Constantly getting soft images even when EOS R7 says it's focused and tracking eyes.

[brookbyrnes]

Best focusBest focus

I've included images showing the focus points. The best focused image is the last (2), showing zoomed and the full. These were on shot on Canon R7, bought Dec 2025, with RF 100-500 4.5-7.1L, bought mid-Jan 2026. Both camera and lens were bought brand new. I've been using them mostly for bird photography, but some other nature as well.

I have 100 photos of this Loon and only 2-3 are kind of in focus. There were numerous re-focus's throughout shooting it. IBIS and IS on lens were both on. Subject and eye tracking are both on. AF set to Case 2, stay on target. This has been a consistent issue for me and it almost seems random. It wasn't a particularly cold day, light wind, not too hot either. I have other photos from the day that are of birds on the water and FURTHER away but seem to be in better focus. I could see this bird clearly with my own eyes, it was no more than 20-30 ft in the water, another 10 from me to the water. 

I shot every one of these images at 500mm. This is not the only set of images that are simply SOFT, not focused. Just the easiest representation because this is a large bird, fairly close.

Any ideas or tips/tricks that can be recommended? I know the R7 has limitations but I usually get 25-30% keep rate, even with birds. This seems to be happening more in the last week or so, in comparison to when I got the lens/camera. I have not changed any settings in the last week or so, can give more detail if necessary.

I shoot 3-4 times per week, usually around 1000 images, with about 300 good/in focus.
Been shooting Canon since ~2010. Rebel T6i, 6D MKII, R7, various lenses.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

Look on the camera menu AF, Tab 3.  Do you have lens drive when AF impossible enabled or disabled?

We'll start here and others can join in.

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[brookbyrnes]

Lens drive when AF impossible: Mine is set to OFF.

Inside that setting: Continue search is ON. stop search is OFF.

Is that something that may help? Switching those?

[shadowsports]

Greetings ,

Depending on the shooting conditions, it's certainly worth a try.  The MFD for the RF 100-500 at 500 mm is 3.94 ft so it's not like you were trying to focus on something that was too close.  😃

Also look at your focus distance range switch setting.  See page 7 

rf100-500f45-71lisusm-im2-en.pdf https://share.google/Mr13x8aLKjAq19kI9

Try changing from Full to 3.94 ~ Infiniti which is better for distant wildlife.

[brookbyrnes]

I'll switch those setting and see if the camera does any better.

As for lens settings, I stay on 3~infinity usually because of birds, it's hard to remember to switch when taking pictures of something closer sometimes, haha. Also, mode 3, stabilizer on, and AF on for the lens as well.

Thanks for the response. I'll update later.

[Waddizzle · Accepted solution]

I see two potential issues.

One. You appear to be shooting across a significant amount of water.  Large bodies of water can alter light waves due to the temperature gradient.  You’re at 500mm with a crop sensor, and your subject is not filling the frame. 

Two. You are cropping the image quieter a bit.. You should generate a JPG of your cropped image. Look at the pixel resolution and file size of the cropped JPG.  

[FloridaDrafter]

I agree with Waddizzle! In DPP, you are zoomed in too close IMO, which looks to be 100%. As he mentioned, you need to be closer to the subject to fill the sensor and to eliminate any distortion.

Newton

[brookbyrnes]

I understand the being zoomed all the way to 500mm can make it harder to focus, but I have clear images of smaller birds at 500mm. It wasn't a large body of water, it was around 20-30 feet? I took a photo with my phone to show the distance as well, I'm sitting on the top of the slab in the image. I know it's still kind of far but the images I posted show how much of the screen it filled. I also thought there could be issue with the water causing confusion.

I'm not following what you mean by I'm cropping the image. The images posted are the full, uncropped images. I just zoomed in 2, 3, & 5 to show the focus point. Those are the raw files in DPP4. For one of those photos, RAW file size is 41.8MB (6984*4660), it's export to JPG (slightly cropped, not heavily) is 9.87MB (4690*3128). Those are the intricacies I don't fully understand so you'll have to tell me if it's bad or good.

I've gathered I hit the limit of the lens but I'm still bothered by the soft focus because the camera is showing that it's locked on, not only to the subject but, to the eye. I just assumed I was doing something wrong. Thanks for all the info.

[ebiggs1]

"You appear to be shooting across a significant amount of water." "You are cropping the image quieter (?) a bit."

Yes, and remember almost all OOF or soft images are user error and not the gear. Sometimes you ask the camera/lens to do more then it can as all photography has its limitations.

[Waddizzle]

“ I'm not following what you mean by I'm cropping the image. The images posted are the full, uncropped images. I just zoomed in 2, 3, & 5 to show the focus point. Those are the raw files in DPP4. For one of those photos, RAW file size is 41.8MB (6984*4660), its export to JPG (slightly cropped, not heavily) is 9.87MB (4690*3128). Those are the intricacies I don't fully understand so you'll have to tell me if it's bad or good. “

You posted screenshots, not full size images.  You have switched to an entirely new photo / screenshot. I had wanted you to generate a JPG of the small zoomed in area in your original post. I wanted you to see what it does to the image.