EOS R5 Animal Eye AF focusing on wrong horse at races

[sdeckerphoto]

Hello,

I have been using an EOS R5 and an RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM for several years now to shoot horse racing.  I use animal eye af.  The past several months, when I shoot on turns, when the field of horses comes around the turn and I am shooting head on, the camera at first focuses on a horse behind the horses at the front of the pack until they get closer.  I am not doing anything differently than I have done for years and I have not recently updated my firmware.  I am having to stop down much further than I would like to try to mitigate the issue.  Has anyone experienced something like this?

[Waddizzle]

Welcome to the Forums!

If you want specific recommendations, then you will need to provide specific information about your camera settings and the shooting conditions. I.E.: Exposure Settings. AF Mdoe Setting, AF Point Selection, Actual Shootihg  Conditions, etc.  A sample good and bad photo, with EXIF data would help immensely!

For now, I would advise you to disable Subject Detection and Eye Tracking.  I am getting the impression that you are too far away for those features to be effective.  Tale advantage of the camera AF System instinct to lock focus on the cln the closest object within the field of view.

[sdeckerphoto]

Ok, I can do that, but any insight on why the camera (I actually have two of them and they both do it) would start doing this out of the blue when it never did before?

[sdeckerphoto]

If I upload photos will the EXIF data stay intact?

[FloridaDrafter]

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@sdeckerphoto wrote:

If I upload photos will the EXIF data stay intact?

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If your image editor is set to include it, most do by default. If you use a file sharing site, like "one drive" or similar, I would upload a RAW and make it shareable. I get more from a Raw file than JPeG, but that's just me. Mainly for the ability to see focus point placement.

Newton

[sdeckerphoto]

Here's an example from when it focused properly (2024):  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bb4ifnGTPCQwrElqQ-VxOyBrXtS4ptWb/view?usp=sharing 

Here's an example from the same location taken today:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bb4ifnGTPCQwrElqQ-VxOyBrXtS4ptWb/view?usp=sharing 

Here's another example, taken when the camera was focusing properly:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/10jtgCPTmhx7bC0tlHoCFhRvAb9fcCcDc/view?usp=sharing 

And here's one from the same spot, taken recently:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/10GTW-wHk1iEG_ZDMUZaeQdM-skQ4vztF/view?usp=sharing 

Any insights would be appreciated.

[stevet1]

sdecker,

This is just a guess on my part, but I have a bunch that you are using some kind of area focusing, and the horse behind the leader(s) is in the center of your frame. As they get closer, the camera shifts focus to what is closer to you, i.e. the leader(s).

Try changing to single point and concentrate on which horse you want to be in focus. If you use Af Servo and back button focus, you can easily switch horses as they jockey for position and overtake each other for the lead.

Steve Thomasj

[FloridaDrafter]

Thank you!

Newton

[sdeckerphoto]

I do use AI servo and back button focus, but how do I switch horses as they come by?

[stevet1]

sdecker,

If you have it on single point, keep holding your focus button down. Don't let up.

Your camera will switch focus to wherever you are aiming at.

I agree with Rodger that your best bet will be with a small zone around your center point for fast moving action like your horse racing. Thar way, if your horse drifts slightly out of your single point, the surrounding points will pick it up.

Steve Thomas