EOS R Spot AF

[BryanShaw1]

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.

[Waddizzle]

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

[BryanShaw1]

1 point small

[Waddizzle]

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@BryanShaw1 wrote:

1 point small

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

That sure sounds like Spot AF, to me.

[Lotus7]

 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.

[Waddizzle]

“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?

[Lotus7]

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.

[shadowsports]

@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.