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RF 100M Macro focus ring functionality in AF

sueze
Contributor

I am using the RF 100mm macro on my R5. I have struggled with finding focus with it. I sent it in a month ago for Canon to look at it and they told me it is fine. I was told when shooting AF the focus ring does not work. That I need to switch to MF, find the focus I want and then switch to AF. What a pain!! I lot of the time doing that, the lens will then lose focus. I mainly shoot flower/nature with my macro. I am lucky if the AF finds any focus! Is it true the focus ring does not work when using AF? 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

NOT all RF lenses support MF override when in AF mode. The RF 100mm F/2.8L Macro IS USM lens doesn't support it per Canon. List of compatible lenses 

Compatible lens list for [Electronic full-time MF] are shown below. As of March 2021
RF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM (Firmware Ver 1.1.0 or later)
RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM (Firmware Ver 1.0.9 or later)
EF400mm f/2.8L IS III USM (Firmware Ver 1.1.2 or later)
EF600mm f/4L IS III USM (Firmware Ver 1.1.2 or later)
-Demetrius
Bodies: EOS 5D Mark IV
Lenses: EF Trinity, EF 85mm F/1.8 USM
Retired Gear: EOS 40D, EF 50mm F/1.8 STM & EF 70-210mm F/4
Speedlites: 420EX, 470EX-AI, 550EX & 600EX II-RT

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18 REPLIES 18

I am up to date on everything. 🙂

af 100mm macro.png

This is what it says in the user manual but does not seem to work for me. Will look at this again tomorrow. Thank you all for you suggestions. 

 

What happens if you half press the shutter button or press and hold the AF-ON button and turn the focus ring.

-Demetrius
Bodies: EOS 5D Mark IV
Lenses: EF Trinity, EF 85mm F/1.8 USM
Retired Gear: EOS 40D, EF 50mm F/1.8 STM & EF 70-210mm F/4
Speedlites: 420EX, 470EX-AI, 550EX & 600EX II-RT

shadowsports
Legend
Legend

Greetings,

May I ask.  Have you reviewed the user guide for the lens?  Are you familiar with how the focus distance switch and SA ring works with AF?

~Rick
Bay Area - CA


~R5 C (1.0.7.1) ~RF Trinity, ~RF 100 Macro, ~RF 100~400, ~RF 100~500, +RF 1.4x TC, +Canon Control Ring, BG-R10, 430EX III-RT ~DxO PhotoLab Elite ~DaVinci Resolve ~Windows11 Pro ~ImageClass MF644Cdw/MF656Cdw ~Pixel 8
~CarePaks Are Worth It

Yes, I have the user guide on my computer and understand the focus distance switch. I do not use the SA ring. 

FloridaDrafter
Authority
Authority

@sueze wrote:

I am using the RF 100mm macro on my R5. I have struggled with finding focus with it. I sent it in a month ago for Canon to look at it and they told me it is fine. I was told when shooting AF the focus ring does not work. That I need to switch to MF, find the focus I want and then switch to AF. What a pain!! I lot of the time doing that, the lens will then lose focus. I mainly shoot flower/nature with my macro. I am lucky if the AF finds any focus! Is it true the focus ring does not work when using AF? 


Hello, sueze!

I have been using this combo [R5/RF 100mm macro] for at least three years, targeting the same subjects as you, and don't remember ever needing to use MF. It just focuses wherever I put my FP almost every time. Be mindful of the focus limiter switch and make sure the SA ring is locked at zero, unless you want to use it 🙂 With that said, either Canon repair missed something or you are using the wrong focusing method(s).

This is the way I've done it for years with the R's and RF 100mm and DSLR's and the EF 100mm: I use the fine focus point, one shot, and Av mode, which is as simple as it gets, so no servo, no multiple focus points, no zones. The majority of my macros are shot hand held, which does throw a monkey in the wrench from time to time when shooting a tiny flower in a slight breeze or moving insects. Yes, everyone has their way! But this has worked for me many many years.

"Is it true the focus ring does not work when using AF? " By default, yes, but as Demetrius kindly pointed out, you can enable Manual Focus Override (MFO) by selecting "One-Shot --> Enable" from the Lens electronic MF menu. I have this enabled, but not necessarily for macro.

"...That I need to switch to MF, find the focus I want and then switch to AF." Ouch, that hurt my brain! I've never even considered doing that. I do use MFO to fine tune on small birds that are being elusive. My wife uses the 3rd option with her telephoto ""One-Shot --> Enable (magnify)", which drives me crazy whenever I snatch up her camera (R6 mark II) to take some shots, LOL!

Just an example: A "Lawn Orchid" which are matchhead sized.

Lawn Orchid-1Sa.jpg

Newton

sueze
Contributor

I wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions. Last evening I was able to get it to work. As the instructions say, hold the shutter button halfway down, as the shutter button is being held down you can then use the focus ring to bring the subject into focus. I am so thrilled to finally get this to work. (Note: I got this lens late last October. In Nov I was diagnosed with breast cancer. So all winter I was going through breast cancer treatments. Just this past month or so I have started back into my normal shooting. So I really had not used this lens until this past month.) Again, thank you!! This was taken last evening.IMG_7318-Edit.jpg

Beautiful photo!

I'm really sorry you can't get AF to work properly, it's really a time saver and in a lot of situations allows you to get the shot, especially with insects that tend to not wait around while you fiddle with MF.

Bottom line is that you are happy. My wife uses MFO quite a bit with her telephoto for birds and other flora/fauna, but with the "Magnify" setting enabled. You may want to experiment with that. She is really old school and it took me years to get her to go digital from 35mm film (not EOS), so MF is just built in to her brain, LOL!

On a side note: Traditionally, macro (1:1 or larger) has been shot using manual focus, but that was typical for static or staged subjects, and still is. With the inclusion of AF in these true macro lenses, it has opened up the possibilities and made it easier for photographers to get the shots before the subject moves, flies away, or the lighting changes.

Newton

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