would provide good comparison data.

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

Tronhard — Sun, 07 May 2023 18:36:28 GMT

One thing might be worth trying.

1/ Store your current configuration to a card so you can, if desired, restore it later.
2/ Do a factory reset and one-by-one put back in your settings, testing at each stage to see if something has caused your issue. I would suggest modifying the case settings last.

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

JonnyPInk — Sun, 07 May 2023 20:51:31 GMT

Thank you TREVOR!

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

JonnyPInk — Sun, 07 May 2023 20:52:13 GMT

Thank you!!!

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

johnrmoyer — Mon, 08 May 2023 13:55:22 GMT

I also have the EOS R5 and latest firmware, but not the same lens. I hope some of this might be helpful anyway. Immediately after updating the firmware, I saw some odd behavior, but everything went back to normal after I removed and replaced the battery. I mostly use EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III or 2x III for birds.

Odd behavior I saw included camera menus not acting like documented in the manual. I speculate that having long EF lens with extender attached during firmware update not all data structures are reinitialized during reboot unless battery is removed and replaced, or maybe lens removed and replaced. Removing and replacing battery appeared to fix it for me, but I also switched lenses a few times.

The camera seems to me even better at finding the eye of a bird among branches than before the update, but maybe a little worse if the focus difference is very different from what is needed. Focusing on a tree trunk at about the same distance as the bird seems to me to make the camera able to find the eye of the bird.

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) in Norman, Oklahoma, United States on May 6, 2023

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) in Norman, Oklahoma, United States on May 5, 2023, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III, 1.6x crop mode and additional cropping to reduce size for upload

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

Tronhard — Mon, 08 May 2023 18:08:49 GMT

I hope the measures that John and I have suggested will work for you.

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

JonnyPInk — Tue, 09 May 2023 02:38:24 GMT

Thank you!!! I am going to rent either the 100-500 or buy it. I really want the RF 800 and may rent that as well. But I will try some of the other lenses I have. I I have switched the battery and the lens. The 70-200 with the 1.4 tele did seem a bit better. And if not, i will try resetting everything. Thank you for the info and suggestions.

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

Tronhard — Tue, 09 May 2023 02:44:52 GMT

I shoot the RF 100-500 with the R5 and it is a brilliant combination, with an extremely high keeper rate. I hope that you find that too.

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

JonnyPInk — Sat, 20 May 2023 23:13:47 GMT

Thank you, thank you!! I just rented that lens - the problem is with my old lens and it needs service. So, time for a new lens and I think it will be the RF 800. I can still get some amazing shots with my old 500 F4 but now the stabilization in the lens is squealing so I have to turn it off. 💖 Good excuse to get some new glass!!

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

LeslieP — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 16:31:57 GMT

I've just updated from 1.7.1 to 1.9.0 and am having the exact same issue with the exact same setup (except my 500mm is the latest one, not the first version). Animal eye AF has just lost the plot now! I photographed a squirrel from super close range, totally clean background, pretty clean foreground, they literally have a pale eye ring around their eye, it should have been the easiest eye to pick up of most mammals and it was failing HARD. I mean hard, like the squirrel would roughly be in focus when I pick up the camera, I hit the eye AF like I normally would for it to lock on to at least the animal if not the eye right away and it wouldn't even grab the animal! It's picking up pieces of bark in the foreground or just searching! But this squirrel is taking up most of the frame with a distinct eye (see photo), there is no reason it should be doing that and it never has in the past. I've been using this combo and these settings for YEARS and I've never had issues, this is a major bummer because I'm definitely not in a financial to just get a new f4 telephoto lens! Hoping this gets fixed soon.

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

LeslieP — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 03:21:24 GMT

I'm having the same issues with my 100-500, no teleconverter, the AF is terrible now, both single point and eye AF. All since the update

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

shadowsports — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 04:03:38 GMT

Greetings Everyone and Happy Holidays,

2 things worth mentioning. Firmware v1.9.0 is available for the R5. No reason not to be using it.

The RF 100-500 has a MFD which varies depending on set focal length. If you try to focus on something (using eye detection) and are closer than the minimum MFD for the set focal length, the camera will not lock focus accurately. True of any lens of course. 🙂

Re: R5 focus problems after 1.8.1 update - anyone else?

philipsouth — Mon, 06 May 2024 16:11:00 GMT

Yes, even in 2024, new out of the box and same issues, you're not alone.... I waited a few years to allow the kinks to work themselves out. SO.... I did an internet search for this same exact reason and this forum came up. I finally decided to climb aboard the R5 mirrorless group after shooting the last 20 years with all the renditions of the Mark 5D's. I am nearly regretting my purchase now but not giving up yet. I want the camera to work so bad, I came to this site in desperation. I've lost sooo many great opportunities these 2 months that I've owned the R5. I purchased the R5 (firmware 1.8.1 pre-installed) with with the RF 100-500 lens and shot after shot is blurry, (even on a tri-pod with slow moving birds such as pelicans are worthless shots). I have shots at 1/1200+ with birds nicely framed and I can't get the auto focus to lock on for a second, it just continues to hunt and by the time it does, the birds long gone. I joined up with a photo group excursion a couple weeks ago and 2 others photographers in the group couldn't understand it either. I've also watched dozens of different tutorials on bird settings, field tested the settings and still 90+% of my shots are worthless. So many people rave how good birding is with this combo, that's why I got it. Please Help!!