7D Mark II with EF 400mm 5.6/L image issues

[ilikebirds56]

Please forgive me if this issue has already been addressed.  In using the search tool, I didn't see this particular problem addressed, but I might have missed it.

For the past 6 months, I've been using a 6D combined with an EF 400mm 5.6/L for shooting birds in flight.  Wanting more reach and a higher burst rate, I bought a 7D Mark II this week and paired it with my existing 400mm lens.  I set the camera to 1/2000, f/5.6 and ISO auto (limited to 800).  I selected Case 3 in the AF section (tweaking the parameters a bit) and the center AF point with 4 surrounding points.  I've taken about 200 images in decent light and have yet to get an acceptable image - they're noisy and extremely soft.

I'm new at this; so, my bag of troubleshooting tools is pretty slim.

I would appreciate any help.

A good weekend to all...

[Ray-uk · Accepted solution]

Try taking some shots of a static subject with a normal background. It is possible that your lens/camera combination might need some AFMA which would cause the softness and you may need to modify your metering method with BIF shots if the sky is upsetting the exposure settings which could exaggerate the noise.

If you can get good shots of static subjects, preferably using a tripod, then you will know it isn't the equipment.

[ebiggs1 · Accepted solution]

I think you made the right choice to upgrade to the 7D Mk II.  It is leap and bounds better then the 6D.  Now let's figure out why you aren't getting better shots!

"... my bag of troubleshooting tools is pretty slim."

Whenever you have issues like this, always go back to basics.  That is the first troubleshooting rule.  The suggestion to take static shots from a tripod is spot on.  Do this first.  That will confirm the camera/lens is good together.  That will mean you have some BIF settings that need to be tweaked.  Or, it means you need to change your technique.  Remember as your magnification goes up, so does all the mistakes by the same amount.

Another point focus adjustment in the 7D2 does not make the lens any sharper.  Not one bit, or perhaps a more up to date word, not one smidgen.  Folks still seem to make that false claim.  All it does is shift the focus point closer or farther away.  When it helps is when your lens shows things in focus in front of or behind what you actually focused on.  Make sense?

Do the static test first.

[Waddizzle · Accepted solution]

Try this!  I do not think there is anything really”wrong” with your gear.  You probably just need to adjust your camera’s AF settings.  In particular, you need adjust your active AF points, and change the default Image Priority.

I get the best results with moving subjects in AI Servo mode by enabling all AF points, enabling AF Assist points, AND then telling the camera to always start with the center AF point.  You may also want to enable the AF point display, so that you can see which AF points have the potential to lock on a subject, as the camera tracks.

Next, you may want to adjust the “Image Priority” settings, which only apply when you are in AI Servo and continuous drive mode.  Most of the time AI Servo does not wait for a focus lock, like One Shot does.  But, this behavior is adjustable with the Image Priority settings.

You can set how much priority the camera places on shutter priority, or on focus priority.  You can adjust Image Priority for the 1st shot in a sequence independently of the later shots in a sequence.  They are separate settings.  I always set my cameras for full focus priority.  The default setting is halfway between shutter and focus priority.  I see no point in having a high frame rate if all of the shots are out of focus.

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Making AFMA adjustments can be deceptively difficult.  It is not impossible.  It seems to be a straight forward process, which it is.  But, it is easier to make bad adjustments than it is to make good ones.  You need to be very disciplined in how you take your test shots, because you want repeatable results.  A series of tests shots should establish a general trend in the behavior of the camera/lens combo. 

Making AFMA adjustments can test your skills as a photographer.  I advise taking several test shots and averaging the results.  The type of lighting can affect your focusing, so I recommend doing it in bright sunlight, or under the lighting conditions that you expect to encounter.

[Edward1064 · Accepted solution]

All comments above are good suggestions.  When I first got my 7D Mark II (great camera!), Tom Campbell, in this Forum on 5/30/17, sent a link to a 51-page Canon guidebook on the AF functions, which I have found very useful.  You can download a PDF onto your tablet or phone.  Here is the link:

http://learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2014/eos7dmk2_afGuidebook.shtml

Ed

[ebiggs1]

"Thanks for the kind compliment ..."

The compliment is well deserved.  You no longer need us!    Keep it up and shoot a lot.

[ilikebirds56]

Thanks so much.  Having contributors like youself is a great asset to the community of shutterbugs.

All the best.

Mark

[BSchmitz]

There's a professional photographer named Grant Atkinson who has a series of youtube videos (5 of them) about the 7d II which I found invaluable when first setting up my 7D II. I don't have a link handy but if you google his name and 7d II you should be able to find them.