R5 MKII AF and Quick Control Dial 1 Set Button

[J03_D4ncer]

• This is not a complaint!

Has anyone experienced this? The camera arrived Tuesday, August 27, I began playing with it. I pre-ordered 3.5 sets of batteries from Canon and BH Photo, which arrived Monday, August 26. Charged them the same day, so when the camera arrived, I didn't have to wait. I removed AF-metering from the shutter button and used the AF-On back button. Using 1 Point AF, I put the camera in Servo AF and pressed the AF-On back button. Afterwards, I misplaced my finger and accidentally pressed the Quick Control Dial 1 Set Button and the subject was locked in the EVF. Double brackets formed on both sides of the focus point and locked in the subject and remained on the subject no matter where I aimed the camera. I immediately tried that on the R5 MK I and it didn't replicate it.

• I think it's a nice feature. 

[p4pictures · Accepted solution]

By default the EOS R5 Mark II has the SET button configured to toggle whole area AF on/off. Whole area AF is not a feature on the EOS R5 (Mk1), but was introduced with the EOS R3 and the other models such as R10, R50, R7, R6 Mk2 have it too. 

The essence of whole area AF is that you can use your chosen AF point or group of points to "target" a specific subject in the frame for the camera to focus on. With whole area AF detection on, the camera will find the subject and then track it even if it moves around the frame. 

On the old EOS R5 the closest you can do something similar is to use face + tracking AF method and have the initial AF point for servo AF set to either of the two options that are not AUTO. In this case you have a single AF point that works to direct the AF system where to find the subject initially, and once identified the camera tracks it even if it moves around the frame.

[J03_D4ncer]

Thank you for providing me with an informative answer. The R5 is my first full frame

 

camera. The R5 MKII is my second. I'm relatively new to photography and I love it. There is much to learn. Again, thank you.