EOS R5 Mark II AI focus problems

[JWarren]

I am a Canon Professional Service member and own 1 R5 version 1 and R5 Mark II, as well as 4 other Canon bodies and multiple lenses. This May I went to Magee Marsh near Toledo Ohio to photograph the Warbler Migration. In the marsh you are photographing from a board walk into a jungle like environment of trees, bushes, vines and weeds. This is the most challenging environment in which to shoot. The AI in my 2 R5 Mark IIs and my friends Mark ii continually failed to focus on the warblers. if the warbler was in plain view but a small vine was near the bird, these cameras would always focus on the vine. there were other people there with Sony and Nikon cameras who could focus on birds where our cameras would not focus. I had one instance where a Indigo Bunting was standing on the blacktop parking and I fired 100shots and each time the camera focused on the eye or head and there wasn't one usable sharply focused image. this was one of hundreds of similar instances of failure to focus or focus sharply. I believe that Canon's AI is faulty. Ai is suppose to be able to recognize a bird even if there are distracting things near the bird, but in my and my friends experience it doesn't work like other manufacturer's cameras A1. Sony & Nikon Cameras were focusing many time better that the R5 Mark iis. I believe part of the problem is that Canon unlike other manufacturers lump birds in with all other animals. All birds have a generally unique shape with a tail and a bill along with wings. Most Manufacturer's have an AI category for just birds, but Canon does not. I have sent my cameras in for repair and I have been told they work as designed.

If you take the R5 Mark II into a lest congested environment the work reasonably well, but not perfect. for example I was focusing on a blue Jay on a tree stump and the first thing it focused on was the stump. That is not the way AI (artificial Intelligence) is suppose to work. I just talked to my friend in Asheville, NC who was photographing bird out his wind on a fence rail. If he tried to focus on the bird first it would not focus until he focused on the rail first. The R5 version one work better but not nearly as good as Sony or Nikon cameras with AI. I am asking people with Canon cameras to start complaining to Canon about their bad AI. If enough people complain then maybe we can get a firmware update that will fix the problem.

[FloridaDrafter]

Hello, JWarren!

I bought the R5 II a bit before the fall migration ('24) so, this year, I was able to use it in the spring migration as well. Our property is wooded with some underbrush and we get at least 10 warbler species and numerous other species, like vireo, thrush, flycatchers, etc. Since our property is a good stopover for most migrants, I can stand on our porch and get some good shots. I use an RF 100-500mm L primarily, but used an RF 200-800 for some of the spring birds. I prefer the RF 100-500 because I'm shooting under canopy and through the brush and the 100-500 is a lot better in low light, plus it's "L" quality 🙂

With that out of the way, The R5 II has performed flawlessly for me and my keeper rate is so good that it's frustrating when culling. As you know, warblers are a hard species to capture when foraging. Yah, you can catch them preening or sitting still for a moment, but I like to get them in action... Just my preference. I use very simple settings - Spot AF point with whole area tracking enabled, one shot, animal, eye tracking set to auto, and I use the shutter button, so no BBF. I will lock my exposure if the target is in deep brush, pretty straight forward technique. My R5 II seldom fails to quickly lock on to the body, head, or eye of my subject. I just put my FP on my target, half press, and the roaming FP locks on and I start snapping.

Newton

[JWarren]

Florida Drafter,

I wrote the original post.  I would like to go over my AF menue setting with you to see if we are using the same settings.

AF Menue 1: Servo AF[ ], Whole area Tracking

AF Menue 2:  Animals, Eye Detction Auto

Menue 5:  Linit AF Area 1 Point AF, Limit Suject Animals

Are you using the same settings as I am?

JWarren

[johnrmoyer]

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@JWarren wrote:

Florida Drafter,

I wrote the original post.  I would like to go over my AF menue setting with you to see if we are using the same settings.

AF Menue 1: Servo AF[ ], Whole area Tracking

AF Menue 2:  Animals, Eye Detction Auto

Menue 5:  Linit AF Area 1 Point AF, Limit Suject Animals

Are you using the same settings as I am?

JWarren

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I am no expert, but this is what seems to work for me.

AF menu1: AF operation SERVO AF ; AF method Face + tracking ; animals ; eye detection 

AF menu 3: Servo AF Case 1

AF menu 5: AF starts from initial point in the center for birds in foliage and AF initial point "Auto" for flying birds with sky as background

One EOS R5, I usually use: 

