EOS R6 Mark II Whole Area AF box changing size

[Cantrell]

All, 

Previously had a R10, but last week purchased a EOS R6 M2 wit a RF24-240mm lens. Currently it is in SERVO mode with Whole Area AF, animals, and eye detection. Set up back button auto focus. Taking pictures of my dogs sleeping and the eye detection worked appropriately on the multi colored dog, but on our black dog it was focusing on its collar. The Whole Area box would increase and decrease in size. Why was the whole area box increasing in size? Why would the auto focus focus on the collar and not the black dog's eye? Also, the blue whole area box moves from area of Viewfinder to a different area each time I turn the camera on.

[March411]

Hey Cantrell, the blue box at start up, at least for me ends up where it was when I shut the camera down. Have you centered it, turned it off and then rebooted?

Also, I struggled setting up my R6 MkII when I first picked it up, the video below was a great baseline that I've tweaked a little until I found my sweet spot. The thing I liked the most was using BBF on two separate buttons. I have one set up for servo/animals and the other for single point and simply move the focus point using the thumb joystick (Multi-Controller) to get the focus point on my subject if it is still. 

 

[Cantrell]

Marc,

Thank you for your recommendation. I tried to center the Whole Area AF, but having little luck. Do you use the joystick or move it on the LCD with your finger. Can not seem to find the option in the Menu of moving the box by using your finger. I swineherd AF area to one spot and in was in the middle of the frame and did not move. Whereas when Whole Area AF was programmed the box moved to different areas of the frame and changed sizes.

[March411 · Accepted solution]

I use the Joystick. The only time I use the LCD is when I'm indoors and shooting on difficult angles.

This might help. You'll absolutely love the camera once you work the bugs out.

• Access the Menu: Press the "MENU" button on your camera.
• Navigate to AF Settings: Go to the AF (autofocus) settings menu.
• Locate Touch & Drag AF: Find the "Touch & drag AF settings" option and select it.
• Enable Touch & Drag AF: Select "Touch & drag AF" and then choose "Enable".

[Cantrell]

Marc,

Thank you for your reply. Information was very helpful.

[Cantrell]

Marc,

Thank you for the informative video.

[March411]

My pleasure Cantrll.

If you go through the steps (I hit pause frequently) and can get used to dual back button focus it's really a pretty nice setup.

I have that setup saved on C1 and my tweaks are set up to C2 & C3. It took a while for the thumb muscle memory to kick in but now three of my bodies have this setup on C1.

Good luck.

[FloridaDrafter · Accepted solution]

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@Cantrell wrote:

Previously had a R10, but last week purchased a EOS R6 M2 wit a RF24-240mm lens. Currently it is in SERVO mode with Whole Area AF, animals, and eye detection. Set up back button auto focus. Taking pictures of my dogs sleeping and the eye detection worked appropriately on the multi colored dog, but on our black dog it was focusing on its collar. The Whole Area box would increase and decrease in size. Why was the whole area box increasing in size? Why would the auto focus focus on the collar and not the black dog's eye? Also, the blue whole area box moves from area of Viewfinder to a different area each time I turn the camera on.

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The only reason I can think of as to why it wouldn't pick out the eye of the black dog is that there wasn't enough contrast around the eye. It probably went to the collar because there was enough contrast for AF to latch onto. The R6 II, or any R, will do this when you have whole area selected and it can't find an eye, face, head, etc. Just because you have animal or eye detection enabled doesn't mean that's all the camera will search for and lock onto, however they do learn what subjects you shoot, at least that's been my experience with the R6 II and the R5 II.

When whole area tracking is enabled with servo or not, the camera will search the whole frame for a target and when it can't find whatever subject you have specified, it will make it's own selection which could be anything it recognizes. I think it has a database to draw from and add to. That is the reason the focus box jumps around. The reason it changes sizes is because it will adapt to anything it locks onto, if it's an eye it will be small, if it's a head it will encompass the head, and so on. It's adaptive.

If your focus point/area is in different positions when you turn your camera on, you need to disable "Preview AF" in the AF 3 menu. This setting, when enabled, activates AF when you turn the camera on, so before you half press the shutter or your BB's, the camera is already looking for or locked onto a subject. My fine AF point sometimes gets moved from center, usually when I've switched to the LCD and touched it, but you can press the joystick to recenter it. On my R5 II, I have programmed the FP selection button to recenter just because it's right there beside my thumb 🙂 

I hope this helps.

Newton

[Cantrell]

FloridaDrafter,

Thank you for your reply. Information is very helpful and useful. I appreciate your response.

[Cantrell]

Marc,

Thank you for your response. I have set up back button focus on the R6M2.