ExifToolVersion	13.30
FileName	IMG_3820.CR3
FocusMode	AI Servo AF
AFAreaMode	Face + Tracking
AFConfigTool	Case 1
AFTrackingSensitivity	0
AFAccelDecelTracking	0
AFPointSwitching	-1
AIServoFirstImage	Equal Priority
AIServoSecondImage	Equal Priority
USMLensElectronicMF	One-Shot -> Enabled (magnify)
AFAssistBeam	Enable
OneShotAFRelease	Focus Priority
AutoAFPointSelEOSiTRAF	Enable
LensDriveWhenAFImpossible	Continue Focus Search
SelectAFAreaSelectionMode	Single-point AF, Auto, Zone AF, AF Point Expansion (4 point), Spot AF, AF Point Expansion (8 point), [6], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14]
AFAreaSelectionMethod	M-Fn Button
OrientationLinkedAF	Same for Vert/Horiz Points
ManualAFPointSelPattern	Stops at AF Area Edges
AFPointDisplayDuringFocus	Selected (constant)
VFDisplayIllumination	Auto
AFStatusViewfinder	Show in Field of View
InitialAFPointInServo	Initial AF Point Selected
SubjectToDetect	Animals
EyeDetection	On

[JWarren]

The R5 Mark II does not have AF method Face+Tracking.  I also own the R5 version 1 and inm a jungle type environment it works better than the mark II.  I feel that canon should have a category for Birds only and animals only like all of the other manufacturers.  I used a Sony A1 for two weeks, and I can tell you it can focus on birds where the R5s can't.

[FloridaDrafter]

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@JWarren wrote:

Florida Drafter,

I wrote the original post.  I would like to go over my AF menu setting with you to see if we are using the same settings.

---

AF Menu 1: Servo AF[ ], Whole area Tracking: Yes, but in the AF Area menu, I select "Spot AF". This allows me to peek through the limbs and leaves and narrow the focus search. I have AF operation set to "One shot".

AF Menu 2:  Animals, Eye Detection Auto: Yes.

Menu 5:  Limit AF Area 1 Point AF, Limit Subject Animals: I don't mess with those and leave them at default " - ". I want to be able to switch AF areas and I have them bound to my lens control ring. I also like to let the subject float. Even though I'm mainly shooting birds, I like to shoot my wife who is often shooting with me. We concentrate on birds, but shoot just about anything that catches our attention.

I have a servo setup bound to C1, but don't use that for the migrating birds that are foraging in the brush or forest canopy. One shot with Spot AF works well for me in these conditions.

Newton

[JWarren]

I have the R5 and two R5 Mark II, and of the two the R5 tracked birds better at Magee Marsh.  I think one reason is that version 1 has a Face=Tracking Setting that isn't available in Versoion 2..  My friend and I were with hundreds of other photographer at the marsh for 30 days.  We had three version 2 and went back to using Version 1.  Sony and Nikon users were right next to us getting sharp images when we couldn't much of the time.

Almost every other camera manufacturer has a bird and an animal category.  All  birds have the same basic shape with a bill, wings,  and a tail.  I am trying to get people to ask Canon to have a bird category, because if a lot of users don't ask, it won't happen.  

Canon's corporate policy is to never admit they have a problem until they have a firmware update to provide a solution.  That leave us, the people with a camera wondering if they are even working on the problem.  I own two R5 mark IIs, and I am left that work reasonably well in most situations, but failed miserably at Magee Marsh's jungle like conditions.  I want other users to pressure Canon for improvements in there AI and to add a bird only category because birds have a unique shape with a bill a tail, and wings.    I have used a Sony A1, and I can tell you that it can focus on birds much faster and much more accurately than either Canon R5s.  I am asking everyone to ask Canon to improve there AI to bring it up the the other manufacturer's standard.  I have 6 Canon  Bodies, and 10 L lenses.  I don't want to have to switch manufacturers, or carry a second brand of camera for place like Magee Marsh.  I have been using Canons sing the AE1. 

[johnrmoyer]

I have the original EOS R5 and not version II, so this is just a guess. I hope some of my guesses might be helpful anyway.

When I first went from EOS 80D to EOS R5, I found it very frustrating trying to focus on birds in foliage. On EOS 80D I used single point AF and could not find how to do that on EOS R5 with similar results. 

In EOS R5 II manual https://cam.start.canon/en/C017/manual/html/UG-04_AF-Drive_0060.html#AF-Drive_0060_2 , I might guess that turning off "whole area tracking" might help for birds in foliage or https://cam.start.canon/en/C017/guide/html/AF-01_Overview_0020.html or https://cam.start.canon/en/C017/guide/html/AF-06_Subject_0340.html . I also might try registering a center AF point as frequently used.

For this photo, I put the camera into 1.6x crop mode because that seems to me to increase likelihood for the camera to find the eye. The Cuckoo usually stays in deep shadows behind foliage and will not pose for me. Unhelpful for a fashion model 🙂 

https://www.rsok.com/~jrm/2025Jun15_birds_and_cats/2025jun09_cuckoo_IMG_3773c.html 

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) hiding behind leaves of wild grape vine in Norman, Oklahoma, United States on June 9, 2025 ; EOS R5 ; EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III ; 560mm ; 1/640 ; F/9 ; distance about 14 meters

[Rojoyinc]

I find eye tracking/animals works great. Yesterday I was set for animal eye tracking and my grandson was around 500ft away on the dock. I was amazed it kept finding him in a busy frame and tracking on him.  But usually I'm shooting birds. 

[shadowsports]

These photos are lovely.